Nona Iva Lee Hall Mower

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12/13/1928 – 6/07/2021

Mt. Pleasant, Utah - It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Nona Iva Lee Hall Mower on June 7, 2021, at the age of 92. Nona Iva Lee was born on December 13, 1928 in Waycross, Georgia as the oldest daughter of William Henry and Addie Mozelle Griffis Hall. Nona Iva Lee lost the love of her life, Roland Deloy “RD” on July 8, 2019 after 70 years of marriage. They were married in Folkston, Georgia December 23, 1948. They were later sealed for time and eternity in the Salt Lake temple June 10, 1966.

Nona Iva Lee was raised by her parents who worked as sharecroppers raising tobacco and corn. One of her main farm tasks was to plow the fields behind the mule. This taught her to work hard and to always do her best. Because of her work ethic, many people watched her plow beautiful straight furrows and she was offered everything from chocolate candy to a job working in the post office one summer. Nona Iva Lee excelled in school and completed both the 5th & 6th grades in the same year. She was proud of her accomplishment of being the very first person in her family to graduate from high school. She graduated from Patterson High School in Patterson, Georgia in 1945. Following high school, she wanted to better herself and went to Jacksonville, Florida and was hired on as a Southern Bell shift supervisor/telephone operator. It was her supervisor’s husband that introduced Nona to a handsome sailor. They were engaged only nine days after they were introduced and were married four months later after RD was discharged from the Navy. Nona Iva Lee moved from Georgia and as she always liked to say, “moved to the wild, wild west”. She never stopped missing Georgia and loved to go back and visit. She was extremely proud of her Georgia heritage.

During the early years of marriage, Nona Iva Lee worked as a telephone operator in Florida, Utah, then Chicago, Illinois and again in Utah to help support their family while RD earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Utah and concurrently attended ROTC training and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. Nona Iva Lee excelled in all the places they lived. Each time they moved to a new place, she would stand at the door of the chapel to introduce herself to her new ward members. Even though they moved approximately every two years, she taught her children to make the best of every new situation and home. She told her family that there is good and bad about each new place and you must look for the good. Their family lived in SLC, Utah; Moultrie, Georgia; Enid, Oklahoma; Waco, Texas; San Antonio, Texas; Air Force Academy, Colorado; a second time in SLC, Utah; Topeka Kansas; Dayton, Ohio; Grand Forks, North Dakota; Bogota, Colombia; Chino Valley, Arizona; Mt. Pleasant, Utah; and finally, the Bennion Veterans Home in Payson, Utah.

Nona Iva Lee remained active as a member in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and held many positions with the children, youth and women in the Relief Society. The calling she talked about most was being the nursery “grandma”. Even before she was a member, she was a visiting teacher and a primary teacher. She believed in serving others, by working in the temple and helping everyone in need. In Nona Iva Lee’s spare time, she excelled in sewing, cooking, gardening, flower arranging, and crafts. She canned everything and had the most beautiful food storage room. What an example!

Nona Iva Lee leaves behind daughters Carol L. Clawson, South Jordan, Utah and Christi L Edwards (Brad), Chino Valley, Arizona; sons Roland C. Mower (Charlotte), Pagosa Springs, Colorado; Richard H. Mower (Tina), Bismarck, North Dakota; and Minh Dang (Anh), Garden City, California; brother William H. Hall (Waunell), Mershon, Georgia; sister-in-law Emily Lillie, St. George, Utah; and a legacy of 19 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren, 4 great-great-grandchildren; and nine Foreign Exchange students: Maria, Connie, Kathy, Marta, Angelita, Rafico, Jose Fernando, Mauro, and Danilo who lived with Nona Iva Lee and RD at various times. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews around the United States.

Nona Iva Lee is preceded in death by her husband; parents; daughter, Connie L. Mower, Fairview, Utah; brother, Alvin L. Hall; sisters and brothers-in-law, Miley “Toot” Moody (Cleon); Louise Capp (Horace “Lightning”); Nola Mae (Aaron) Robinson; Lena Navira (Joseph) Davis, all of Georgia; mother/father-in-Law Viola E and Roland G Mower; sisters and brothers-in-law, Lynne Jensen (Merrill D), all of Fairview, Utah and Sheryl Muir (Dale), Seneca, South Carolina; and Ralph Lillie, South Jordan, Utah.

A celebration of Nona Iva Lee’s life, final earthly goodbyes, and viewing will take place Friday, June 18, 2021 from 6:00-7:30 pm at Rasmussen Mortuary, 96 North 100 West, Mt Pleasant, Utah. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, June 19, 2021 at 11:00 am at the Mt. Pleasant LDS Chapel located at 295 South State, Mt, Pleasant, Utah. A viewing will also be held 9:30 – 10:30 am prior to the funeral. Interment will be at the Fairview City Cemetery.

Special thanks to the Bennions Veteran Home and staff for the excellent care, compassion, and friendship they gave to Nona.

Online condolences and Live Zoom link at rasmussenmortuay.com