Elaine (Crismon) Petersen

January 14, 2017 – This afternoon, surrounded by loved ones, our beloved mother, sister, grandmother, mother-in-law, (soon to be great grandmother), cousin, aunt, dear friend, and devoted wife Elaine Crismon Petersen, was called home for a happy reunion with our loved ones on the other side. Since her passing, earth’s “colors seem muted, life’s melody subdued”, as our bright light has moved from this mortal life to brighten the next.

Born June 5, 1944, Elaine, Mom, “Grammy” lived life to its fullest, spending her days in that which would ultimately lead to a legacy of love for her family and friends to enjoy. Her energetic, active vitality meant fun times with family and service to those who needed her. She leaves behind a well-documented history and a treasure of brilliant works of creativity, including writings, and dozens of original watercolor paintings. She taught us songs of praise, love and strength which continue to live in our hearts and minds.

Elaine is a special blend of charitable kindness, profound grace and striking beauty. Her sweet strength amid struggles of mortality defined her, even through to the end of what was a difficult, though brief, battle with cancer.

Raised by loving parents Oscar Virgil Crismon and Helen Hathcock Crismon in Mesa Arizona, Elaine learned what it meant to be loved and she learned what it meant to work - the values of her pioneer heritage were passed along. Serving the community, Crismon Flowers, a fine floral shop located on Main Street within Mesa, was operated by the entire family. She spent the majority of those early years in the idyllic neighborhood on Fraser Fields, in the late 40s and 50s smiling, having fun, as peacemaker, a “tom boy”, an athlete, and an astute student. Until she blossomed into a beautiful young woman, attending Mesa High as a “Rabbette” and then Arizona State University and Brigham Young University where Jerry ultimately won her heart. He became the love of her life. Elaine missed the deserts of Arizona but built a home in the mountains, turning mine tailings into a verdant landscape of green trees, lawns, and blooming flowers at the base of Grandeur Peak on Teton Drive, learning to love the beauty of each of the four seasons of Utah. She enjoyed watching the sunsets of the view over the Salt Lake Valley with her husband. These became the subject matter of multiple paintings. Elaine also loved spending time at the family cabin at the base of Silver Fork in Big Cottonwood Canyon, enjoying countless days and nights there with family and friends.

Elaine raised her 5 children in Salt Lake City with a masterful approach to motherhood. She has dedicated continued years to their love, care and well-being. At the age of 44, when her youngest was 10, she returned to school, graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Disorders Speech and Hearing Science at the University of Utah. She then worked to obtain a Master’s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology a few years later. Much of her life’s story would be defined by what motivated her in that undertaking. Driven to learn more about her own diagnosis of spasmodic dysphonia and how to treat it, her dissertation would be dedicated to treating it cognitively. This would lead to providing therapy as a professional, with opportunities to help others with the same disorder from what she had researched. Not wanting to be defined by her voice disorder, Elaine would eventually be defined by how she overcame it. By learning to control her own voice, she developed a calmed and controlled classiness. She found her voice, and because of her accomplishments she gave voice to so many others. She would work with stroke victims, but found she loved working with children, and eventually go on to work for ten years in the Jordan School District spending most of that time working as a speech pathologist at Copperview Elementary School before retiring to be with her husband.

Mom loved being with family. She traveled to more than 100 countries with Jerry and a few with her kids. She loved music and art and providing family Christmas programs to the widows and widowers of the ward. She taught her children how to sing from a young age, how to harmonize, and provided each with piano lessons and lessons in other instruments.  She designed and painted sets, and even sewed dresses and costumes for this event each year. Because of this, Christmas-time will forever live in the hearts of her loved ones as being synonymous with Grammy’s faith and celebration of the birth of the Savior.

Elaine was dedicated to her faith and the gospel of Jesus Christ and served in multiple church callings including being known as a reliable organist. She served an LDS Mission to the Polynesian Cultural Center in Honolulu, Hawaii with Jerry where she instantly fell in love with the work and with those she served while making life-long friends.

A loving wife, Elaine’s devotion to Jerry is known by all, a wise mother and grandmother of 15, always saying and doing the right thing to lift, to build, to strengthen, Grammy’s endearing pleasant ways have patterned for us what it means to be Christ like. She was a fan to those playing sports or performing musically or in the theater and attended as many events as she was able – which likely amounted to be hundreds over the years! She helped us seek that which is virtuous, lovely, praiseworthy and of good report as a trusted friend, a confidant, a builder of faith, a woman of many talents dedicated to the development of talents in others.

She is survived by her husband, of fifty-two years, Gerald, her sister Carole (Ivan) Cook, her brother Clarence (June, deceased) and Sheila Crismon, her sister Joyce (Ed, deceased) Western, her brother Charles (Lesa) Crismon; daughters Nancy (Brent) Hopkins, Kristin (Mike) Bolinder, Tricia (John) Vorwaller, Kathleen (Dillon) George; son Brian (Jessica) Petersen; grandchildren, “the best kids in the universe”, Alisha (Darren) Welcker, Aaron Hopkins, Amanda Hopkins, Michael Vorwaller, Ashley Petersen, Kate Vorwaller, Sarah Petersen, Jacob Vorwaller, Zachary Petersen, Ethan George, William Petersen, Abbie George, Brooke Vorwaller, Elise George, Asher George. Her children, grandchildren, sons-in-law and daughter-in-law being the “jewels in her crown”.

“If what is fair be for what is fair”, our dear “Elaine, the fair, the lovable”, “the flower of all the west and all the world”, “not violating the bond between like and like”, “might wear as fair a jewel as is on earth”. Then too, her crown of eternal glory awaits.

Funeral service will be held at 11:00am on Thursday January 19, 2017 at the Grandeur Peak Ward, 3640 Millstream Road (3510 South). Friends may visit with the family on Wednesday evening from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at the Holbrook Mortuary, 3251 South 2300 East, and also on Thursday morning from 9:30am to 10:30am at the church prior to the funeral. Interment: Elysian Burial Gardens. On line memoires and tributes can be posted to the family at www.holbrookmortuary.com

In lieu of flowers the family suggests contributions to the Self-Reliance Services/Perpetual Education Fund. Donations can be secured online at this address: https://www.ldsphilanthropies.org/perpetual-education-fund.html