Carol Nadine Saltzgiver's Obituary
Carol Nadine Blackson Saltzgiver
8 July 1935–2 May 2022
Our beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, great-great grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend Carol Nadine Blackson Saltzgiver passed away peaceful May 2, 2022, surrounded by her children and loving husband.
Carol was born July 8, 1935, in Los Angeles, California, the youngest child of Virgil Leroy and Sarah Olene Beasley Blackson. In her teens, Carol moved with her family to Salt Lake City, Utah, where she attended West High School. She married her high school sweetheart, Frank G. Saltzgiver, on November 25, 1953, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Frank and Carol welcomed four children: Steve, Mike, Sue, and Lynda into their family. On April 19, 1961, Carol was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by her husband, Frank, and on April 26, 1962, they were sealed for eternity in the Salt Lake Temple.
Frank and Carol had the kind of marriage we all aspire to. It’s difficult to think of them as anything but “Frank and Carol,” almost as if it’s one word. For nearly 70 years, they have weathered the storms of life. Through lean times and fat, they have supported one another and worked together to build a life of comfort. They provided a safe place for their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to visit with them and to learn from their examples. It was always clear that they loved and cared for one another. Frank is a relentless tease and Carol was always the perfect counterbalance. We’ve all been saved by her unmistakably stern and exasperated exclamation, “Frank! Stop it!”
In her final weeks, Frank and Carol wanted only one thing: to be together.
Carol was the sunshine in all our lives, the “cool grandma,” and the consummate host. She was always quick with a hug, a kind word, or a joke. Throughout her life, she surrounded herself with fashionable things. Hers was a style that always straddled the line between contemporary and timeless. Always unassuming and never pretensions, she taught us all the value of presentation and care in our appearance.
Carol loved having guests and always had bowls of candy brimming with Tootsie rolls, saltwater taffy, and starlight mints waiting for the next person. No visitor left without being offered a drink, something to eat, good conversation, and likely a place to sleep. Frank and Carol’s doors were always open and they never failed to make everyone feel at home.
In the sixty years since her baptism, Carol’s faith in the restored gospel was a defining part of her life. Her testimony, which she rarely spoke out loud, was evident in her kindness, her acts of service, and in the hospitality that she extended to everyone. She exemplified pure love and asked nothing in return. Her home was a safe place for all of God’s children. Rare was the time that she verbally rebuked anyone; constant was her example of a Christlike life. In her final weeks, she made a special effort to renew her temple recommend. Her new recommend in hand, she told her children, “I feel ready now to go through the veil.”
Carol is survived by her husband, Frank, their four children, Steven (Vickie) Saltzgiver, Micheal (Marianne) Saltzgiver, Susan (Robert) Brockbank, and Lynda (Gary) Glade; her sister, Shirley Diamond; 15 grandchildren; 52 great-grandchildren; as well as nieces, nephews, and friends. She is preceded in death by her parents, two brothers, and her son-in-law Robert Brockbank.
Carol’s family would like to express our sincere thanks to the many doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals who have cared for Carol in her final weeks. The accidental injury that took her life came on suddenly and their care for both her comfort and our family provided irreplaceable support during this difficult time.
Graveside services will be 12:00 Noon, Tuesday, May 10, 2022 at the Orem City Cemetery, 1520 North 800 East, Orem, Utah. A viewing will be held Monday, May 9, 2022 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the Latter-day Saint meeting house at 3511 North 180 East, Provo, Utah.
Family and friends who are unable to attend the graveside service are invited to join us virtually at the link below.
https://churchofjesuschrist.zoom.us/j/99737237771?pwd=ZVBuN0pHLzJnd0x6RzVBZ1d1aFE5Zz09
Meeting ID: 997 3723 7771
Password: Carol.
If you have any stories, photographs, or other memories of Carol that you would like to share with the family, please send them to [email protected].
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