Maida Rasmussen Bell Vallette

BURLEY – It is with great sadness that the family of Maida Rasmussen Bell Vallette announces her passing on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017, after a brief illness at the age of 93, while residing in St. George, Utah. She will be lovingly remembered by her children, Elaine Jensen, Joan Anthony, Virginia Affleck, Susan Rignell, and Vicky Howell; her daughter-in-law, Sharon Bell Higgins; and many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her twin brothers, Tarvel Walter “Sam” Rasmussen and Arvel Ernest “Jim” Rasmussen; her first husband, Merle Bell; her son, Tom Bell; and her eternal companion, Clarence W. “Fuzz” Vallette.

Maida was born Aug. 13, 1924, in Burley, Idaho, the daughter of Tarvel Walter “Tobe” and Mildred Steiner Rasmussen. She lived all her life in the Burley area until marrying Fuzz; and for 27 years, she and Fuzz spent mild winters in St. George, Utah.

During her school years, Maida received many awards for being neither absent nor tardy. She worked at J.R. Simplots for 24 years in the quality assurance department in both the Burley and Heyburn plants, retiring in 1983. In her personal life, Maida was always a go-getter, never giving up on a task, and was very organized.

In 1990, Maida and Fuzz were sealed for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake LDS Temple spending 27 glorious years together until his passing on March 26th of this year.

From 1995 until 1996, Fuzz and Maida served a mission at historic LDS sites in Missouri. They were deeply loved by those with whom they served. Maida engaged in specialty tasks and had to be monitored closely because she would never quit. The Vallettes were the first full-time service missionary couple. They also served six months in 1997 as work missionaries in the Omaha, Nebraska Visitor Center and the Independence, Missouri Visitor Center preparing historic sites for the sesquicentennial celebration of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Maida and Fuzz loved to do family history genealogy and temple work for their ancestors. One only needs to look at the family history and genealogy books they have compiled and accumulated over the years to realize how dedicated they were to that work. Maida was especially committed to recording family facts and pictures, creating a remarkable record of events.

The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 29, at Rasmussen Funeral Home, 1350 E. 16th St., in Burley, where friends and family may call from 6 until 8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 28, and from 10 until 10:45 a.m. prior to the service on Tuesday. Burial will be in Declo Cemetery.