Mary Thorson

Mary Barnett Thorson

Many years ago, Heavenly Father sent one of His most beautiful daughters to Earth. He gave her loving and faithful hands and told her to use those hands to bless the world. She would love God all the days of her life.

Mary Barnett Thorson arrived in Kaysville, Utah, on November 19, 1923, to loving parents, John William Barnett and Zilnorah Draper. They held her tiny hands and taught her to love, to work, and to pray. Mary dearly loved her childhood family and home, with her parents and her brother and sister. Her hands played with dolls, did chores, and helped anyone around her.

She graduated from Davis High School in 1941 and took her Diploma and a scholarship in speech to Brigham Young University. There she met Joseph Oscar Thorson in a dance class. He took her small and beautiful hands in his strong ones, and his life was changed forever. They were married in the Logan, Utah Temple for time and all eternity on July 30, 1942.

Holding hands, they built a home and a business in Davis County, Joe’s Greenhouse. They worked together, served and prayed together, danced and traveled together. They welcomed 12 children into their lives. Mary rocked her babies in her arms and held their hands, teaching them to love, to work, and to pray. Even when they moved away, she continued to use her hands to pray for them and bless their lives.

Mary’s hands were busy all of her life. They cooked countless meals, cleaned, canned, changed diapers, washed, ironed, baked bread, and made endless batches of cookies. They quilted, sewed, planted, tagged flowers, kept the books, did family history, wrote letters and birthday cards, and  patted, hugged, held and loved her children, her 52 grandchildren, her great grandchildren, and her great great grandchildren.

They crocheted hats and blankets and collected pictures of her family to line the walls of her home. She reached out her hands in love to everyone who walked through the door. And she continued to use her hands to love and serve God, her family, and everyone around her.

Mary’s hands held many callings in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including Relief Society and Primary President. Every calling she held was filled with love and devotion. At the time of her death, she was a member of the Country Creek ward in the Layton Holmes Creek Stake.

After almost 98 years Mary’s beautiful hands began to lose their strength, but not their love.  She continued to pray and use her hands to love her family each hour of the day. Mary asked her daughter “Can I take all of you with me?”  and MaryJo said “Mom, you will have to let us go for a while.”  On November 7, 2021, a beautiful Sunday afternoon, she finally let go of our hands and took the Hand of God. The Savior welcomed her home into His loving arms. Mary and Joe are holding hands again, forever.

How grateful we are for Mom’s loving hands. Her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren rise up and call her blessed.

Mary is survived by her 12 children, MaryJo and Wayne Smith, Richard and Mariann Thorson, Raymond and Beverlee Thorson, Arlene and Dennis Rasmussen, Russell and Wendy Thorson, Randy and Shelly Thorson,  Janice and Kent Johnson, Janet and Kit Andersen, Larry and Pam Thorson, Nadine and Bret Passey, Delana and Wayne Huber, and Camille and Jeff Jackson. She is also survived by 52 grandchildren and 44 of their spouses, 158 great grandchildren and 20 of their spouses, and 19 great great grandchildren, for a total of 317 descendants.

She was preceded in death by her beloved Joe, her parents, her brother George Barnett, her sister Ruth Wright, several of her grandchildren who died at birth, and one great grandchild.

Funeral services will be held Friday, November 12, at 11:00 a.m. at the Holmes Creek Stake Center, 125 Chapel Street, Layton Utah with Bishop Corey Nielson officiating.  Friends may visit with family Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Lindquist’s Layton Mortuary, 1867 No. Fairfield Rd., Layton, Utah and Friday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. prior to the funeral service at the church.

Funeral services will be live-streamed and may be viewed at www.lindquistmortuary.com and scrolling to the bottom of Mary’s Obituary Page.

Mary’s family would like to thank the kind nurses who helped us take care of her through the last weeks of her life, and the Country Creek ward for their service.

Mom, God be with you until we meet again.

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