Bertha Ashby Heath

REVISED SERVICES, Bertha Ashby Heath passed from this life on March 10, 2020. She was born on September 17, 1923 to Austin Garr and Ethel May Bennett Ashby, at Whitebush in Holden, Utah. She was the third child born to that marriage having an older sister, Edna Thorley (Richard) and brother, Garr Bennett Ashby (Josephine/Doreen). Later, a younger sister, Neva Ludwig (Otto) would complete the family.

Bertha grew up working on the family farm with her father and brother hauling hay, herding cattle, riding horses, and all those tasks involved with sustaining life on a farm. She attended school in Holden and later graduated from Millard High School in Fillmore.

In 1943, Bertha attended the BAC-Branch Agricultural College in Cedar City, and then transferred to Utah State University, in Logan, where on June 10, 1943, she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Home Economics. During her college years, she took a leave of absence from school and traveled to Virginia to help her brother Garr and his wife, Josephine, who had been in a life threatening accident. She helped bring their two children back to her mother, Ethel Ashby, to be reared in Holden.

Bertha worked part-time as a college librarian to pay for her tuition. The returning WWII servicemen who were attending college on the G.I. Bill frequented the library and it was there that she met the love of her life, Clyde L. Heath.

She and Clyde were married in Las Vegas on November 28, 1945. In 1947, Cheryl May was born in Payson, Utah. In 1949, Dawn was born in Cedar City, Utah. They were later sealed in the St. George Temple on February 27, 1952. At the time of his death in 2014, they had been married nearly 70 years.

Clyde and Bertha lived in Cedar City, while Clyde finished his degree in Business, then they moved to Salt Lake City. On June 2, 1956, Pamela was born in Murray, and her birth would complete their family of three daughters. In 1958, they moved their family to Nevada. Clyde and Bertha spent the next 20+ years teaching school, at the elementary and secondary level.

Bertha was a very talented seamstress and sewed many items of clothing for her daughters as they grew. She led music for the Singing Mothers choir in Salt Lake City and was an active leader in the PTA while the girls attended elementary school.

As a teacher, she was awarded a number of recognitions for her inspirational teaching methods, including a listing in Outstanding Elementary Teachers of America (1972) , and was highly sought as a teacher by many parents of future students. After her retirement, she continued to contribute her talents as an extraction genealogist and was recognized at the age of 90 when she completed her 10,000 th entry. She loved genealogy and organized numerous files of her ancestors that she has been happy to share with her family. Her research revealed her pioneer heritage from the restoration of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and stories about her forefathers, who were instrumental in establishing the church in Utah. As a member of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers she served in many capacities, including Captain. Her work as Pink Lady President at the Fillmore Hospital was a job she truly enjoyed.

Bertha was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She used her musical talents to serve as Primary Music Leader and Stake Music Director. She served an 18-month mission with her husband, Clyde, in the Oregon Portland mission and they spent many of their later years serving as temple workers in the Manti Utah temple.

Bertha is survived by her sister, Neva Ludwig (Otto-deceased); daughters, Cheryl Heller (Tom), of Midland, Texas, Dawn Strong, of Holden, UT, and Pamela Dangerfield (David-deceased), of Holden, Utah; seventeen grandchildren, 42 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great grandchildren.

Graveside services will be held Saturday March 21, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. in the Holden Town Cemetery with a viewing from 10:30 – 11:00 a.m. prior to services at cemetery. Online condolences at rasmussenmortuary.com