Our most beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and sister passed away peacefully from natural causes October 27, 2001.
She was born June 15, 1915 in Salt Lake City, Utah to Charles Jefferson Cotterell and Mary Ethel Howell. She married the one and only love of her life, our father, Joseph Nephi Nemelka, on the 1st day of October, 1934 in the Salt Lake City LDS Temple. They settled in the Poplar Grove area in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she gave birth to ten children and raised her family. While nine of her children were still at home she finished her college education, graduating from the University of Utah Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelors of Science degree in 1954 and further received a Master of Fine Arts
degree from the University of Utah in 1971.
Our mother loved education and became an elementary school teacher in 1954 and taught school for over 26 years at Plymouth, Hawthorn and Backman Elementary Schools in Salt Lake County, Utah. She loved her students and created and produced many musical and dance programs with them. She was extremely unselfish in giving of her time and efforts to allow her students to enjoy extra curricular activities in music and dance. In 1980 she retired from teaching school and became a legal secretary and bookkeeper which she continued to do until August 2001, where at the age of 86 she retired as probably the oldest legal secretary in the State of Utah.
There was nothing that mom loved more than her husband, her family, teaching children and the gospel of Jesus Christ. She was a devoted member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and continuously served in various church positions for over 70 years. She was supportive of our father's church callings and it was our dear, sweet mother who was a constant source and presence of love and strength in our home.
When her beloved husband, our
father, passed away in July, 1971, she was the motivating force keeping her family together and holding annual family reunions. For over 30- years she has, on her own, looked over and loved her family which included, besides her ten children, 43 grandchildren and 96 great-grand-children. Her constant commitment to family, education and the church will continue to be an immeasurable example to all of us. Although she will be deeply missed by those who survive her; children (spouses), Larry (Dorothy), Mike (Gloria), Dick (Jayne), Beth and John (Marie); Gary and Robin Hicks (close family); sisters, Virginia C. Watts, California; Betty C. Scott, Salt Lake City; Charletta C. (Bruce) Bell, California; we all rejoice with her in being able to return home to be with our dad and her five sons who predeceased her; Carl, Tony, Duane, Mark and Joe and three grandchildren and three great-grand-children.
Services will be held Saturday, Nov. 3, 2001 at 11 a.m. at the Poplar Grove Chapel, 1401 W. 700 S., Salt Lake City. Friends and family may call Friday, Nov. 2, 2001, 6-8 p.m. at Larkin Mortuary, 260 E. South Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah and Sat. at the ward one hour prior to the services.