Jan. 29, 1927 ~ Oct. 11, 2023
Coral M. Stephenson was born January 29, 1927, in Holden, Utah to Burton and Lula McKee.
She passed from this mortal existence in Twin Falls, Idaho on October 11, 2023, with family by her side. Coral joined her husband, John Junior Stephenson, her brother Burton Clair McKee, Ann H. Stephenson (daughter-in-law), Gary Hamilton (son-in-law), and Ann Stephenson (daughter-in-law). She is survived by her sister Karen Kay (Allen) Dobson, her children, Gordon (Mary) Stephenson, Shauna Hamilton, Tom Stephenson, Dave (Lorri) Stephenson, Dean (Sheri) Stephenson, and Cliff (DeNai) Stephenson, 30 grandchildren, 72 great-grandchildren, and 11 great-great-grandchildren.
Gordon’s Family: six children, thirteen grandchildren, and six great grandchildren; Shauna’s Family: four children, twelve grandchildren, and five great grandchildren; Tom’s Family: eight children and twenty-three grandchildren; Dave’s Family:six children and nineteen grandchildren; Dean’s Family: two children and one grandchild; Cliff’s Family: four children and four grandchildren.
Coral grew up with her family in Holden. She always had a great love for music. She walked across town to piano lessons at a young age. She also played harmonica in a local band and learned to play the pump organ.
John’s sister Ruth, Coral’s friend, introduced her to John and their relationship began to grow. They were married in the Salt Lake Utah Temple on September 30, 1946, in a double wedding with John’s sister Flora and her husband O’Dell Stewart. They lived with Coral’s parents for about two years with Gordon being born during that time. They then moved to the basement house with a wood cook stove and steel wash tub for a bath. Their family continued to grow adding Shauna, Tom, Dave, Dean, and Cliff. They were then able to move to the old Crosland home where they lived until the ranch in Salmon, Idaho was purchased in 1981. After they got settled in at the ranch, Coral returned to Holden, back to the old basement house so that Cliff could finish out his high school senior year. She then returned to Salmon where she made a home in the white ranch house.
Coral played the organ in Church for many years and served faithfully in many callings in the Church. Coral loved to grow things, she always had many plants inside and outside that she loved to foster and grow. Many memories of homemade bread, of which the heel cut was especially prized, bottling homemade root-beer, pitting pie cherries, watching the hummingbirds from the kitchen window, or preparing chickens for the freezer were normal scenes and cherished memories by her family. There was always a warm fire in the wood stove and a cold bedroom to sleep in, one concession she made for John, but Coral kept an electric blanket on her side of the bed; she did not like to be cold. Thanksgiving dinners with all her family were some of her sweetest memories.
In the summer of 1982 Grandma’s friend, Donna Lerrer, invited her to her home for a painting lesson and with the help of Marlene Gibson and Milli Jolly a budding artist was brought to life. Coral painted many beautiful paintings in oil and watercolor for many more years.
She lost her beloved John suddenly in April of 2000. In 2005 Grandma bought a home in Twin Falls, where she continued to paint and take organ lessons to improve herself. She made many new friends, with Frances Hyde becoming one of her closest.
At the spry age of 75, Coral had worn out her hip joints and finally conceded to have the surgery to replace them. After several years her short-term memory began to fade and eventually, she needed more daily care. Coral was moved to an apartment in the Brookdale Assisted Living facility across town. There she went to exercise classes, and almost all the other activities on the list they would give her each morning. She was always happy to see visitors or family with a smile on her face or receive a phone call even when it was hard for her to remember. With time, Coral had even more needs and was moved to Grace Assisted Living, where she passed away peacefully on the afternoon of October 11 with family at her side. Many of the staff expressed their condolences and shared memories and their love for Coral. She will be missed by all those who knew her, especially her family, and will await the day when all will be reunited.
Services will be held on Saturday, October 21, 2023 at 10 a.m. at the Holden LDS church,100 N. 110 E. Holden, Utah 84636. Burial will follow at the Holden Cemetery.
Condolences may be shared with the family at magicvalleyfuneralhome.com
