ROBERTA UTLEY

ROBERTA UTLEY 07/04/1938 - 08/30/2025 Roberta was born on the Fourth of July, 1938, to Elbert and Winona Sorenson of Koosharem, Utah. She and her twin sister, Elberta (who was her total opposite, but they made a good team), joined big sisters Maureen and Melda. Later, siblings Iris, Bill, Ole, and Elizabeth came along. Roberta met LaVoy Utley in 1955 when she was living in Richfield to complete high school. They married on September 14, 1956, in the Salt Lake City Temple. Roberta had five children, Brenda, Brooks, Stephanie, Jillean, and Robyn, who kept her very busy. Even though they lived pretty far out of town, Roberta got all the kids to sports, piano lessons, and dance classes for many years. She encouraged them in all they did. She worked as a dental assistant for a time, then in the children's department at Christensen's, where she made many wonderful friends. Roberta held many church callings, but her favorite was when she and LaVoy served together in their ward's library. She appreciated this time with him. She always enjoyed getting to be in service to her church and was happy to get to do it with LaVoy. Roberta grew an amazing garden. She grew beautiful tomatoes, potatoes, raspberries, strawberries, and more. She was also devoted to her roses. She spent many hours selecting new varieties and figuring out how to help them thrive in the desert. She took joy in working in her yard, and after LaVoy passed, it became her passion. Roberta adored being a grandma. Nothing made her happier than visits from her grandkids. Her refrigerator was completely covered in photos of her grandkids and drawings they made for her. She always kept a few boxes of popsicles on hand for them. Roberta passed away on August 30, 2025, after a fall. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Jillean, and her husband, LaVoy, her parents, Winona and Elbert, and siblings Maureen, Elizabeth, and Ole. She is survived by her sisters Elberta, Iris, and Melda, and her brother Bill, along with her children Brenda, Brooks, Stephanie, and Robyn, thirteen grandchildren, and a great-granddaughter coming soon. Services will be held on September 8, 2025, with a viewing before services from 1:00-2:00 p.m. at the Joseph Ward Building, 75 N. Center St, Elsinore, UT. Graveside services will be in the Joseph City Cemetery at 2:30 pm at the Joseph City Cemetery 132 S 250 W, Joseph, UT Funeral Directors are Magleby Mortuary, Richfield, Salina, and Manti. An online guestbook can be found on www.maglebymortuary.com