Arda Wetzel Leatham

Our sweet mother, Arda Wetzel Leatham passed away peacefully on January 28, 2021. She was born on December 18, 1927 in Salt Lake City, Utah. She is the daughter of Franklin E. Wetzel and Wilma Davis Wetzel. Arda grew up and had many wonderful friends in the Sugar House area. She enjoyed the short time that the family lived with her Grandmother Davis in Spanish Fork and with her Grandmother Wetzel in Salt Lake City. She graduated from South High School. She attended Brigham Young University for one year and transferred to the University of Utah where she received her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. She went on to teach kindergarten and first grade in the Salt Lake City School District for over twenty years with a few years break in the middle to raise her children.

Arda married Howard B. Leatham in the Salt Lake LDS Temple in 1953 and they soon after purchased their first home in the Canyon Rim area of Salt Lake County. Howard had a long and successful career as a civil engineer with the Utah Department of Transportation. She was able to travel all over the United States accompanying her husband on business trips. Their first child was born in 1954.  When their last child was born in 1960 they had become the parents of four boys.  She learned to love baseball and spent many years at the little league ball field. She volunteered to work in the concession stand because she was too nervous to watch the games. She had a close relationship with her parents who were also always present to watch their grandsons play baseball. She was also very engaged in church and civic activities. She served in various ward and stake callings as well as PTA President.

Arda was a loving mother to her four sons. She was very proud that they all served foreign missions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and all graduated from the University of Utah. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren also brought her much joy.

Arda and Howard spent many winters in Palm Desert, California with their siblings.  Children and grandchildren loved to visit them there. They also spent many days on golf courses throughout the west. Howard passed away in 2006 and Arda lived independently in their home for twelve years before becoming a resident at Sunrise Senior Living.

Arda has seventeen adoring grandchildren and will soon have thirty great-grandchildren.

If the value of her life can be measured by the love and service rendered to family and others and by the love and admiration others feel for her, then Arda's life reaches the highest level of a life well lived.

Arda is survived by her sons David (Shelly), Dick, Wade (Karen), daughter-in-law Mary (Phil Conder), grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Preceded in death by her husband, son Rod, parents, sister Margaret, brother Dick D. Wetzel, sisters-in-law Betty Wetzel, Hettie Simmons, Dorothy Larsen and brother-in-law Ralph Larsen

Funeral services by invitation only will be held Tuesday, February 2, 2021 at 11:00 am at Holbrook Mortuary, 3251 South 2300 East, Millcreek, Utah. The service will be live-streamed on the Holbrook Mortuary website. Invited guests may arrive at 10:15 am. Interment at the Salt Lake City Cemetery. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Pennies by the Inch at Primary Children’s Hospital.

To watch the funeral service scroll to the bottom of Arda’s obituary page at HolbrookMortuary.com on Tuesday at 11:00am, the service will remain available to watch for 90 days.