Belva Emery

Belva was born on March 9, 1921, in Teton, Idaho, with red hair and a spunky spirit, to James Harold and Ila Clark White. She was a farmer’s daughter. The eldest of three daughters, she helped to weed fields and harvest potatoes and sugar beets, in addition to helping her mother with household chores and the care of her younger sisters, Colleen and Teddie Lou. She was never afraid of hard work, and she loved being outdoors.

Belva attended school in Teton and Rexburg, Idaho. She was a member of the Peppers, Madison High School’s pep club, and was valedictorian for the Class of 1939. After high school, she set out with her cousin Trilva Moss to Salt Lake City to attend Dr. W. D. Groves Latter-Day Saints School of Nursing. Not long after classes began, Belva met Fred Emery, her future husband, at the Blue Cockatoo, a luncheonette that Fred’s parents operated in their living room near the LDS Hospital. Belva and Fred began dating, and soon Fred proposed. When the U.S. entered World War II, Fred enlisted in the Navy. Determined to wed before he went to war, they eloped to Teton and were married outdoors at the home of Belva’s parents, on June 17, 1942, with both of their families present.

Belva continued with nurse’s training while Fred embarked on his service as an officer in the Navy. She graduated on September 23, 1942, then began work as a nurse and moved between San Francisco, Chicago, and Miami, following Fred’s postings in the Navy when he was stateside. While Fred was deployed, Belva returned to Teton to give birth to their first son, who Belva named Alfred Charles Emery, Jr., after his father.

When Fred was discharged from the Navy in September of 1945, they returned to Salt Lake City to make their home. Belva gave birth to three more sons, while Fred completed law school and ultimately became a law professor at the University of Utah. Belva volunteered with the Libbie Edward School PTA, and then, when her sons were older, she refreshed her studies to work again as a nurse part-time.

Belva enthusiastically supported a wide range of University of Utah programs, from academics to gymnastics, and when Fred was appointed interim president of the University, she served as the U’s First Lady. She represented the University with grace, enthusiasm, and humility at official events around the world, including Israel. Belva was particularly devoted to the University of Utah Women’s Club. She served as its president from 1978-1979, and she gave many hours to the scholarship committee through her decades of involvement with the Club.

Belva was a strong proponent of education; a capable nurse; a lover of the natural world; a caring neighbor and friend; and a devoted, compassionate mother and grandmother. While her memory waned in the last years of her life, her warm-heartedness remained vibrant.

Belva was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Fred, on March 18, 2002, and by her son Gary, on July 3, 2018. She is survived by three sons, Ace (Linda), James (Julie), and Michael; daughter-in-law, Sara Morgan Emery; and sister Teddie Lou White. She is survived by nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Belva’s name to the University of Utah Women’s Club to fund scholarships.

Services to honor Belva’s life will be held on Saturday, January 4, at 11 a.m., with a viewing beforehand from 10 to 10:45 a.m., at Wasatch Lawn Mortuary, 3401 South Highland Drive, Salt Lake City, Utah.