Ola Belle Denison

Ola Belle Polk Denison was born on June 4, 1926, in Marvell, Phillips County, Arkansas to Roy Lee and Audie Lavoun Berry Polk. She attended schools in Marvell and Helena, Arkansas. She departed this phase of her eternal existence in her home at the age of 85, on December 9, 2011 and her spirit joined the heavenly throngs who await the resurrection.

Funeral services will be on Saturday – December 17, 2011 at 2:00 pm at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 4475 Southwest Blvd. Bishop Lance Skidmore will conduct the services.

For the past 64 years she has served well as a wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandma, and wonderful homemaker. She met Ernest Samuel Denison in Memphis, Tennessee when he was stationed at the Naval Air Technical Training Center near Memphis. Shortly after their marriage they moved to Utah where she helped her husband earn a BS Degree in Civil Engineering in 1951. Upon graduation he entered Civil Service as a Hydraulic Engineer with the US Geological Survey. His employment took them from Utah to Alaska, to Nebraska, to Texas, to New England, and to Wyoming. After her husband retired from the USGS they spent a year in the West Indies as missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving in Haiti, Barbados, and Saint Lucia. Upon returning to their home in Cheyenne, Wyoming, they sold their house and moved back to San Angelo in November 1985, the city they had previously learned to love. Their main thrust in San Angelo was to build their own home in the Las Lomas Subdivision, a project that took four years to complete. The couple has been active members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints all of their lives, and since their marriage have worked side by side in the various organizations of the Church.

She was preceded in death by her parents, a younger brother, Darnell Roy Polk, a sister, Virginia Boyd, and a son, Ernest Darnell Denison.

Ola leaves a legacy of love and service to 83 living posterity including her husband, Ernest, of 64 years and five of her six children and their spouses: Virginia Denison (Darnell’s wife) of Springville, UT; Rozanne (Rick) Clayson of San Angelo; Mark (Melanie) Denison of Newport News, VA; Kevin (Shauna) Denison of The Colony, TX; Brent (Joy) Denison of Fort Worth, TX; and Roger (Janet) Denison of Danville, NH. She has two sisters, Clarice (Lamon) Anderson of Holly Springs, MS, and Laverne (Maurice) Fey of San Jose, CA and 4 brothers, Bobbie (Anne) Polk of Benton, AR, Ray (Bobby) Polk of Tulare, CA and Dennis (Vickie) Polk and Dale Polk of Visalia, CA.

She also has 31 grandchildren: David Clayson of Honolulu, HI; Scott (Alisha) Clayson of Warsaw, IN; Paul (Mylyssa) Clayson of San Angelo; Demaree (Marco) Brown of Salt Lake City, UT; Analyn (Shane) Sorge of Tracy, CA; Capt. Erick (Gretchen) Clayson of Prattville, AL (now serving in Kuwait); Lt. Denis (Lisa) Clayson of Tyndall Air Force Base, FL; Evan Clayson of Houston; Jens Clayson of San Angelo, and Katrina Clayson of Salt Lake City, UT. Other grandchildren include: Bart (Patty) Denison of Colorado Springs, CO; Trent (Dannon) Denison of Provo, UT; Clay (Amy) Denison of Sulphur Springs, TX; Cameron Denison of Springville, UT; and Kimber Lee Denison of Springville, UT. Added to the list is: Adam (Tiffany) Denison of Farmington, MI; Ashley Denison and Alex Denison of Newport News, VA; Jacob (Deborah) Denison of Dallas, TX, Danna (Eric) Crider of McKinney, TX, Trevor (Elena) Denison of Lewisville, TX, Heather Denison of The Colony, TX; Michael Denison, who is serving a mission in Guatemala; Stephen (Pamela) Denison of Ft Worth, TX, Nathan (Jennifer) Denison of Columbus, Indiana; Shelley Denison of Provo, UT; Michael, Colleen, Maren, Samuel, and Isaac, all of Danville, NH. Add to that 24 great grandchildren. More to come in the very near future.

The family wishes to thank Hospice of San Angelo, Medway Home Health and all the doctors, friends and neighbors who have helped us through this difficult time. Donations can be made to Hospice of San Angelo or your favorite charity.

Arrangements under the direction of Johnson's Funeral Home, San Angelo, TX.