Elva Tracy

Elva Tracy

June 21, 1921 ~ January 7, 2015

Our loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Elva passed away on Wednesday, January 7, 2015 at the age of 93.  She was born on June 21, 1921 in Ogden, the daughter of Arthur Lee and Martha May Alta Woolsey Burnham.  She grew up in the north end of Ogden.  She was in the first graduating class of Ogden High School in 1939. She attended Stevens-Henager Business College.

She enjoyed dancing and skating.  She met her husband at the Old Berthana Skating Rink.  She married Arthur Lawrence Tracy on April 9, 1942 in Marriott, Utah.  After they married they lived on 12 St. while Arthur was in the service during WWII.  Then moved to Washington Terrace and built their own home in South Ogden.  Their marriage was solemnized in the Ogden LDS Temple on August 28, 1981.  Arthur passed away on May 25, 1989.

Elva was a VERY accomplished homemaker! She had many talents and interests during her lifetime – including learning to use a computer and internet for genealogy research.  Elva had worked for years with her sister doing genealogy work.  They have found tens of thousands of family names. She has written many family histories and compiled scrapbooks for her grandchildren.

Elva loved to sew.  She learned to sew and cook as a young girl growing up in the depression era.  She sewed on an old Singer pedal machine and made her own clothes.  She made clothes for her children, including her daughter’s prom and dance dresses.

She was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  She used her skills to teach others and was Relief Society Home Making Leader for her ward for many years.  She helped with all of the bazaars held by the church in the 60’s and 70’s.  Some of her designs and patterns were shared with women throughout the world.

She was a marvelous cook.  She canned fruit, jams, and jellies, and vegetables from the family’s large garden and orchard. Elva also crocheted.  She crocheted infant hats for the babies born at the local hospitals and crocheted beautiful doilies and dolls.  She taught crocheting to many others over the years.  Elva also learned water color painting, tole painting, ceramics and many other arts and crafts.  Her home was always immaculate.

Elva worked at the Standard Examiner for Bill Glassmann from 1950 to 1960.  She did about everything even helping to set type.

She was a member of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers.  She was a founding member of the Almira Beebe Tracy Camp.

Elva is survived by her daughter, Cindy (Todd) Marcusen; daughter-in-law, Pattie Tracy; seven grandchildren, John, Brian, Rodney, Andrew, Ilene, Amber, and Jeremy; eight and a half great-grandchildren, and sister, Mae Jean Child.

She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, son, Ronald Tracy; brother, Lloyd (Joyce) Burnham; sister, Lenoa (Rene) Meenderink; brother-in-law, Val Child.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, January 10, 2015 at 11 a.m. at the Burch Creek Stake Center 5th Ward Chapel, 4955 Adams Ave, South Ogden.  Friends may visit with family on Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the church. Services entrusted to Lindquist’s Ogden Mortuary.   Interment, Ogden City Cemetery.