Lucia Leah Almond

This, on a beautiful spring like morning, the sun is rising offering up a new day, the golden light from the sun rising is all around her as she lay peacefully, no longer a passenger on this Earth. She experienced many of what life has to offer with joy and many adventures, along with her tireless strength and being tough enough to raise 5 rambunctious boys. Her beaming light of love, she has an aura that of an Angel, the kind that touches and has touched anybody around her or near her.

She is survived by her sons: Michael, Kimber, Kelly, Kevin Jayme; and her brother Gary Nelson.

Lucia "Leah" Nelson (her given name) was born May 28, 1932, to S.Vern Nelson and Lucia Euleah Thomander Nelson, in the small town of Preston, Idaho. Her mother, Lucia, during her pregnancy with Leah, had been stricken with an illness called albumin. As the illness worsened, story tells that while Lucia was in the hospital, Vern's sister and Lucia's best friend, Meda Robinson, were in the hospital with Lucia. Lucia asked Meda,” if I don't make it will you take the baby and raise her?” Meda replied, “absolutely, yes.” It wasn't long after that Lucia did pass away, thus forcing an early birth, and a teeny tiny baby girl was born. She was 4 months premature and weighed 2 1/4 pounds. The talk of the town was how this teeny tiny newborn girl had such thick black hair nearly down to her shoulders at birth, it was really something. So off to the incubator for 6 weeks. Then it became time for Leah to leave the hospital. She had been given a name Lucia "Leah" Nelson. Over time her name would transform using her middle name for her first name, and would be known as Leah Nelson.

Meda and her husband Farald, which in reality were Leah's Aunt and Uncle, were soon to become her mother and father. Vern being her biological father she never stopped loving him either. So, Meda, eagerly awaited to embrace Leah, and fulfill her promise to Lucia. Now this is Leah's favorite part of the story and loved to tell everyone; when Meda picked her up for the first time, looked her in the eyes and said sternly, "You’re Ours." Then onward to Leah's new home. They brought Leah home in a shoe box, she was covered up in one of Meda's handmade quilts, all warm and comfy. Another story tells of when they put her on a pillow at home she would almost disappear in the fluff of the pillow. Wow, hard to imagine!

Leah Nelson had grown from a teeny tiny baby girl to a beautiful young lady and yes, her long black hair now past her shoulders with big curls. She graduated from Preston High school. She was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Prior to and after graduating High school, she had grown fond of a certain boy with his charm and his deep, base voice for singing. Yep, he had also grown fond of her and her beautiful long black hair and unique personality. He had been struck by Cupid's arrow. This boy was one of the Almond boys. The Almonds lived on the same street, two doors down from where Leah lived. His name was Reese Almond. He would be the oldest of 12 children in their family. They had virtually grown up next to each other their whole lives.

After Reese and Leah had joined hands and dated for a while, they both knew they had found the love of their lives with one another. A short time after, they were married for Time and all Eternity in the Logan Temple on July 25th, 1950.

Leah Almond rejoiced in her children, five boys. First would be Michael, then Kimber, Kelly, Kevin and Jayme. In anticipation there would sprout a girl along the way. If you notice above, three of the boys had been given somewhat of a girl’s name : Kimber for Kimberly, Kelly and Jayme. As time passed, the family had grown to 14 Grandchildren, 28 Great Grandchildren, and 2 Great-Great Grandchildren. Remember Leah, the teeny tiny baby girl? Look at her now!

Together Leah and Reese Almond had become an unstoppable force. With Leah's commitment in living the Gospel and doing the Lord's work. Leah came to have many callings, one of which would be Relief Society President. As time passed, Leah at the age of 72, along with Reese 77, were called to be Stake missionaries for the Temple View Branch in Salt Lake City. At the first moment they appeared at the Temple View Wardhouse, they were greeted with open arms and immediately Leah and Reese were loved. They became famous with their new-found members. Then the time had come for them to be released from their mission. Meeting with the Stake President, they all sat down, and before the Stake President could utter a word, Leah and Reese both practically simultaneously spoke out firmly, "oh, were not finished yet!” So, they were granted their wish to continue their stake mission. They served valiantly for a total of 8 years. After that they both decided to be released from their mission. By then they were in their 80's. As mentioned before, Leah's maintained tireless energy.

Lucia "Leah" Almond, a pillar of strength, unconditional love and self-sacrifice, has fearlessly led her family through the labyrinth of life, and even now, on the other side of the Veil, Leah and Reese have teamed up again. The Unstoppable Force, Reunited for Time and all Eternity.

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Memorial gifts can be accepted at: Cash app Kevin Almond or Venmo @Kelly-Almond-1