Verlene J. Clark

Verlene Jackson Brown Clark, 89, of Orem, Utah passed away Friday, January 16, 2026 with her daughters by her side. She was born December 10, 1936 in Fremont, Utah. She was the second child and first daughter of seven children born to Jeremiah Worthen and Thora Taylor Jackson. She was lovingly known as Nean, Neanie or Grandma Neanie. This nickname started when her younger siblings could not pronounce her name and it carried on with her nieces and nephews and finally her grandchildren.

She attended school through the 8th grade at Fremont Elementary school which was directly across the street from her childhood home. She later attended and graduated Valedictorian of her class at Wayne High School in Bicknell, Utah. In her youth she enjoyed playing many different sports and activities including: baseball, basketball and gymnastics.

She loved the game of horseshoes and developed a lifelong love for arrowhead hunting which she inherited from her father. She said her favorite outdoor activity was boating with her family and water skiing. Mom could slalom with the best of them. Later in life she started nursing school at SVATC in Richfield, Utah, but went onto complete her associates degree in business and computers. She was also a volunteer for many years on the Wayne County Ambulance.

Mom had many hobbies that we would call talents. She loved to crochet, which continued right up until a couple months before she passed. She carried on a tradition that her mother taught her by making a baby afghan for each of her great grandchildren. Some of her grandchildren received either a quilt or an afghan, but all received something. We all have many beautiful quilts she made that were hand quilted, or afghans she crocheted. She loved to play the piano and especially the organ and she was an amazing cook.

She also enjoyed the times she got to spend with her family playing card and board games, putting puzzles together, going for drives or just visiting and telling stories of her youth. And she LOVED the Utah Jazz, win or lose. Go Jazz!

Mom made sure every child and grandchild received a birthday card and a Christmas card with a $2 dollar bill each and every year.

She married Dale Jay Brown, September 15, 1955 in the Manti Utah Temple. To their union were born four children: Lee Ann, Elizabeth (Liz), Dale Gordon and Patti Sue. They were later divorced. She married Randall D Clark in 1995 and later divorced.

She is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and was blessed to serve in each auxilary either as a teacher or a councilor. Her favorite calling was an ordinance worker in the Manti Temple and she especially loved the time she served as a temple organist.

Verlene is survived by her children: Lee Ann (Curtis) Johnson, Elizabeth (Paul) Pace, Patti Sue (Jeff) Jackson. Twelve grandchildren and many great greatchildren. Her sisters: Judy Ekker, Sandy New, Kathy (Dan) Howlett, and sister in law Miriam Jackson. She is preceded in death by her parents, son, Dale Gordon Brown, son in law, Curtis J Johnson, sister, Ann Avon Jackson, brothers: Malan Robert Jackson and Kent Worthen Jackson, sister in law Linda Jackson and brothers in law: Don Ekker and Ronnie New.

Our family would like to thank Katie and her team at Symbii Hospice for your tender care of mom during her difficult final days. We also thank all of mom's care givers at Covington of Orem for your years of love, care and kindness.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, January 24, 2026 at 11:00 in the Olpin Family Mortuary Chapel, 494 South 300 East, Pleasant Grove, Utah. Family and friends may attend a viewing from 9:30 - 10:45 am prior to the service. Interment will be in the Fremont Utah Cemetery at 3:30 pm.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.olpinmortuary.com.