Blythe Southern Berger

She is survived by her children Melecia (Rhett) of Florida, Steven (Jenny) of Georgia, Glen (Kendi) of Idaho, Joel (Erin) of Utah, as well as her daughter-in law Joni of Utah, 14 grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren. Blythe was preceded in death by her son Paul, her husband Jim, her parents Joseph Southern and Dot, and her step-father Jim.

Blythe was born in Woodruff, Utah on February 25th, 1942 to Joseph "Buzz" Kay Southern and Dorothy "Dot" Rees and grew up in a ranching family in Southwest Wyoming. Her father died in 1943 and her mother remarried, having four children together: Don, Rae, Mike and Anne. Blythe had fond memories of ranch life and excelled at school; she was valedictorian of Lyman High School for her graduating class while also waitressing at Little America Hotel. She attended Brigham Young University, University of Utah, Utah State University and Weber State University where she earned a degree in education and was homecoming queen.

Blythe married Frederick Michael Moore (married 1963 to 1989) and they lived in Salt Lake City where they sang in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir together and she was an elementary school teacher. They moved to California where their daughter Melecia was born, and then to Colorado where she would have four boys: Steven, Glen, Joel, and Paul. She loved horses, training and competing in western shows around the Metro Denver area, a love she shared with her daughter Melecia. All her family knew that she was not to be disturbed during the Kentucky Derby. She taught seminary in the basement of her home and was a beloved Sunday School teacher. She maintained contact with many of those students throughout her life.

Blythe moved to Boise, Idaho in 1989 and raised the youngest three boys as a single parent. In Boise she returned to the teaching profession (middle school), where she is remembered as an excellent teacher who cared about each student personally and went the extra mile to ensure lessons connected with her students. She was often up late at night grading papers, finishing lesson plans, and supporting her boys in various choir and sports endeavors.

After her children left home, Blythe continued teaching in Boise where she was married to Warren Keller. She later married James “Jim” Berger in 2005. She and Jim built a home in Ashton, Idaho near the Snake River. It was her happy place, second only to the Oregon coast where she and Jim traveled frequently and she brought her kids and grandkids. They later moved to Eastern Washington where they lived until Jim’s death in 2023. She moved to Holladay, Utah in late 2023 to be closer to family.

Blythe poured her heart and soul into being a mother, grandmother, and wife, and she treated her son- and daughters-in-law, as well as the extended Berger family, as her own. She didn't just love her family; she prioritized them. She made time to regularly speak to and know the lives of her children, grandchildren, family, and friends, and could regularly be serious, thoughtful, intellectual, and goofy all in a single conversation. Blythe was an avid reader and studied the scriptures every day, writing notes in the margins. She had an encyclopedic knowledge and loved family game nights. She had a sharp mind and love of learning, a lifelong student who was always curious and engaged with the world around her. She was also a lover of music and enjoyed sewing and crafting. She particularly enjoyed quilting in her later life, making special quilts for all the grandchildren.

Above all, Blythe fiercely loved her family and her savior. She had a very strong faith that sustained her and strengthened those around her. She regularly shared personal stories or "parables" from her own life with such warmth and genuine connection you’d feel as if you were part of her experiences. She felt being a teacher, mother, and grandmother was a life calling and touched the lives of many in that way, but also as a loyal friend. She never met a stranger and her friends are innumerable, from childhood up to those she quickly made in Utah in just the past year. She will be missed for all of this as well as her quick wit, deep intelligence, quiet determination, kindness, generosity, and that infamous twinkle in her eye that meant a little mischief might be nearby.