Rhea Staples Middleton

5/1/1927 ~ 9/13/2019

Heaven got a new angel today! Rhea Staples Middleton,, age 92,
from Springville, Utah peacefully slipped away at 6 :00AM on September 13, 2019 into the waiting arms of her husband, James A.Middleton, Sr. She was born in Kanosh, Utah to Owen Crane Staples and Melba Lucille Whitaker. She was the 4th of 11 children. Her remaining siblings are Dave Staples, Janet Evans, Clarissa Davis and Kathy Benyon. She is survived by her three children:
Mary(Ron) Ball, Jim Jr., deceased (Sherrie) Middleton and John (Valene) Middleton. She has nine Grandchildren and 25 Great-Grandchildren. We celebrate her gifts of kindness, caring, and continuing love and service to all.
Family was the most important thing to Rhea. She was proud of her pioneer heritage and often said, “If if you’re at Pioneer ancestors could do it, you can, too!”
After finishing high school in Kanosh, Rhea went to the BAC Collage in Cedar City, Utah. She was the first girl in Kanosh to attend college. It was in Cedar City that Rhea met her future husband James Arthur Middleton. After both graduated with bachelor’s degrees,
they we’re married on July 18, 1952 in the St. George Temple in St. George, Utah. During their lives they lived in Utah and Arizona.
Jim taught for the Church Educational System (CES) for 30 years. Rhea touched the lives of countless children while teaching for 25 years in Mesa. One year she was awarded Teacher of the Year. She especially loved opening the doors of reading to her 1st and 2nd graders.
Rhea and Jim served as the missionaries in Samoa and also Wolfspoint, Montana. After retiring in Kanosh, Utah they served in the Manti Temple.
Rhea’s funeral will be held in the Kanosh church on September 21, 2019. The viewing will be held at 9:30 AM to 10:30 with the services at 11.00. In Lieu of flowers give a child a book to Honor her.
She liked the saying:
“ And while with silent mind I’ve trod
“ I reached out my hand to touch the hand of God.”
Rhea will be sorely missed.