Koford_Ellen_11 December, 1919
Ellen Caroline Higley Koford, 89, died Saturday, May 23, 2009, at Logan Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Logan, Utah with her family at her side.
Ellen was born on December 11, 1919, in Lower Presto (Firth), Idaho, the first daughter of Wilis Dewey and Carrie Ann Hansen Higley.
Ellen had a wonderful childhood growing up on a farm with her brothers and sisters. She had many chores, but her favorite was churning butter with the wooden churn. She especially liked the buttermilk along with some crackers and whipped cream, no matter if the cream was sweet or sour.
During her high school years, Ellen began piecing and quilting quilts after seeing a beautiful lone star quilt at a neighbors home. For the next 70 years, Ellen made quilts of all sizes for everyone she knew. If she wasn’t making a quilt, she was busy sewing clothes or stuffed toys, crocheting pillow cases or knitting. She had an eye for pretty colors.
In 1940, she moved to Tremonton, UT to work on a farm for Wallace Christensen. It was here that she met her husband of 43 years, Heber Grant Koford. They were married on July 14, 1941, in Blackfoot, Idaho.
She became a member of the LDS Church and the Brigham City 5th Ward in 1976 where she served in the Relief Society and nursery and attended the temple with her friends on a weekly basis.
After her husband passed away, she had the opportunity to work in Carol Hyde’s class at Central Elementary as a teachers aide. This was an experience she thoroughly enjoyed and talked about often as it fulfilled her lifelong dream to be a teacher, a dream she had put on hold as a young girl so her father would not have to mortgage his home to put her through school.
Surviving are her two sons, Danny Jay Koford (Deborah) of West Bountiful, UT, Grant Willis Koford (Barbara) of Amalga, UT. and the light of her life, nine grandchildren, and 12 great grandchildren.
Also surviving are three brothers and one sister, Willard Higley, Samaria, ID; Clark Higley, Kimberly, ID; Dave Higley, Samaria, ID and Bertha Hand, Scappoose, OR.
She was preceded in death by her husband, two brothers and one sister and many close friends and relatives.
They family would like to thank the staff at Legacy House in Logan and the staff at Logan Nursing and Rehabilitation Center for their loving care.
Funeral Services will be on Saturday, May 30, at 11 a.m. at the Brigham City 5th Ward Chapel, 420 S. 800 W. with Brother Bob Christensen conducting.
Friends may call on Friday, May 29 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Myers Mortuary, 205 S. 100 E. Brigham City and on Saturday from 10 to 10:40 a.m. at the church.
Interment will be in the Brigham City Cemetery.