Christmas night Jean Beckstead fell gently to sleep, away from this earthly plane and into the arms of her eternal companion and eldest son Wesley.

Ethlyn Jean Beckstead was born August 28, 1934, to John Preston and Ethel Winterbottom in Mt. Pleasant, Utah. She had a typical farmgirl upbringing, helping her dad bailing hay. Jean was active in high school with student counsel, yearbook committee and choir. She formed a small singing group with her friends that performed locally.

After graduation from North Sanpete High School, Jean attended Brigham Young University and Snow College. She put her education on hold to start a family before graduating from UNLV with a bachelor and master’s degree in English and education. Jean taught for twenty years in the Clark County School District in Las Vegas, Nevada, all while raising her family. She later taught English at Spanish Fork High School, Utah Valley University, BYU Provo and Idaho as well a year teaching English at Liahona School in Tonga.

Jean was an avid gardener and loved pink roses and Irises. She enjoyed reading, photography, painting, and especially working on projects. Family vacations at the cabin on the Snake River always included some sort of refurbishing project.

Jean and her husband Marriner served missions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Denmark and Tonga. They were blessed with five children Wesley, (1955-1961), Susan, Joan, David, and Mathew. She is survived by one brother, Jack, and two sisters, Karen and Camille, four children, eighteen grandchildren, and forty-nine great grandchildren.

A viewing will be held at 10:00 a.m. Monday, January 3rd at the Anderson Funeral Home, Nephi, Utah. Funeral and burial services will immediately follow the viewing.