Harriet Martha Chavez

Harriet “Happy” Martha Lee Chavez, 78, of Rigby, died Monday, March 28, 2011, at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, surrounded by her family. She was born July 30, 1932, in Independence, Idaho, to Mark Woolnough Lee and Harriet Martha Hope Lee. She was raised by, Frank and Annie Jane Thornton Daniels. She attended grade schools in Independence, Idaho, and graduated from Madison High School. On January 7, 1955, she married Hermilo “Emil” Chavez in Rigby, Idaho. Their marriage was solemnized in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple on March 6, 1965. She worked as a waitress, a telephone operator, and had many jobs as she was raising her children, such as selling Tupperware and running a daycare. She also worked with the Census Bureau. Harriet is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, the Jefferson County Historical Society and Farnsworth TV Museum Board, a member of Eda-how Poets & Writers Group , and was a long time member and leader of the TOPS weight loss group and reached her goal. She was a great writer and poet, and wrote many poems, road shows, songs, and stories for many people. She enjoyed the ward choir and had the opportunity to sing in the Salt Lake Tabernacle. She loved gardening, canning and camping and was able to do all of these things with her family throughout her life. She shared her talent and love for cooking and canning with her children and her grandchildren, who all loved to come and stay with her and learn how to cook. She will be missed greatly by all who knew her and we will all miss her stories and her love for words and vivid descriptions of everything that she loved. Survivors include her husband Hermilo “Emil” Chavez, of Rigby, daughters, Suzy (Bryant) Larsen, of Idaho Falls, Danette (George) Westervelt, of Harrison City, PA, Annie Jo (Tony) Lazzarotto, of Idaho Falls, Karla (Lenn) Ward, of Ogden, UT, sons, Tony (Julie) Chavez, of Rigby, Troy (Melissa) Chavez, of Rexburg, sisters, Elzada Chaffee, of Helena, MT, Lenna Seipert, of Rexburg, Bonnie Murphy, of Missoula, MT, 19 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents and foster parents, a daughter, Shona Lynn Chavez, sisters, Thelma, Lucy and Nelda Lee and Vesta, Beth and Loa Daniels, brothers, Glenn, Darrell, Harlo and Ted Lee, and Loraine Daniels, grandsons, Patrick Brian Fohrenck, and Jamie Carl Fohrenck. Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m., Monday, April 4, 2011, at the Rigby Stake Center, 258 W. 1st North, Rigby, with Bishop John Schell, conducting. The family will receive friends from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., Sunday, at Eckersell Memorial Chapel, 101 W. Main Street, Rigby. And from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. prior to services at the Stake Center. Burial will be in the Ammon Cemetery, under the care of Eckersell Memorial Chapel in Rigby.