Edna May Tuke

Edna May Gerth Tuke, of Salt Lake City, Utah, was 88 years old when she passed away on January 14, 2024, surrounded by her broken-hearted children.

Edna was born on July 31st, 1935, to Mary Ellen (Davis) and Carl Gerth in Roosevelt, Duchesne, Utah. The story is that her mother went to visit her cousin until her baby was born. Grandma had remarked to her cousin, who unlike herself had indoor plumbing, that it surely would feel good to have a nice warm bath. The doctor had already been called; after the bath, the baby was born within a half hour before the doctor came.

Mother spent her childhood a few miles from Roosevelt in a small town called Altonah, on a farm of about 60 acres (about the area of a large shopping mall), where they had cows, sheep, horses, chickens, ducks, and pigs.

When she was 5 ½ years old the family moved back to Salt Lake City in 1941. She had 2 brothers and 7 sisters. She attended Wasatch Elementary School through the 7th grade, to Bryant Jr. High for 8th and 9th grade, then to East High. She graduated from East High School in 1953 and went on to study at Brigham Young University where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree and a secondary degree in English.

While working at Burdett Floral in Salt Lake City during Christmas time in 1956, she met her future husband Jack Leon Tuke. After graduating from BYU in 1957, she married her sweetheart Jack on March 28, 1958, where their marriage was solemnized and sealed in the Salt Lake Temple.

While she was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints her whole life, and had many callings, her greatest calling was that of a mother. Edna and Jack served several Inner-City Service Missions, and a CES Mission in Columbia, South Carolina, where Jack passed away on the 28th of September in the year 2000.

Mom and Dad’s passion was Genealogy. They did research for years before they went on their missions. After, she worked several years in the Salt Lake Temple as an Ordinance Worker, where she made many friends.

She was a lifetime member of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers. Some of her favorite things were home making, sewing, candy making, and putting up jam. She was an amazing artist, especially excelling in porcelain painting. Mom also loved going to the Shakespearean Festival every year and to live theater and musicals. She loved to read and was seldom seen without a book in her hands. She also loved doing crossword puzzles and games.

Mom loved to garden and grow her roses, which she was well known for.

She was preceded in death by her parents Carl and Mary Gerth, brother Carl Edgar, sister Mary, her husband Jack, son Walter, and grandson Daniel.

She is survived by her children: K. David, Cheryl (Johnny) Maestas, John, Ann (JC) Reynolds, Carla, Douglas, Heather Norman, 13 grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren. Her brother Ted, and sisters Elizabeth, Clara, Carol, Barbara, Shirley, and Linda as well as numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and dear friends.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, the 25th of January 2024, at 11:00 AM at the Valley View 1st Ward located at 3820 South 2000 East in Millcreek, Utah. Friends may call Wednesday from 6-8 PM at Holbrook Mortuary located at 3251 South 2300 East in Millcreek, Utah and again at the church on Thursday, from 10-10:45 AM prior to services.

Interment will follow at the Salt Lake City Cemetery located at 200 North “N” Street, Salt Lake City, Utah.