Nov. 11, 1925 ~ Jan. 26, 2024
Beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Lorraine Stevens Staples passed away on January 26, 2024 at the age of 98.
She was born on Veterans Day, November 11, 1925 in Fillmore UT to Ila Pearl Callister and Daniel Ward Stevens. Lorraine was the 4th of 8 children. Music was a mainstay in the Stevens home; and Lorraine loved singing at an early age. She was known as the "songbird" in her class and sang many times at church and community events throughout her life. She also excelled in violin, the snare drums, and taught herself how to play the piano.
Alton Crane Staples became her high school sweetheart when she was a Sophomore. On February 1, 1943, she and Alt drove to Salt Lake City, UT to receive their Patriarchal Blessings from Joseph Fielding Smith. While there, Alt looked into enlisting in the Marines. The happy couple were married in the Salt Lake Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on June 14, 1944. Their love was unshakeable during their lifetime and will endure an eternity.
By July, Alt embarked with the 5th Marine Division for Hawaii and on to the Pacific war front. The next two years were the kind of torture only a person, who is waiting for a loved one to come home from war, can understand. Fortunately, Alt returned home unharmed and they settled in Kanosh, UT to eventually raise five children.
Lorraine had so many talents and interests, it is not possible to list them all. In addition to music, she cooked and baked beautiful and delicious meals - no one could make better dinner rolls, pies, bread, spudnuts, or homemade candy. She sewed, crocheted, quilted, crafted and her family and friends are honored to display on their wall one of her landscape or flower oil paintings that rival Bob Ross.
Her greatest talents, however, were in her strength of character, hard-work ethic and a selfless love for others. She loved growing a garden and surrounded her home with many lovely flowers and fruit trees; and her lawn was always lush and well manicured. At harvest time, she bottled, and preserved everything under the sun - often into the wee hours of the morning; then got up to go to work as the Deputy Recorder for Millard County.
When there was farm land to be irrigated, calves to be birthed, parents who needed help with the hotel business, houses to clean and rooms to be painted, a hungry family to feed, community or church events to be organized, or a neighbor who needed a meal, Lorraine was always there. She worked tirelessly and served others whole-heartedly. Throughout her life, Lorraine held many positions of service in her Church ward. After retirement, she and Alt served as Senior Missionaries in Papua New Guinea, and were much loved by the people.
Lorraine is preceded in death by husband Alton Crane Staples, son Steve Owen Staples, son Gordon Brent Staples and grandson Garrett Steve Staples. She is survived by son Randall J Staples (Kathleen Riley) Centerville, UT; daughter Denise Christiansen (Boyd) of Centerville, UT; daughter Vickie Larsen (Eric) of Fillmore, UT; Daughter-in-Law Diane Jensen (Steve) of Riverton, UT; Daughter-in-Law Paulette Teaney (Gordon) of Kanosh, UT; 23 grandchildren and 61 great-grandchildren (with one on the way) and 13 great-great-grandchildren (with one on the way).
Funeral services will be held on February 10, 2024 at 11 a.m. at the Kanosh Ward Chapel. A viewing before the funeral will be at 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Interment will be in the Kanosh cemetery under the care of Olpin Stevens Funeral Home. Online condolences can be offered at www.olpinstevensfuneralhome.com.
The funeral will be streamed and available at this link: https://youtube.com/live/Oy853v1yzAc?feature=share
