Carol Ann (Larson) Grimaud's Obituary
Carol Ann (Larson) Grimaud
May 29, 1938 – May 27, 2021
The family of Carol Ann Grimaud are missing the cutest, sweetest, and quirkiest little momma and grandma to walk the earth. Her body finally gave out after suffering many physical hardships, finally culminating in dementia and complications of Type II Diabetes.
She passed away just two days shy of her 83rd birthday on May 27, 2021 in Eagle Mountain, Utah in the care of her loving family. She was known as “Melda” to her friends and family as an endearment to her fun personality. Carol was born on May 29, 1938 in Sterling, Idaho to Hertha Wugk and Dean Larson. She came minutes before her twin brother Carl and was the second set of twins born just under a year and a half after her sisters Betty and Bonnie. She also had two other full siblings, Doris and Ronald. Ronald died as a toddler, but Doris as the eldest in the group would be a special friend to Carol their entire lives. Including half siblings, she had 13 brothers and sisters.
Carol’s primary years were spent in Blackfoot, Idaho. Her father was blind and her mother was an immigrant from Germany. Growing up at the end of the Depression and into the war years were times of hardship and great privations, but especially difficult with the family dynamics. However, the two sets of twins had a very close relationship with friends in the neighborhood (often watched over by the very studious and responsible Doris). They spent vast amounts of time out in the town playing together. Carol later wrote a book around her gang (the Stair-step club) with a girl pirate theme and their many adventures. Elvis plays a prominent role as Carol loved his music as a youth. She even had it illustrated and filled with fun rhymes and anecdotes and titled it “Pirates and Petticoats and Hertha.” She dreamed of having it published for everyone to enjoy.
Carol met her husband Donald Leroy Grimaud while attending Brigham Young University. Carol and Donald dated almost two years before going to City Hall in Provo to elope on December 21, 1959. Carol’s mother in Idaho had failing health and she wanted to be married before she lost her. She had a great love for her mother, who died shortly after her marriage to Donald. Carol often retold the life story of Hertha in WWI Germany, conversion to the LDS church, and emigration to America to be with the Saints. Her mom nicknamed her “Funny Face”, which she adored. She loved to listen to the messages of Elder Uchtdorf as his melodic German accent reminded her of her mother’s loving voice.
Carol dropped out of school to support the family while Donald earned his Bachelor's degree. They were sealed 2 years after their marriage in the Salt Lake City Temple. Carol and Donald’s family spent 10 years in Ferrin, Utah where Donald found work as a school teacher. But the majority of time growing a family occurred just outside of Roosevelt, Utah in an area known as Cedar View. When all of the kids (Gehri, Shen, Nicole, Rochelle, Carl and Lisel) were in school, Carol went back to work so the family would have enough money to build a home to live in, instead of the tiny mobile home where the kids had to pull out sleeping bags every night before bed. She worked for the Uintah Basin Medical Hospital for twenty years as the secretary of the nursing department. Carol met many wonderful people there who became lifelong friends. Additionally, the neighbors and LDS ward family became their extended family.
There were many things about Carol that made her special. She always had something fun and creative she was developing including: Whisky bottle dolls made with Modge Pogde, creative Halloween costumes, elf dolls (Elfie Poo’s), baby blankets with lace and rick rack, oil painting and pencil sketching, etc. She was a diehard Yankees fan; she named her oldest son Gehri after Lou Gehrig. She was a stage manager to over twenty stage productions put on by the local theater group, including rounding up all of the props for the set. She had many fun sayings: “Its my only thrill!”, “Hey you nee nees!”, “I’m going to get you by the throat!” and “They don’t know you love them unless you love them hard!” She put her kids to bed with basketball tucks and believed licorice whips were for throwing – hard! She carried a two-page, typed and laminated medical history with her in her purse, just in case. She would drive all the way to Vernal just to get a gallon of A&W root beer. She was Melda Ma and she showed her kids how to be real and have a personality.
Carol had a quiet and abiding testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She had many favorite apostles and listened to doctrinal tapes every night before she went to bed. Several years ago she realized her life long dream of finding her mother’s family in Germany and doing their temple work. She cried as she watched her grandchildren being baptized in the temple for relatives she never got to know because they had lived behind the Iron Curtain in East Germany. Her love of genealogy never faded.
Carol was valiant in caring for Donald after the children left home. However, when they both were in a health crisis, their kids rallied and brought them to Utah Valley. Carol had emergency heart surgery and would make it two more years, but Don died shortly after in July 2019. Carol had the privilege of living with her baby Lisel, husband Chris, and their daughters until her death. Much love and appreciation is given to them for all they did for her. Carol’s other daughters, Nicole and Rochelle, were also caregivers and had the wonderful experience of being a part of their mother’s transition to the next life. Carol is survived by her sister Doris (Bill) Workman and children Gehri Grimaud, Nicole (Don) Wilson, Rochelle (Raul) Bernal, Carl Grimaud and Lisel (Chris) Christiansen as well as 14 grandchildren. Carol also leaves behind many honorary family members adopted in along the way. She is preceded in death by her husband Donald Leroy Grimaud and son Lucien (Shen) Grimaud.
A viewing will be held on Tuesday, June 1st from 6 to 8 pm at the LDS chapel at 7241 N Ute Drive, Eagle Mountain, Utah. The funeral will be held at the same church Wednesday, June 2nd at 11 am with a viewing before from 9:30 to 10:30. A Zoom link for those not able to attend is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86181980363 Carol will be laid to rest in the Lehi City Cemetery where her husband and son are buried. Condolences may be sent to Lisel Christiansen at 4028 E Mohican Drive, Eagle Mountain, Utah 84005 or Rochelle Bernal at 593 E 400 S Payson, Utah 84651. Condolences may also be left on www.premierfuneral.com
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