Vernetta Weston

1920 - 2013

Vernetta Coombs Weston was born Oct. 7, 1920, in Nukualofa, Tonga, an island in the South Pacific Ocean, to Mark Vernon and LaVera Wilcox Coombs. She spent the first years of her life in Tonga, where her parents presided over the Tongan Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Following this mission the family moved to Utah where she was educated and grew to womanhood.
Vernetta graduated from Logan High School in Logan, Utah and attended Utah State Agriculture College in Logan. While in college she met Arlo Barker Weston. They were married in 1940 and solemnized the marriage in the Logan, Utah Temple. Arlo and Vernetta lived in Brigham City, Utah and in Moab, Utah, where her first two children were born. From there they moved to Redding, Calif., where their third child entered the world. From California the family moved Laketown, Utah, the place of Arlo's birth. Arlo taught FFA, served as principal of North Ridge High School and farmed and ranched. After living in Laketown for many years, five more children were added to the family, bringing the total to eight (one died three days after birth).
The family moved to Sheridan, Mont., where Arlo and Vernetta increased the size of their ranching operation. While in Sheridan, three Piippo brothers became foster children of the Weston family.
After raising their seven children and the Piippo brothers, Vernetta and Arlo returned to Utah, where Vernetta worked several years for Zions Bank.
All her life Vernetta served faithfully in numerous LDS Church callings, including the Stake Relief Society President in the Helena, Mont. Stake, an ordinance worker in the Salt Lake City, Utah, Bountiful, Utah and Albuquerque, LDS Temples and as a teacher in all of the LDS women's organizations and in the Sunday school.
Vernetta lived the last twelve plus years of her life with her daughter, Trish and son-in-law, RJ Dalley in Farmington. She had many gifted interests in cooking, music, singing and traveling to many parts of the world. She loved family movie nights with children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Vernetta is survived by her children, Karen (Bob) Hahne, Bryan (Joanne) Weston, Tricia (RJ) Dalley, Joyce (Bill) Smith, John (Jeanne) Weston, Ann (Sam) Gappmayer, Mary (David) Heap; 35 grandchildren, 62 great-grandchildren; sister-in-law, Joan (D'Mont) Coombs and Jack (Donna) Piippo, Walter (Marilyn) Piippo and Kenny (Claudia) Piippo.
Visitation will be 9 a.m. on Thursday, June 27, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1310 E. 25th St. (Knudsen) in Farmington.
A funeral service will follow at 10 a.m. in the church.
Vernetta will be buried in Laketown, Utah.
Vernetta's care is entrusted to Brewer, Lee and Larkin Funeral Home, 103 E. Ute St. in Farmington, 505-325-8688.
Those who wish to express their condolences may do so at www.serenityandcompany.com.