Obituary: Anita Weston

Anita Weston, 79, passed away at her home in Garden City, Utah, on April 9, 2022. A fifth generation Bear Laker, she was born in the family home in Pickleville, Utah, on April 18, 1942. She was the third child of Benjamin Earley Weston and Marie Pope Weston. 

Anita attended grade school in Garden City, Utah, and high school at North Rick High School in Laketown, Utah. She graduated from BYU.

Anita filled a mission in the Eastern States mission, serving mostly in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Following her mission she worked as a legal secretary at the Mackay-Burton Law Firm in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Anita began her high school teaching career in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, then in Cokeville, Wyoming. She attended Utah State University earning a Masters degree and a Doctorate. Her higher education provided opportunity for her to teach college for the next 30 years at Aberdeen, South Dakota, the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and with encouragement and a letter of recommendation from L. Tom Perry, at Ricks College and BYU-Idaho.

Anita travelled extensively in the United States, including Hawaii. She visited Egypt and Jordan, absorbing the culture and unique sites.

Anita was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaching Relief Society and Sunday School. She was a President of the Relief Society and a member of the Stake Relief Society Presidency. Anita played the organ in each ward she lived in. She taught piano lessons to hundreds of youth and adults throughout her life.

Anita was active in civic affairs, attending and reporting on many city and county meetings.

Anita loved and stayed close to her parents all their lives. She loved to learn and to teach. She loved Bear Lake and her two little birds. Anita raised beautiful orchids, made many lovely embroidered quilts and crocheted items. Anita was an avid reader, liked puzzles, enjoyed movies and stories on TV and collected Winnie the Poohs,

A funeral will be held in Anita Weston's honor on Saturday, April 16, 2022, at the Garden City Ward Chapel at 11 a.m. A viewing will be held at 9:30 a.m., also at the church.

Letter from the Editor:

Anita Weston, 9 days from her 80^th birthday and with her friend Priscilla from Rexburg sitting by her side, laughing and talking through the night, Anita went to meet her parents and brother, Dale. No more pain!

Bess and Don say she was a great neighbor who always tried to be positive. (Except for the changes going on in Garden City).Family was so important to Anita. Between her teaching in Cokeville, Wyoming, Canada, Eau Claire, USU and Rexburg, she would come home to the Ranch at Sage and then onto Garden City. We met her 56 years ago on the Ben Weston ranch in Pickleville when our little daughter, Kristie, had gone for a walk from the Kimball house to the state road all by herself and the Weston’s saw her.

Bobbie Coray said that she and Anita were the terrifying dynamic duo. They loved going to the County Commission meetings and telling the Commissioners what they thought of things going on in the County.

Nadine Sprouse loved visiting with Anita and Anita’s mother, Marie and sharing the tales of olden days.

All of us who knew Anita will miss her laugh and her music. Piano students from Kristie Huefner Godfrey to the latest round of Moldenhauers and Parry’s will miss out on her lessons.

Her cousin Darin Satterthwaite will miss his piano lessons too! Her cousin Wes will also miss her as he was able to live at her home and do puzzles with her and talk. Her other many cousins will miss her delightful personality.

Anita was so very knowledgeable and would share her insight on many subjects.