Arval Streadbeck

Arval Louis Streadbeck

April 6, 1916 – February 15, 2017

AN EXTRODINARY ORDINARY LIFE

Arval was born on the Savior’s birthday and Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ.  His parents Susannah and John Orson ran a grocery store just down the hill from the University of Utah; you can get a haircut there still today.

He had four siblings, Glen “Beck” (Eva Pearson), LaVon (Marvin Laws), Ivy (Allen Pearson), and Rela (George Stringfellow).  Arval served a mission to Germany during the rise of Hitler (38-39). He was the first in his family to go to college (University of Utah) and went on to receive his PhD from Stanford.

He married Julia Erickson on July 18, 1942 during the first part of WWII where he was a B17 Bomber Pilot, surviving 50 bombing missions out of North Africa into southern Europe bringing plane and crew safely home against horrendous odds.  He became a professor of German and linguistics at the “U” for 40 years while also serving as Military Advisor and Foreign Student Advisor.

He served in the Regional Language Mission Presidency.  He also served as Bishop of the Grant 5th Ward and served a mission with Julia to the Swiss Temple. He was active in genealogy work, his Grant Stake team extracting over a million names and then individually doing 475,000 names from Indexing.  He was always happy, positive and kind.  At age 100 he said his family was his greatest purpose, treasure and accomplishment.  He had a steadfast testimony of the Restored Gospel.

He remarkably had 25 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren (so far) serve missions.  He is equally proud of all of his children and grandchildren.  He said of his posterity, “There’s not a bad one in the bunch.”  He will live on through the goodness of their lives.

He is survived by his children, Larry (Norma Mickelsen, decreased), Steve (Carol Purcell), Carol (David Mugleston), Brian (Wendy Withers), Gary (MaryKay Netcher), 32 grandchildren, a plethora of great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandson.

Preceded in death by his wife Julia, one granddaughter Julie Karren and one great-grandson, Landon Streadbeck.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, February 18, 2017 at 2 p.m. at Lindquist’s Kaysville Mortuary, 400 North Main.  Friends may visit family Saturday from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at the mortuary.

Interment, Salt Lake City Cemetery.