Josephine Simpson

Josephine Jackman Simpson

August 22, 1925 – April 13, 2017

Josephine Jackman Simpson, our loving mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister and friend passed away Thursday, April 13, 2017.

Josephine was born August 22, 1925 in Salt Lake City, Utah to parents, Malend Swen and Ruth Jane Stephenson Jackman. She spent her childhood in Nephi, Utah where she graduated from Juab High School. After graduating she and her sister, Melba, moved to Ogden and worked at the Ogden Arsenal, supporting the World War II effort.

She married a returning soldier, Eldin E. Simpson, on August 2, 1946 in the Logan LDS Temple. They remained sweethearts throughout their 67 years of marriage. She was a stay-at-home mom, loving, and raising five children. Josephine said this about their life together, “We have wept together and we have laughed together. Our life has been full of fun, in spite of all the sad and serious things. We have danced; we have sung; we have entertained; we have loved and been loved. With a precious husband like Eldin at my side, life became full and abundant.”

Josephine helped set up and was a charter member of the first Hooper Town Planning Board. She also enjoyed many years as member of the DUP.

Always an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she loved her Savior and enjoyed serving in many different ward and stake callings. She was one of the first from Hooper Stake to do Family Record Extraction. Josephine and her husband served in the Nauvoo, IL Mission and were ordinance workers in the Ogden Temple for 13 years.

She enjoyed drawing and oil painting. She loved flowers and enjoyed working in her gardens. Her family was her life; she wanted to attend every activity with her children and grandchildren. She and Eldin took their family on many fun trips to the mountains and across the country in their campers and motor home.

Josephine recorded these sentiments about her family. “At 21, great joy came as the miracle of the birth of our first baby came into our lives. As this tiny, healthy, child, that God was sharing with us, was laid in my arms; my joy was beyond compare. And as each child came along our love and joy doubled and tripled as there were more of us to give love and experience that joy.” She loved giving her grandchildren their first baths and was always game for a visit or sleepover with them. Josephine spent hours piecing and hand-quilting. She also enjoyed embroidering and crocheting, a skill she learned from her mother. She compiled and wrote many histories, both for Hooper Stake and her own personal ancestry and family. Always writing beautiful journal entries, tributes and talks, she penned: “Joy is in rocking a baby to sleep, or taking a grandchild by the hand to explore the beauty of our world, a drop of rain on a soft rose petal, the flutter of a butterfly’s wings, or a fuzzy, colorful caterpillar slowing climbing up a flower stem.”

She is survived by four children, Kathleen (Kim) Gooch, Linda (Gene) Atkinson, Sharon (Eric) Garner and Roger Simpson; 14 grandchildren; 25 great grandchildren; her two brothers, Paul (Marilyn) Smith and Richard (Cathryn) Smith. She was preceded in death by her husband, Eldin; son, Wayne; granddaughter, Amy Gooch; parents; a sister, Melba Moore, a brother, Albert Smith; and a stepfather, B. Glen Smith.

The family expresses appreciation to Community Nursing Services, especially to Carrie, for their tender loving care.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, April 20 at 11 am at the Hooper 2nd Ward, 5000 S. 5900 W. Hooper, UT. Friends and family may call Wednesday, April 19 from 6-8 pm at Lindquist’s Roy Mortuary, 3333 W. 5600 So. and prior to the service 9:30-10:30 am at the Hooper 2nd Ward.

Interment will be at Hooper Cemetery in Hooper Utah.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you contribute to LDS Humanitarian Aid.