Jerry White McClurg Matheson

Jerry White McClurg was born on January 18, 1936, in Smackover, Arkansas to Odas Huland McClurg and Lucille White McClurg. She joined her 7-year-old older brother, Buryl. Three years later the family welcomed another boy, Gary, and ten years after that, the birth of her sister Camille made the family complete.

When she was 18 months old, Jerry survived having her head run over in the soft sand driveway at her maternal grandparents’ farm in Maud, Texas. A tragic outcome was miraculously averted, though the shock of it was nearly fatal to her mother.

That miracle preserved the life of a great source of goodness and love in the lives of her family and many hundreds of people whose lives she improved with her ready smile, deep dimples, cheerful personality, and her competent, tireless, and selfless service over almost 89 years.

At the age of five, Jerry started playing the piano, and later the organ. Most of her life she was singing, playing, and leading music. In high school, she was part of a trio that won top prize in a bi-state music festival and also performed on TV in Shreveport, Louisiana.

At nine, she began accompanying the hymns at the El Dorado, Arkansas Branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They would repeat the few hymns she knew until she learned a new one to add to the repertoire. Over the next four decades, she was almost constantly involved in conducting or accompanying congregational hymns and ward and stake choirs, including one that sang at the dedication of the Jordan River Temple in 1981. From her kids’ perspective, though, the best of her music happened when the family was singing around the piano at home on Christmas Eve.

In secondary school, she was a cheerleader, student council member, and represented her school at Girls’ State. She also mastered typing and shorthand. After graduating from El Dorado High School in 1954, she briefly attended Brigham Young University while continuing her correspondence with Paul Walker Matheson, whom she had met while he was a full-time missionary in the Southern States Mission (love at first sight!). The long-distance relationship soon progressed to in-person courtship when she moved to Southern California, where Paul was working and attending college.

Jerry and Paul were married on July 16, 1955, in the St George, Utah Temple. They started married life in the Los Angeles area. Over the next six years and two months (!), four children were born to them: Susan, Amy, Hugh and David. They relocated to Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1956, and later to their first new home in Sandy, where Jerry became involved as a volunteer at school and church, including the callings to preside over the ward Primary and Relief Society auxiliaries and election as PTA president at Alta View Elementary.

To supplement the family income, Jerry began working as a librarian at Alta View, with work hours that matched the school schedule of the younger kids. Once everyone was in secondary school, Jerry began full-time work as a secretary in the LDS Church administrative offices. She was highly valued for her cheerful spirit, technical competence, attention to detail, and uncanny ability to anticipate needs.

Jerry’s career culminated as secretary to Elder Boyd K. Packer of the Twelve. She worked with President Packer for 19 years until her retirement in 1998. During her years in that office, she developed cherished relationships and gained unique perspectives, resulting in a deep appreciation and loyalty to those called to lead the Church, made all the dearer by her awareness of them as ordinary people, good of heart, tasked with extraordinary responsibilities.

After retirement, Jerry continued her hobbies of quilting and making ceramic figurines. She and Paul spent a few years in Milford, Utah before returning to the Salt Lake area. She quickly built friendships in the Capri Park Condominiums in Millcreek and pitched in as a member of the homeowners’ association. Once again, her ability to organize was obvious to those around her and she was elected as president of the HOA.

In typical fashion, she also quickly connected with her church community and developed loving relationships in the Winder 11th ward, where she served as organist. She especially appreciated the love and support of friends and kind leaders of the ward during the final illness and passing of her beloved Paul in 2007.

The last chapter of Jerry’s life was largely devoted to family history, including organizing many volumes of photographs and in some cases re-typing histories from her side of the family as well as Paul’s, to ensure that they were preserved in digital and searchable form. She wrote a personal life history, to which she gave the fitting title “The Story of a Little Girl from Arkansas”.

In late 2023, needing more support for day-to-day activities, she moved to an independent living center. She greatly appreciated the compassionate and attentive caregivers at Cedarwood of Sandy, and those of Valeo Hospice who helped her through her last several days.

She passed away peacefully on Tuesday morning, January 7, 2025. She is predeceased by her husband, Paul; brothers Buryl Gene McClurg and Odas Gary McClurg; son-in-law Michael Christiansen; and three great, great grandchildren. She is survived by her sister Camille McClurg; children Susan (Michael) Christiansen, Amy (Brian) Jensen, Hugh (Marcy) Matheson, and David (Kyle) Matheson; and by 12 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren, and one great, great grandchild, who is on the way.

Funeral services will be at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 18, 2025 (which would have been Jerry’s 89th birthday) at the Winder 11th Ward meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 951 East 3825 South, Millcreek, Utah. There will be a viewing the previous evening, Friday, January 17 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Wasatch Lawn Mortuary, 3401 S Highland Dr, Millcreek, and another viewing at the church on Saturday 10:00 to 10:45 a.m. Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/94992801788 Webinar ID: 949 9280 1788

Interment will be at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park.