Phoebe Anna Canova Mortensen's Obituary
Phoebe Anna Canova Mortensen, our mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, passed away gently in her sleep on Friday morning, June 7, 2019. She was 90-years-young. She was lovingly known as: “Grandma Mort” to her grandchildren, “GG” (which stood for “Grandma Great”) to her numerous great-grandchildren, “Aunt Annie” to over 50 plus nieces and nephews and "Anne" to her friends.
Phoebe Anna Canova was born on January 7, 1929, in Los Angeles County Hospital, Los Angeles, California, to Mary Emily Gould Canova and Thomas Raymond Canova. She was the 14th of 16 children. Her mother passed away when she was 7 years old which led to an adventurous life living coast-to-coast all over the U.S. and with several of her older sisters. When she was 10 years old, Anne was adopted by her sister Hazel Canova Staley and her husband, Walter, and lived for a time with them near Annapolis, Maryland, where Walter was stationed in the Navy. Thus, Aunt Hazel became “Grandma-Aunt Hazel” to Anne’s children. Anne also lived in Tonopah, Nevada, with her oldest sister, Irene Canova Banks, where Anne attended school with her nieces in a one-room schoolhouse. There were only a handful of families in Tonopah, which by that time had become a silver mining ghost town. Anne never spent one full year in any school she attended until her senior year when she put her foot down and refused to move again. Anne graduated from high school and received a scholarship to Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, but due to finances was unable to attend. From a young age, Anne worked as a waitress first at her family’s restaurants and then at Squires Restaurant in Riverside, California. Because her husband, Frank Mortensen, served in the Air Force, Anne was able to travel throughout the United States and the world with him and their four children. Later, Anne and Frank divorced, and Anne raised their children on her own in Fair Oaks, California. Anne enrolled in a medical transcriptionist program and worked in that role until her retirement. After retirement, Anne spent time visiting with family in many states and eventually settled in Northern Utah.
Anne was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Throughout the years, she served in many capacities, including the Relief Society, Primary, Sunday School, the Single Adult program, and various other callings. Anne had a strong testimony of Jesus Christ and shared it often with her children.
Anne is preceded in death by her parents, Mary Emily Gould Canova and Thomas Raymond Canova, as well as her 15 siblings, Theodore Willis, Irene, Viola, Thomas R., Hazel, Helen, Ramona, Marie, Trudy, Ruth, Nina, Stan, Leon, George and Ray.
She is survived by her four children, Rick (Anne) Mortensen, Patti (Bob) Moses, John (Brook) Mortensen and Mindy Mortensen, 15 grandchildren, 30 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren.
Anne’s family offers their sincere thanks to the staff members at Chancellor Gardens in Clearfield for their patience and care. They also wish to thank Emily Loflin with Symbii Hospice for her support and advocacy.
Funeral services will be held Friday, June 14, 2019, at 11:00 am at the Kaysville 17th Ward Chapel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, located at 875 East 200 North, Kaysville, UT 84037. A viewing will be held that morning from 9:30-10:30 am in the Relief Society Room. Flowers can be delivered to the chapel Friday morning before 10:30 am.
Immediately following the funeral service, interment will be at the Kaysville City Cemetery located at 500 East Crestwood Drive, Kaysville, Utah 84037.
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