Helen Bodily

Helen Kay Barton Bodily

1931 – 2017

Helen Kay Barton Bodily was born March 22, 1931 in Preston, Idaho to Walter Kilshaw Barton and Jennett Maria Smith.  She passed away August 24, 2017 in Bountiful, Utah.  She was the youngest of 10 children.  She married LeRoy Edwin Bodily on August 21, 1948, in Preston, Idaho (later divorced).

Helen lost her father when she was five years old and lived with her mother until she was married. She deeply loved her mother and returned to spend time with her several times during week-long retreats after she moved to Bountiful, Utah. She attended schools in Preston, Idaho.  She got married at the young age of 17, before graduating from High School, but returned to earn her diploma and graduate in 1949.  She and Roy moved up to Moscow, Idaho where they had three daughters, Linda, Carol and Cathy.  Dancing was a favorite pastime for Helen and Roy.  They later moved to Colfax, Washington, where two more children were born, Lisa and Jeff.  While in Colfax, she suffered major health issues including a missed-miscarriage and severe problems with one of her kidneys.  One kidney was 6 times larger than the other which resulted in surgery requiring several years for recovery so Cathy, Lisa, and Jeff had to live with relatives in Utah when they were very young.  This was very difficult for the family. After the divorce in 1968, Helen moved to Bountiful, Utah to be closer to her brother and sisters.  It took many years to overcome additional health issues including a second kidney surgery, intestinal surgery, a MRSA infection, and two bowel obstructions, the second, in 2016, requiring major surgery.

While living as a single parent in Bountiful, she secured a job with Davis County as a Census worker and was later hired as an Outreach Worker for the County.  During this period of employment, she went to school at Weber State University and earned a Certificate in Gerontology. She loved to exercise and would wake up a 4:00 o’clock in the morning to walk before going to work.  Looking good and being physically fit meant a lot to her.

She was a homemaker, loved to keep up a meticulous home, and became an excellent cook. She was an immaculate dresser and enjoyed shopping for clothing, jewelry, cosmetics, perfumes, and virtually anything else.   She loved dining out and enjoying a double-scoop ice cream cone at Baskin ‘n Robbins.  She always kept up with Hollywood celebrities.  Other enjoyments included supporting her grandson, Andrew, on his LDS Mission, sending birthday, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day cards to family members, and holding grand and great-grand babies.  She loved playing the card game Screwy Louie with the Bartons.  During the last decade of her life, she loved to do word searches, read the scriptures, watch all 20 seasons of Gunsmoke (many times), and spend time with her children and grandchildren.  She loved the holidays – especially Christmas.

Helen was a fighter.  She overcame all odds.  When we thought she couldn’t survive an obstacle, she proved us wrong – every single time to the very end even taking five days to depart from us after suffering a severe rupture of a brain aneurism on August 19, 2017.

She was a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and loved going to the Temple.  She was loved by her family (including her Maltese pet, Crystal – a true little companion that helped her endure the lonely days and painful moments) and will be deeply missed.

She is survived by her five children; Linda Kay Leavitt (Richard), Carol Ann Hill (Tom), Cathy Marie Weese (Brian), Lisa Ruth Lechtenberg (Craig), and Jeffrey Leroy Bodily (Robyn); 18 grandchildren and 26 great-grandchildren.  She was preceded in death by all of her siblings; Flora Hansen Seager, Glenn S. Barton, Louise Chase, Walter K. Barton, Ruth Call, Cliff S. Barton, Donna Mockli, Vauna Hegerhorst, and Jeannette Drury.

We want to express special appreciation to Cathy, Lisa and Craig, and Carol and Tom for providing for her care during the last 10 years when she could no longer live on her own.

A viewing will be held at Lindquist’s Bountiful Mortuary 727 N. 400 E. Bountiful, on Sunday, August 27, 2017, from 6-8 pm and prior to funeral services on Monday, August 28, 2017, from 9:30 – 10:30 am.  The funeral will be held at 11:00 am at the Fairways Ward L.D.S. meetinghouse located at 980 North Shepard Church Drive in Farmington, Utah.  Interment will follow at the Bountiful City Cemetery.