Juanita Tam

1933 - 2016

Juanita Lucille Wellard Tam, 82, of Blackfoot, passed away Monday, Jan. 4, 2016, at Bingham Memorial Hospital in Blackfoot surrounded by her family.

Juanita was born Sept. 8, 1933, in Arco, Idaho, to John William Wellard and Gertrude Isabelle Andrews Wellard. She was the ninth child out of 10 living siblings. She had three brothers and five sisters: Elwin (Bud), Dallas (Dugan), Richard (Dick), Iris, Phyllis, Velva, Cleo, Esther and Carol.

She attended school in Salem and graduated from Salem High School. After high school, she was working in Blackfoot, where she met the love of her life Victor Tam, the man who wanted a cheeseburger with mustard only. Easy to remember because everyone always wanted everything on their cheeseburgers.

Juanita and Victor were married in Salem on April 15, 1954, and were married for 60 plus years. Four children joined them later Vickie, Debbie, Roger and Douglas.

Juanita was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served faithfully in many callings over the years. Juanita loved her family and did many things for them: cooking meals, sewing, gardening, and she worked as a farmer's wife, doing whatever she was needed to do, milking cows, chasing cows, driving truck or running to get parts.

Juanita is survived by her husband, Victor Tam of Blackfoot; daughters, Vickie (Steve) Sawyer of University Place, Wash., and Debbie (Brett) Crompton of American Falls, Idaho; sons, Roger Tam of Blackfoot and Douglas (Cheryl) Tam of Blackfoot; nine grandchildren, Rebecca (Isaac) Brunson, Rachael (Jordan) Kohl, Michael Sawyer, Robert Crompton, Preston (Adriana) Crompton, Alisha (Spencer) Lilya, Jason (Shawna) Tam, Anthony (Aly Boyce) Tam and Travis Tam; four great-grandchildren, Xander and Flynn Brunson and Maddelyn and Hunter Tam; three sisters, Phyllis Banta, Cleo Klingler and Esther Andersen; brother-in-law, Reno (Shirley Wadsworth) Tam; sisters-in-law, Freda Rice and Roxie Gardels; many nieces and nephews; and lifetime friends, Dona Lutz and Carol Bitton.

She was preceded in death by her parents; three brothers, Bud, Dugan and Dick; three sisters, Iris Colton, Velva Young and Carol Findlay; brothers-in-law, Vincent James, Myron Colton, Lawrence Young, Von Klingler, David Andersen, Darrell Banta and Dee Findlay; mother-in-law, Angela Sciuchetti Tam Young; father-in-law, Natale Tam; stepfather-in-law, Rock Young; brothers-in-law, Andrew Tam, Dave Rice and Steve Gardels; sisters-in-law, Donna Wellard and Janeth Tam; several nieces and nephews; and longtime friends, LaMar Lutz, Bill Thompson and Dee Bitton.

Juanita loved many and was loved by many. We love you.

A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 9, at Rose LDS Chapel, 400 N. 150 W., exit 98 on Interstate 15. The family will meet with friends and relatives from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday at Hawker Funeral Home, 132 S. Shilling Ave., in Blackfoot, and one hour prior to services at the church. Interment will follow in Grove City Cemetery.

Condolences may be sent to the family online at www.hawkerfuneralhome.com.