Arta Mae Slack

HAZELTON – Arta Mae Okelberry Slack was born on Aug. 30, 1930, in Oakley, Idaho, and passed away on Monday, Dec. 30, 2013, at her home at the age of 83. Her family was at her side. She was the oldest of two children born to Abraham Lincoln Sandburg and Myrtle Garrard Okelberry.

Her education consisted of grade school and high school in Oakley, Idaho. She attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, and took several nursing courses at Chabot College in Hayward, Calif.

She was a nurses aide at Utah Valley Hospital in Provo, Utah, LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah, Eden Hospital in Castro Valley, California, and St. Rose Hospital in Hayward, California.

While attending Brigham Young University in Provo, she met the love of her life, Wayne Thomas Slack, at a fireside. They were married on Feb. 17, 1950, in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. From this union came six sons and one daughter.

During their marriage they lived in Provo, Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, and Hayward, Calif., prior to moving to Jerome in 1977, where they purchased an 80- acre plot of land. They turned this acreage into a dairy farm and for the next 25 years worked hard to provide for their family. In 2002, they moved to Hazelton to be near their daughter who cared for them, with the help of many wonderful people, for the rest their lives.

She was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She served in many church callings which she loved. She considered her blessings to be her family, church, friends, and testimony of Jesus Christ her Savior.

She is survived by her children, Dan and Lee Slack of Jerome, Alan and Susan Slack of Palisades, Colo., Russell Slack, Ed Slack, and Kathy and Curtis McEwen of Hazelton, Doug and Tracy Slack of Twin Falls, and Tim and Holly Slack of Sugar City; multiple grandchildren and great-grandchildren; her sister, Shirlene Thiel of Anderson, Calif.; a brother-in-law, Grant Collard of Idaho Falls; a sister-in-law, Margaret Slack of Salt Lake City, Utah; and numerous other family members.

The funeral will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4, 2014, at the Hazelton LDS Church, 531 Middleton Ave., in Hazelton. Burial will be in the Hazelton Cemetery.

Friends may call from 6 until 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 3, 2014, at Rasmussen Funeral Home, 1350 E. 16th St., in Burley, and from 1 until 1:45 p.m. Saturday at the church.