Olive Heaton McElwee passed away Tuesday, August 27, 2024, in the Utah Valley Hospital in Provo, Utah due to complications of a medical procedure. She was born in Kanab, Utah on November 21,1942 to Charles Leonard and Edna Hoyt Robertson Heaton. She is the eighth of ten Children, growing up at Pipe Springs National Monument, where her father was the caretaker. She has many fun, adventurous, life changing stories from this time of her life.
After graduating from high school, she attended Ricks College, where she studied teaching and College of Southern Utah to study business.
She served in the Jacksonville, Florida Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1964-1965, where she met many people she loved for the rest of her life. On her way home from serving her mission she was able to attend the World’s Fair and participate in the Hill Cumorah pageant.
After driving with her brother’s new wife out to Virginia where he was stationed, she decided to stay. She later met her husband, James Warren McElwee. They were sealed June 24, 1969, in the St. George, Utah Temple. During the military service of her husband, they lived in Germany twice where their oldest child was born. They spent time in Tucson, Arizona, as Jim was in training for locksmithing as he was transitioning out of the military, and Moccasin, Arizona where they built their home before moving to Odessa, Texas where they raised their seven children and owned a locksmith shop. They retired and moved back home to Moccasin, Arizona in 2004 where she served, loved and was loved by the community. Her heart was always in Moccasin no matter where she lived. After a short stay in the hospital, she decided she could no longer live alone and for the last six months of her life she lived with her son and his family.
Olive’s family, faith, and friends were very important to her. She served and loved everyone around her in various capacities. Everyone that knew her would agree that she is a quiet strength, willing to help in every way she was able to. A devoted member of the Church, she served as Relief Society President, Primary Teacher, and Compassionate Service Leader, among other roles. Her Primary children’s parents have still remarked that their children always remembered and loved Sister McElwee. Lately she sent birthday cards to the people of Moccasin as part of service to the town she always called home. She was very generous and even willing to give you her right leg, if needed. Her sense of humor was subtle; when someone was eating a lot at dinner she would often ask if they had a hollow leg.
She is preceded in death by her husband, parents, siblings and in-laws, Maxine (Wells), Dean (Nedra), Clawson, Milli (Alan), sisters-in-law Yvonne and Naina, and grandson Hayden. She is survived by her children, James (Polly), Mori, Clorinda (Alphy), Amaryllis (Robert), Jessalee (Andy), Charles (Amy), and Jared, her sister-in-law, Diane, brothers Leonard, Lowell (Glenda), Sherwin (Margo), Gary (Karen), and Claren (Wanda) and fifteen grandchildren, as well as hundreds of extended Family members who love her.
A viewing will be held Friday, September 6, 2024, at Mosdell Mortuary in Kanab, Utah from 7:00pm-9:00pm (Utah Time). Funeral services will be held at the Kaibab Ward Chapel in Moccasin on Saturday, September 7, 2024, at 11:30am Utah (10:30 AZ), with a viewing preceding at 10:00 Utah (9:00 AZ). Interment will be in the Moccasin cemetery immediately following.