Zelpha P Simons

Zelpha was born March 3, 1924, in Bennion, Utah as the youngest child of Franklin Shanks Parker and Josephine Mauchley Parker and a direct descendant of the early pioneers who settled the Salt Lake Valley, Cache Valley and Virgin Utah. She was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

She remembers living on a dairy farm in the days when milking cows was done by hand, flies were plentiful, and so were cats, of course. She swam in irrigation canals, played in the vast fields and loved her animals. At five years old, she had mastered the art of leading her bareback horse to the water trough and as “Maude” would lower her head to drink, little Zelpha would climb up her neck and hold on to her mane for a ride. She never learned how to milk a cow because her mother, who regularly assisted in the milking duties, would not allow it.

Zelpha’s joy has always come from her family, friends and cats. She loved playing games, golfing, traveling and reading. She had great satisfaction in knowing she assisted in the building of the Glen Canyon Dam with her work at the Bureau of Reclamation accounting department. She was good with numbers!

Zelpha is preceded in death by her husband Harold Earl Simons, her parents, siblings, and many beloved nieces, nephews and friends. She is survived by her dear son Jerry, his wife Joan, four grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, and nine great-great-grandchildren. In true Grandma Z fashion, she welcomed the addition of many grandchildren’s spouses -- each one dearly loved. Above all, she will be remembered for her warm smile, the kind way she treated everyone she met, her sense of fun, and her unwavering love for her family.

A graveside memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 26, 2023, at 10:00 AM, Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park, 3401 S. Highland Drive, Millcreek, Utah.