Evelyn Jeanne Myers Blackburn
Evelyn Jeanne Myers Blackburn
November 2, 1928 – February 7, 2022
Alpine, UT—Evelyn Jeanne Myers Blackburn 93, has returned home to her Heavenly Father. After a stroke 8 years ago and a battle with dementia, she passed peacefully at 7:11 AM with her two youngest by her side. She was laughing and visiting right up to the day before she passed, we are so grateful for that.
Jeanne was born in Highland Utah on November 2, 1928, to Gilbert Yost Myers and Elizabeth Grace Kitchen Myers. She was preceded in death by her parents, all of her siblings and her Forever Sweetheart Galyn Elton Blackburn.
She graduated from American Fork High School and could sing the school song right up to the end of her life! She was very involved in 4-H with sewing, cooking and canning. She even won a trip to Chicago and a scholarship. She also loved choir and had the most beautiful Alto voice. She was involved orchestra & band, playing the French Horn and the Violin. While in High School she and her friend played in a string quartet for many local functions.
Jeanne and Gayln fell madly in love and married 2 weeks after Jeanne graduated High School and Galyn was still a Junior. They were latter sealed in the Salt Lake Temple. They had such a fun loving, happy marriage, it really was the envy of all those who knew them. Their lives were filled with laughter! Mom could pack a picnic faster than anyone and we would go to up to the American Fork Canyon nearly every week. They both enjoyed horses and belonged to a riding club. Jeanne would always point up to Mount Timpanogos and say “I rode my horse all the way to the top of that mountain!”
Jeanne spent nearly all her time with family. She was never happier than when her kids, grandkids and great grandkids were around her. She practically raised all the grandkids and they all have fond memories of peaches and toast before bed at the sleepovers! Jeanne loved to be with the family camping and hunting and she had no problem pulling a horse trailer or camp trailer on some very scary roads up to Mineral Basin and The Dutchman.
They loved to travel after the kids grew up and went on cruises, to Alaska, Canada and Mexico. They camped with friends and traveled in their 5th Wheel as Snowbirds every winter.
After growing up in Highland, they lived as a married couple in Highland, Tooele, American Fork and finally Alpine. Jeanne was always adopting pets and saving little wild kitties lives! She even crawled behind the barn one day to get a little fawn untangled from some wire. Then she carried the scared little thing through the house and out the front door to reunite with its mama.
Jeanne had several jobs and careers in life. When she was a teen, she had a job touching up negatives for a photographer before they were printed. She used to show us the graphite imbedded her fingertips from using sharp pencil to do that job. She was a Salesperson at J.C. Penny’s, Caretaker for the Utah Developmental Center, Volunteer Coordinator for the Utah Developmental Center. And when she retired… a Hostess at Brick Oven Restaurant. She loved people and made lifelong friends in every career.
She was the nicest person in the world and would do anything for the people around her. She handled life with so much grace and kindness it was such an inspiration. Dad used to look at her lovingly and say “look at her!! Isn’t she such a class act?!” Even when problems came along, she always maintained that she was “so happy and grateful for her life” She taught her family to always look at the bright side, the silver lining and the blessings we had. She will be so missed but is leaving behind such an amazing legacy.
Jeanne is survived by all of her six children. Jeanne’ (Gary) Saltas, Roy (Joan) Blackburn, Steve (Pam) Blackburn, Scott (Maxine) Blackburn, Lisa (Marty) Cozzens and Lori (Karl) Kyler. Also, so much family she gathered up… it is hard to count! 25 grandchildren, over 42 great grandchildren and even 4 great, great grandchildren!
Jeanne has had so many wonderful caretakers over the last few years, we are so grateful. Our heartfelt thanks go to Beehive Assisted Living in South Jordan where she lived for the last 2 ½ years. They were so incredible and respectful; we could not have made her life so joyous without them. Also thank you to Elevation Hospice for taking care of Jeanne for the last 4 months.
A visitation will take place Friday, February 11, 2022 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Warenski Funeral Home. 1776 North 900 East American Fork, Utah. The Funeral will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 12, 2022, at the Fort Canyon Chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, located at 809 North Main Alpine, with a visitation taking place immediately prior to the service from 9:00 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. at the same location.
Interment will be at the Alpine City Cemetery with a luncheon immediately following for Jeanne’s family and friends.