Utahna Ross Quigley

Utahna Ross Quigley returned to her heavenly home January 17, 2025, where she was most certainly eagerly greeted by deceased family members and friends. Born March 31, 1925, in Loa, Wayne County, Utah, she was just two months short of achieving her 100th birthday. Utahna was the 3rd child of Russell S Edwards and Ida Mae Farnsworth Edwards. She was preceded in death by her two older siblings, Verla Mae and Don Russell Edwards. Her mother Ida passed away when Utahna was just 22 months old, at which time she was taken in by her mother’s older sister, Clora Bell Farnsworth Ross and Floyd Albert Ross. They raised her as their own and she grew up by the name of Utahna Ross. Later in life she was formally adopted by them and sealed to them in the Salt Lake LDS Temple.

Utahna’s early life was not an easy one. Her childhood was during the great depression and her parents moved frequentlyin search of work. Floyd was a blacksmith for the mines and took the family back and forth from Utah, Nevada, Californiaand Idaho while working at different mine camps. Their moving was so frequent that Utahna never attended the same school two school years in a row during her entire education. Returning to Salt Lake City her senior year, she graduated from West High School. Though challenging for her, she was an exceptionally bright child and was promoted a grade a head of her class early on. Although always the “new girl” at school, Utahna made new friends easily.

After graduation from high school, Utahna worked several jobs including retail and secretarial work, of which she excelled. She attended classes briefly at the University of Utah and then focused her studies at the LDS Business College, graduating with an associate’s degree, mastering both shorthand and typing. Shortly after World War II had ended, she met and began dating a handsome returned Army AirForce officerWilliam Clayson Quigley (Bill Sr) who had just resigned his commission to return to Utah pursue a law degree at the University of Utah. They soon fell in love and married on September 5, 1947, in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. Utahna worked at a Prudential Savings and Loan as a secretary, putting Bill through school. Upon his graduation from Law School at the University of Utah, they soon began their family, having a son, William Clayson Jr (Bill), a daughter, Karen and another son Donald Ross (Don). They bought their first home in Salt Lake City in the Sugarhouse area, across from a tract of vacant land where Highland High now stands, and the old Utah State Prison (now Sugarhouse Park). Bill had just opened up his own law practice also in Sugarhouse.

As their children grew a little older, Utahna went back to work part -time, working for the Utah State Board of Education as a secretary. She eventually went on to a distinguished career as an executive secretary with Blue Cross Blue Shield, all the while balancing her responsibilities as a full time, fully engaged, mother. While raising her children she served as room mother, Cub Scout Den Mother, team mom and PTApresident. Utahna also held a number of positions in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, of which she was a life-long member, including, Sunday School and Primary Teacher, Primary President, Young Women’s MIA Presidentand Relef Society President. Utahna and Bill also served as Leadership Missionaries for the Church in the Salt Lake Inner City Mission. Her husband Bill passed away in 1993. Utahnathen served a number of years as a volunteer giving weekday tours at the Beehive House in Salt Lake. 

Utahna loved to travel and experience the world around her. Utahna and Bill were able to make several trips to Europe, Hawaii and take number of cruises together before he passed. She enjoyed taking her children and many of her grandchildren on trips to special places with her as well. She was always the first one up for an adventure and good time. Fun and crazy times with grandma will always be a fond memory for her grandkids. She was our energizer bunny and the life of the party. 

Utahan is survived by her 3 children Bill (wife Karen), Karen (husband Wade Beames) and Don (wife Jana). She is also survived by 10 grandchildren, 29 great grandchildren, and 1 great-great-grandchild. Funeral services will be held Thursday, January 23, 2025, at 11:00 am, with a viewing prior to the services from 9:30 to 10:45 am, at the Edgehill Ward chapel, located at 1750 S 1500 East in Salt Lake City. The family would like to express their sincere appreciation for the care and assistance we received in her final days form the nurses and staff of Canyon Home Care and Hospice, as well as the kindness shown to her by the staff and residents of The Wellington, where she lived for only a brief time.