Bette Jean Young's Obituary
Bette Jean Young, “BJ”, returned to her heavenly home on Tuesday evening March 22, 2022 after struggling with several age-related illnesses. She was and forever will be a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend. She is survived by her husband Gordon, sisters Sue and Nancy, brother Rob, daughters Heather and Mira, sons Gordon and Derek, daughters-in-law Jacqueline and Rachel, sons-in-law Corey and Jon, and grandchildren Gordon, Alex, Michael, Matthew, Tyson, Audrey, and Landon.
Bette Jean was born to Evelyn and Robert Truman Warfield on April 4, 1941 in Manchester, New York, the second youngest of five children. Her years of childhood and youth saw many difficulties and challenges yet she and her siblings emerged as people of faith, character, and goodness. As a young adult she felt the pull to pursue a job in California. While working there, she was guided to cross paths with Evelyn and Don Downey who soon became dear friends and mentors. They introduced her to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which she embraced and soon found herself sharing with the people of Australia as a missionary. Later she moved to Utah where she met Gordon Young and they were married in the Salt Lake Temple for time and all eternity. She had always wanted a family of her own and was blessed with four dear children. At times she felt inadequate, but she was always there for them. She loved to cook, sing, and dance but most of all she found joy in her children’s lives. She never missed a soccer game or musical performance. She particularly gravitated toward her children’s musical performances and became endeared to their friends, who then actually became just as much her own friends. She was always young at heart.
Once her children were grown, she continued to be active in their lives. She never turned down an invitation to go to a musical performance they were participating in or attending. In fact, there were even a few local ensembles that granted her “groupie” status. But also, as an empty nester she took up network marketing and loved every minute of it. If you can think of a cosmetic product, airtight storage container, cleaning product, or nutritional supplement, there is a good chance that she helped to sell it. But only after she was convinced of the products merits herself. In fact, it was an inside joke in the family about which of the many network marketing products they’d receive in their Christmas stockings that year.
She was faithful in serving in her church callings. Later in life one of her favorites was her calling as a worker in the Salt Lake Temple where she worked at the front desk as well as in the nursery. Another was a calling with her husband to administer to a congregation at an assisted living facility. The consensus among the family was that she was administering to a congregation that she herself could easily have been part of. Again, she was always young at heart. And she was one of those people who really didn’t need a formal calling to serve. She saw worth in every soul and was completely void of any sort of prejudice. She extended love and acceptance to everyone she met, regardless of any apparent physical, emotional, or mental baggage the person might be carrying. Indeed, she especially reached out to those with such burdens. Family, friends, acquaintances, even strangers, were all blessed by her loving acceptance.
Nothing gave her greater joy than to see all four of her children married in the temple and begin families of their own. She was just beginning to hit her stride as Grandma when illness began taking its toll but even so she made great effort to be there for her Grandchildren’s soccer games, dance recitals, gymnastics, primary programs, birthdays, and just everyday comings and goings. How grateful we are to know that this is not the end of Bette Jean’s story, but that through our Heavenly Father’s plan this is truly just the beginning of an eternity of joyful learning, growth, and dear family relationships.
Our family extends a sincere thank you to Highland Nursing of Salt Lake City for the wonderful care they provided Bette Jean, we would also like to thank Envision Home Health and Hospice Care as well as her personal care Nurse Brenda for caring so compassionately for her, we think of them all as angels.
Funeral services will be held at 12 noon on Saturday, March 26, 2022 at the Cottonwood Creek Ward, 1250 East 4800 South ~ Murray, Utah with a viewing to begin at 10:00 am. Interment to follow at the Salt Lake City Cemetery.
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