April 29, 1936 — February 27, 2017
Myrle Thacker Jensen age 80, passed away on Feb. 27, 2017. She was born on April 29, 1936, in Roosevelt, Utah, to Claude Thacker and Hilda Grace Fullmer Thacker.
Myrle was an energetic compassionate loving person and always willing to give of her time. Myrle loved to be in the mountains and loved the majestic beauty of the Wasatch, Uinta, and Teton mountains. Myrle lived and grew up in Kamas, Utah, and graduated and attended South Summit High School and graduated in 1954. She was very active in high school events, particularly chorus. Myrle has a beautiful soprano voice and sang with two close friends who performed at many events, church meetings, marriages and funerals.
Myrle’s great passion was learning new things and becoming a school teacher. She started at BYU with very little means and a scholarship from the Future Homemakers of America. To get by, she worked two jobs at 14 hours a day in the summers in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, while continuing her musical interests. She graduated in 1958 with a B.S. degree in Elementary Education and minor in Human Development and Family Relations.
Myrle met Carl Jensen of Ely, Nevada, at BYU and after Carl finished serving his country in the Army, they were married on Nov. 27, 1957, in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. Myrle was a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in several positions in the Relief Society organization.
Myrle traveled and lived with her husband during the great migration of engineers that triumphed over the Cold War. They lived in Arizona, Illinois, Texas, Wyoming and she taught school in the states of Utah, Colorado and California. She also worked as an executive administrator for an energy logistics and distribution company and an administrative assistant for Farmers Home Administration. During this time, she became a strong advocate and proponent of equal pay for women and took the organizational lead of the formation of a new branch of the AFL-CIO in Utah. She was also a passionate conservative.
She loved her family dearly and supported their endeavors and was proud of their accomplishments.
She is survived by her husband, Carl; son, Derrick of St. George; and daughters, Christine Milligan (Michael) Havre, Montana, Lynn Shrum (Glenn) St. George, Utah, and Jennifer Chapdelaine (Jim) of Apple Valley, California; grandchildren, Sarah, Deirdre, James, Loren and Abby and four great-grandchildren; her sister, Mary Lou Spaulding, and brothers; Chad, Dallas and Nile Thacker, and numerous nieces and nephews.
She is proceeded in death by her parents, sisters Claudia, Joyce, Ann, Fay and Linda and brother Don.
Funeral services
- A viewing will be held on Friday, March 3, from 5-7 p.m.
- Funeral services on Saturday, March 4 at 11 a.m. both held at Spilsbury Mortuary, 110 S. Bluff, St. George, Utah.
- Graveside dedication at Tonaquint Cemetery immediately following.
Arrangements are made under the direction of Spilsbury Mortuary, 435-673-2454. Friends and family are invited to sign Myrle’s online guestbook at www.spilsburymortuary.com.