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Deseret News, Tuesday, January 11, 2000, 12:00 AM MST
Obituary: Vern R. Peel
Vern Robert Peel passed away on January 8, 2000 in St. George, Utah, of causes incident to old age. He was 93.
He was born on March 31, 1906, in La Grande, Oregon. He just missed being born on April lst. He is the son of Benjamin Franklin Peel and Mary Almita Walker. He was the ninth of 11 children. But
all of them have preceded him in death. After living most of his youth in Arizona, he moved to Los Angeles, California.
There he met Hilda Robinson, a pretty young woman who stole his heart. They were married January 27, 1927, in Los Angeles. Six months later, they traveled by bus to Salt Lake City Utah,
where they were sealed together forever in the Salt Lake Temple.
He began his employment in the California Fruit Growers Exchange (later, the name was changed to Sunkist) at age 15 as an office boy. He progressed to become manager of a packing house. He was employed by Sunkist for 51 years.
Vern was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints all his life. He served in the Matthews Ward Sunday School Presidency at age 17. He served in many ward and
stake assignments. At age 27, he was called as a counselor in the ward bishopric. When he was 30, his family moved to Pomona, California, where Sunkist sent him to be assistant manager.
Later that year, he was called as the first bishop of the new Pomona Ward. He served as bishop for nine years. He served as President three different stakes for 19 years--SanBernardino, Mt. Rubidoux, and Pomona. He started serving as a stake president at age 44, and ended that service at age 63. He served as a member of the first group of Regional Representatives from age 63 to 67, when he was called as President of the Minnesota-Manitoba mission, (later the Minnesota-Minneapolis Mission) for three years. After his mission, he built a home in Farmington, Utah, and at age 70 was again called as a Regional Representative and served for three years. At age 73, he became
a Sealer in the Ogden Temple and served for eight years. at age 81 he was released and then served in ward capacities.
At 91, after 80 years of service in the church, he was serving as a home teacher and as a door greeter for Sacrament meetings. He loved that calling and the hugs he got.
Vern and Hilda were the parents of six cherished children: Beverly Ruchti, Robert, Richard, David, and the twins, Marvin and Melvin (Marvin died at age 2.) He has 22 grandchildren, 43 greatgrandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild.
Vern's wife, his beloved Hilda, passed away on November 1, 1993, after almost 67 years of wonderful marriage. Vern sold his Farmington home in 1998 and moved to St. George, Utah,
where he lived with his daughter, Beverly.
Friends and Family may call at the Lindquist Mortuary at 727 North 400 East, Bountiful, Utah from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, January 13th, and at the Canyon View Ward Chapel, 850 North Compton Road, Farmington, Utah, from 9:30 to 10:30, a.m. on Friday, January 14th. Funeral services will begin in the Chapel at 11 a.m. Internment will be In the Farmington City Cemetery.
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