Jim L. Beddes

Jim L. Beddes, age 81, returned to his Heavenly Home on Wednesday, March 1, 2023, at Layton Intermountain Hospital of heart failure after a long battle with cancer. 

He was born in Lovell, Wyoming, on April 23, 1941, to Vern Elmer and Golda Blanchard Beddes.  He was the second son of a large family of seven sons and two daughters who all grew up on their family farm in Lovell, where they learned the value of hard work. 

He married Sandra Dean Coy in 1962 and had two sons, Daniel and Scott.  They later divorced.  He married Nelda Foreman on December 5, 1970, and they were sealed in the Ogden Temple, December 5, 1980.  They raised a son, Justin, and two daughters, Melissa and Samantha. 

He graduated from Lovell High School and from Seminary in 1959.  Jim and his cousin, Wayne, joined the National Guard in their last year of high school.  He was a cannon crewmember which required 10 weeks of Basic Combat Training and 7 weeks of Advanced Individual Training.  He was the top rifle shooter among all the National Guard units assigned at Camp Guernsey.  He enjoyed the National Guard but received an honorary discharge due to his hearing loss.  He attended Powell College in Wyoming and Brigham Young University studying for a Mechanical Engineering degree. 

After high school he worked in oil field construction around the Rocky Mountains from 1965 to 1968.  He moved to Utah in late 1968 and found employment with Hercules Incorporated at the Bacchus Plant in Salt Lake City. He enjoyed his work as a Senior Quality Control Inspector as he always valued doing things right. While there he received several awards for Significant Cost Improvement Action.  He retired from Hercules in 1999.

Jim earned his Eagle Scout in 1955 at the age of 14.  He shared his love of scouting for many years in Troop 206, Layton, Utah.  He is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where he served faithfully in various positions.

He had many talents.  He learned how to be an electrician from his father who was a farmer and an electrician.  He later wired the house he lived in for over 50 years as well as several others in the neighborhood.  He loved and excelled at math, photography, and woodwork.  He and Nelda designed and built three beautiful wood cabinets for their home.  He helped his brother-in-law, Paul, to rebuild one ton, dual wheeled trucks and double axel,  heavy duty trailers.  He was a handyman of all trades and could fix almost anything that needed repaired.

He was a true example of love, integrity, and kindness to all who met him.  His family meant everything to him.  Together they enjoyed many activities including woodcutting, four wheeling, and camping in the Big Horn mountains of Wyoming.  He taught all of his kids and some of his nieces and nephews the art of stream fishing.  Many times the camping vacations included his siblings and their children creating cherished memories to this day.  He also enjoyed deer and elk hunting.

In later years he enjoyed camping with Nelda’s family members in central and southern Utah.  They enjoyed scenic trips through Utah’s national and state parks.

Recently, because he could no longer do the things he loved doing; he and Nelda would take a lunch and drive to Antelope Island to enjoy the different wildlife they might see that day.  

His children, grandchildren and extended family love him very much and will miss his hugs, witty humor and his unconditional love. 

Jim is survived by his wife, Nelda, sons Scott (Sandy), Justin (Yoana), daughters, Melissa (Ricardo) Caceras, Samantha Meldrum, 14 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, four brothers, Jerry (Susan), Vern Kay (Sharon), David, and Arvin (Barbara), sisters Bonnie (Bruce) Anderson, Susan (Gordon) Jensen,  as well as many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, his son, Daniel, and two brothers, Ronald and Jeff. 

Funeral services will be held on Friday, March 10, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. at the Layton Park Ward, 789 Wasatch Drive, Layton, UT  84041. Friends may visit with family from 9:30 to 10:30 prior to the service at the church.  The interment will be Saturday, March 11, in Monroe City Cemetery, Utah.

Services will be live-streamed and available the day of the service by scrolling to the bottom of Jim’s obituary page at www.lindquistmortuary.com, where condolences may also be shared. 

Services entrusted to Lindquist’s Layton Mortuary, 1867 No. Fairfield Rd., Layton, Utah.

ORDER VIDEOS