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Shirley Jewel Olpin (Knight) - 5/17/2013
Class of 1953
Our beautiful, loving mother and wife passed away on Friday, May 17 from complications associated with Alzheimer's Disease.Jewel was born in Pleasant Grove, Utah on March 20th, 1935. She grew up picking strawberries, dancing at Saltair, and working her coomie off on the midnight shift at the cannery. While she was studying elementary education at Brigham Young University, she met Larry Knight at a friend's house. She thought he was too tall; he thought she was too short. Despite their initial misgivings, and after they were by chance reacquainted in California while Larry was serving a mission and she was visiting her sister, they began to write each other faithfully. Eventually they married on August 19, 1957.
Jewel taught elementary school and quickly gained a reputation as an innovative, compassionate teacher-looking out for students who were underserved. She soon left behind teaching to become a mother to nine children who love her with all their hearts.
Jewel had a strong testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. She served in the church in many leadership capacities, but what she loved most was working with the children in Primary. She worked in the temple throughout her life and after years of raising children and teaching school, she and Larry served temple missions in Washington DC, Mexico, and London, England.
Mom loved to read on the back porch, watch Jack Nicholson horror movies, eat homemade hot fudge sundaes, scream her head off on roller coasters, and spend days shopping at good old ZCMI. But most of all, she loved her sweetheart, eternal partner, best friend and caregiver, Larry.
Jewel left behind two siblings, Elaine (Jack) Westover and Jerry (Joyce) Olpin, eight children including Karen (Bill) Cushenberry, Leslie (Terry) Rock, Joe (Donielle) Knight, Sandy (Doug) Dearden, Sam Knight, Dan (Amy) Knight, Katy Knight and Ann Dee (Cameron) Ellis, thirty grandchildren and five great grandchildren with one on the way. She is now reunited with her parents, her siblings LuJean, Kathryn and Dee, her son-in-law Ron and her sweet son Tommy.
Funeral services will be held at the Oak Hills Stake Center (925 East North Temple Drive, Provo, Utah, 84604) on Thursday, May 23rd at 11:00 AM. Friends may call at the Sundberg Olpin Mortuary of Orem (495 S State St, Orem, UT 84058), Wednesday, May 22, from 6-8:00 p.m., and at the church Thursday from 9:30-10:45 a.m. prior to services. Interment at Pleasant Grove cemetery.
- Daily Herald | Provo, UT; 18 May 2013.
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