Lettie Oles Harker

Lettie Oles Saunders Harker left this world to rejoin her beloved companion on Tuesday April 18, 2006 at Franklin, Idaho surrounded by her loving family.

Lettie was born January 19, 1911 at Farnum, Idaho to Simon and Medora Wade Saunders. She lived there in that tiny farm community until she was six years old. While there she lost three siblings to Scarlet fever and one to the flu.

Lettie’s mother died when she was two years old. Her father remarried when she was four to Martha Michael who became her “Mama” and raised her until Lettie was fourteen at which time Martha died leaving Lettie to care for her younger siblings and keep house for her father.

Soon after her father remarried they moved to Harrisville, then Roy then Ogden where she continued her education. When her stepmother Martha died they moved to Shelley, Idaho where she continued caring for her family which duties prevented her from continuing school.

She always loved to learn and when the opportunity came she took all three years of L.D.S. Seminary in one year.

Soon after moving to Shelley she met Leslie Harker and after a long courtship Leslie convinced her that she could take care of her siblings as well married as she could single and they were married in the Salt Lake temple.

All her life has been dedicated to her family, her church and charitable work. She was active in the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers and held many positions in her church. Besides the care she gave in raising some of her siblings she gave birth to 13 children, 12 of whom are still living.

In 1990 she was chosen as Idaho Mother of the Year. She has been the mother of the year for to all of us for many years. In 1978-79 she served an LDS mission with her husband to the California-San Diego mission.

She is survived by her twelve children, Caraleen (Herbert) Andrews of Lava Hot Springs, Idaho; Berniece Wing (Marlin) of Bountiful, Utah; Karen (Robert) Beck serving an LDS mission in Fresno California; Ferrin (Wanda) Harker of Syracuse, Utah; Thelma (Ronald) Womack of Franklin, Idaho; Ruth (Terry) Reid of Clancy, Mont.; Emily (Ahmad) Paksima of La Jolla, Calif.; Martha (Craig) Malcolm of Salt Lake City, Utah; Mark (Suzanne) Harker of Alta Loma, Calif.; Merritt (Cyndy) Harker of Nampa, Idaho; Alice Ann (Wayne) Christensen and Vaunda (James) Colgrove both of Shelley, Idaho. She also has 72 grandchildren, 160 great-grandchildren and 22 great-great-grandchildren.

She has three living siblings: Medora Webster of Idaho Falls, Idaho; Donald (Yvonne) Saunders of Brigham City, Utah; and Ruth (Marvin) Yates of Vernon, Utah.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Leslie Harker; a daughter Darlene; a Son-in-law, Marlin Wing: 3 granddaughters; 4 grandsons; 1 great-granddaughter; 5 sisters; and 4 brothers.

Funeral services will be held Saturday April 22 at 12:00 Noon at the Jameston Ward Chapel (1101 East 1250 North) with Bishop Kristan Sparks, conducting. The family will receive friends Friday evening 6:30 till 8:30 at Nalder Funeral Home (110 West Oak) in Shelley and Saturday 10:30 till 11:40 at the Church. Interment will be at the Shelley Cemetery.