Elvin Ray Boswell

Sept. 27, 1928 – Oct. 4, 2018

Our beloved father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, passed away peacefully in his sleep Oct. 4, 2018, after a weeklong treatment for a small cough and congestion. Elvin Ray Boswell was born Sept. 27, 1928, to Volney Burdell Boswell and Esther Chase Boswell in Mount Emmons, Utah. Elvin was the fourth of eight children and all were raised in Mount Emmons.

Elvin enlisted in the Army in September 1948 and sailed out of New York City for Bremerhaven, Germany, on New Year’s Eve 1948. He was discharged on June 8, 1952. Elvin was serving in Germany when the Korean War began.

After returning home and living around Salt Lake City, he renewed acquaintance with Margie Ruth Nyberg from Mountain Home, Utah, also living and working in Salt Lake City. They married on Nov. 6, 1953, in the Nyberg family home in Mt. Home and settled into their first home in Boneta, Utah.

The winter of 1954-55 was very hard and in the spring they packed up, including their new baby daughter, and headed south to North Las Vegas, Nevada, where Elvin’s oldest sister, husband and family were living and encouraging them to come. Since then Elvin and Margie have lived in Enterprise, Dammeron Valley, Hurricane and St. George, Utah.

For the last two years Elvin has resided at the Southern Utah Veterans Home in Ivins, Utah.

Dad always worked hard to provide for his family, always working two or three jobs. He was the warehouse foreman for an air conditioning company for 20 years, fabricated ductwork, did late night janitorial and was an accomplished brick mason and carpenter. He, with the help of family, built two homes and outbuildings for his family, one in North Las Vegas and the other in Dammeron Valley.

On Oct. 23, 1958, Elvin and Margie were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Dad taught us to love camping, going for a drive, being together as a family and attending family reunions for both sides of the family and attended all 50 years of Boswell reunions. After retiring, Dad enjoyed doing woodcraft projects, plastic canvas and beaded wind spinners for family and friends.

For the last few years Dad would always say he felt as though he was at least 90-something years old. True to his prediction we were able to celebrate his 90th birthday party with family and friends just 12 days before his death. Dad’s favorite pie was lemon meringue and cake was German chocolate. He always loved a bowl of vanilla ice cream right before bed.

Dad is survived by: his four children, JoEllen (Jeff) Layne, St George; Dwight Ray Boswell, Tooele; Bonnie (David) Condie, St George; and Rick Elvin Boswell, Bountiful; brother, Leslie Chase Boswell, Ogden; sisters, Bernice Swasey, Murray; Ann (Bob) Clark, West Jordan; Faye Milburn, West Valley City. Dad was affectionately referred to as “grandpa-great” by his 16 grandchildren and 24 – with one on the way – great-grandchildren.

Dad was preceded in death by his wife, Margie, who passed away June 18, 2003; parents, Volney and Esther Boswell; three sisters and husbands, Allen and Alta Cook, Art and Fern Snow, Max and Arlene Clark; one sister-in-law, Nina Beebe; and three brothers-in-law, Marvin Swasey, Marvin Smith and Tom Milburn.

The family would like to thank the caring staff of the Southern Utah Veterans Home in Ivins for the extensive and considerate care they provided our Dad.

We are also grateful to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Ivins Veterans Branch for the caring loving atmosphere they so very kindly immersed Dad in. They truly considered him family.

Funeral services

  • Funeral services will be Friday, Oct. 12, at 10 a.m., at Metcalf Mortuary, 288 West St. George Blvd., St. George, Utah.
  • A visitation will be held Friday, prior to services, at 9 a.m., at the mortuary.
  • Interment with military honors will be held Friday, at 3 p.m., in the Nephi City Cemetery, Nephi, Utah.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Metcalf Mortuary, 435-673-4221.

For condolences, full obituary and funeral listings please visit Metcalf Mortuary online.

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