Barbara Nielson Fenton

BARBARA NIELSON FENTON, sweetheart and wife, mom, grandma, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, was born on May 23, 1941, a sunny spring day in Salt Lake City, Utah, and passed away peacefully on March 11, 2025, at home in Brigham City, Utah, surrounded by J and her children.

Barbara was born to Stanley G. (‘Goodboy’) Nielson and NaDine Simpson, the third of four beautiful daughters; Maureen (“Cydi”) Boorsma (deceased), Kathy Ju Gardner, Barbara and Karla Jettie (deceased). Barbara loved her family, missing her parents every day since they've been gone and speaking of them lovingly with a laugh and a tear. She had wonderful parents.

Barbara married J Elvin Fenton on March 5, 1957, and they spent the next 68 years side-by-side, nearly 70 years in total. Together they had a large family “The Magnificent Seven”, quoting J; Teresa Kay (‘Treebee’) (Mike) Wyatt, Frank J (Debbie Rondinelli Fenton), Kent Wayde (Vickie Hendricks Fenton), Barbara Jean (‘Bobbi’ / ‘BobbiSox’) (Dave) Kaiser; ShaunaLeigh (David) Samuelson, Jennifer Linn (‘Jennifuzzy’) (Troy) Richardson and Shelby Jill (‘Sherb’) (Bryan) Palmer. “Remember who you are and what you stand for.” – Mom (and she never left you without flashing the ASL sign for ‘I love you’.) Their posterity numbers 148 today (including two littles on the way); 27 grandkids and their spouses, great-grandkids and their first great-great grandboy was born in February. Barbara loved her many pets too; her beloved pup, Razzy (‘Pip’), and dad’s dog, Marley, and was able to train her pups to do amazing tricks. Barbara and J have had a full life together and covered lots of ground living in Utah, California, Colorado and Arizona, making friends everywhere they went, but always calling Brigham City, Utah ‘HOME’. They had a lot of fun together, Saturday morning rides with the dogs, sitting outside in the sun, Hallmark movie-watching, road tripping and camping, distant pigeon drops, visiting family when they had the chance. Their life together has been simple and rich.

Barbara worked hard her entire life and put decades into her own furniture business, a boss-lady before boss-ladies were a thing, a legacy she has passed on to her children. She had so many artistic talents; sewing anything--pillows, comforters, quilts, curtains, draperies and lampshades; new furniture built from the frame up, upholstery and furniture restoration—never being able to discard an old piece of furniture, hand-carving missing legs and pieces, being able to duplicate any style; including upholstering cars, boats and motorcycles. Decorating was her passion. After cutting down a few sofas and turning them into loveseats or chairs, it was joked that she could take a truck and cut it into two cars and a motorcycle. She could sew clothing equally well, including the grooviest matching square-dancing outfits for herself and J. She could draw anything and spent a lot of time sketching, and she could paint; painting Disney wall murals on bedroom walls, Christmas windows painted backward from the inside, carving/sculpting 'Love Is' caricatures out of Ivory Soap. She never did anything halfway; her snow sculptures were the pride of the neighborhood with some of them making their way into the Box Elder News Journal – the full car with seats for driver and passengers, the dragon, the gargantuan snow man and Santa Claus.

Barbara was a great athlete, playing pitcher for city league fast-pitch softball for many years with her coveted green mitt, running turkey trots and 5Ks and running 3-5 miles a day for years. In her advanced years after she could no longer run, she still had the beautiful toned tanned legs of a runner.

Barbara loved music; she had the singing voice of an angel; she could hear many parts and harmonize to anyone singing with her in her beautiful alto voice. She taught her children to sing with her assigning and teaching parts for a full chorus. She and J also loved to dance and took every opportunity to do it, together they had the moves into their 80’s.

Barbara was a fantastic cook, baking the most delicious chewy light bread and cinnamon rolls you've ever tasted and the flakiest pie crust around. Cold fried chicken and potato salad were a Sunday afternoon park favorite.

Barbara was very generous and gave the most creative Christmas cash, finding a new way to give it each year and in really fun denominations; she loved the $2 bill, Susan B. Anthony dollars, Sacagewea dollars, silver dollars, fifty-cent pieces and quarters. She was known for stashing cash every day of her life, never spending coins and she collected thousands of dollars at a time in every kind of fancy bottle she could find. Barbara was loving, kind, loyal, forgiving, generous, funny and a champion of the underdog. She celebrated other people’s successes and victories, collected Waterford Crystal, Hall’s Autumn dishes in every shape and size, fine China, Joseph Originals and music boxes. She loved flannel shirts, 501 Levis and stray people.

Barbara was an active member of the LDS Church and served in many callings from YW President to RS President to Temple Worker in the Brigham City Temple from the time of its opening up until just a few years ago. Barbara had a strong testimony she loved to share her love of the gospel. She made lifelong friends during her years of service; their Besties—Jay and Jeneil Hardy, the Muglestons, the Marcos, the Nichols and many more.

The family would like to offer special thanks to Treebee and Jen who have spent nearly every day with mom taking care of her these past seven months and helping dad in all the ways, and special thanks to Mike and Troy who have helped and supported our sisters in their efforts. Thanks to all those who have been there and contributed and a special thanks also to Cari Courtney who has been with her through this entire experience with Enhabit hospice these past seven months. Cari, you're the BEST and we love you like family! Thanks to those who helped care for Barbara during her few months at Beehive. We were so happy that she was able to grow stronger while she was there so that she could be at home with dad for her final two months. That's all she ever wanted was to be with Dad. When she wasn't with him, she spent her entire time wondering where he was and when he was coming to get her. There is so much comfort for our family knowing that she was at home with Dad when she peacefully passed. Rest in peace, dear mom, knowing we will take care of Dad.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, March 17, 2025, at 12 noon at Aaron's Brigham Mortuary, 888 S. Main, (just north of McDonald’s) Brigham City. Friends may visit with family on Sunday, March 16, 2025, from 6 to 7 p.m. and Monday from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the mortuary. We welcome family, friends and community to come help us pay tribute to Barbara.