Glenn L. Pearson, born 12 November 1918 near Ririe, Idaho, died, 29 March 1999.
Parents, Roy Oscar Pearson of West Jordan, Utah, and Marie Sofie Peterson of Blekinge, Sweden. Married Ardith Amelia Hunsaker in the Logan Temple 25 March 1943.Survived by wife and five children: Jeffrey Glenn (Marie Clark), Lee "H" (Robyn Temple), Paula (Gary Lowell Packer), Karl Lorenz (Betty Hegerhorst), and Marylou (Kim Mark Rimmasch). Preceded in death by parents, two brothers (Harold Roy and Allan Peter) and two grandchildren. Also survived by 32 grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, his sister, Lillian Marie Bagley, a brother, Howard J. Pearson and his wife, Cheryl Gardner Pearson.
Glenn graduated from Jordan High in 1936. He earned a BS at Utah State University, class of 1949, where he was the valedictorian of his graduating class. He received an MA at BYU in 1951 and finished the course work on a doctorate at UCLA in 1958.
Besides farm work, Glenn was employed by Utah-Idaho Sugar Co. and J. C. Penney's prior to his call to the North Central States Mission from January 1941 to February 1943. He then served in the European Theater of Operations as a glider infantryman in the XVIII Airborne Corps. He was awarded the Expert Medal in the M- I Rifle, Bronze Star Medal (Airborne Crossing of the Rhine), three campaign stars and ribbons and the Good Conduct Medal. He was scheduled to be dropped into Japan in the first wave of the proposed invasion, but the two A-bombs ended the war while he was on rotation furlough at home.
After graduation from Utah State, Glenn commenced working for the LDS Church Educational System, which employment he continued until his retirement. He taught college religion courses for 26 years at Brigham Young University with time spent teaching at UCLA and Santa Monica City College prior to his assignment at BYU. He wrote college religion manuals for students and study guides for teachers for about ten years and was teaching again at the Institute of Religion at Utah State University at the time of his retirement.
His writing included several articles for Church magazines and some lessons in MIA manuals. In addition he privately authored several books and co-authored several more. He wrote and delivered the LDS Sunday Night KSL Church sermons from January to June 1955 before leaving for UCLA. He was the Institute Director at both UCLA and Santa Monica City College from 1955 to 1958. In addition to LDS doctrinal works, Glenn published several articles for a non-LDS political-economy magazine in Irvington, New York. The quantity of his privately circulated works far exceeds his published works. Glenn was active in the LDS Church his entire life and served in the following positions: General Church Mission Preparation Committee, Bishop, High Councilor four times, Stake Mission President four times and in numerous teaching, scouting and stake board assignments.
Funeral services Friday, April 2, 1999, at 12 noon at the Murray 32nd LDS Ward Chapel, 5555 South 700 West, Murray. Friends may call Thursday 6-8 p.m. at Goff Mortuary, 8090 So. State, Midvale, and Friday 10:30-11:30 a.m. at the church. Interment, South Jordan City Cemetery.
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