Barbara Jean Forrest Mellor

Barbara Jean Forrest Mellor

Barbara was born to Robert Wilson and Hilda Rhodes Forrest on December 27, 1925 in Brigham City, Utah.  She was the third of 5 siblings: Robert, Lela, Barbara, Dee and Don.  According to Barbara, Brigham City was the perfect place to grow up.  She participated in all aspects of Brigham City life, even becoming part of Peach Days Royalty.  Barbara spent her childhood surrounded by family and friends, many of whom were close to her throughout her life.

She graduated from Utah State University with a degree in Elementary Education where she met and married fellow student Jesse Lynn Mellor.  Lynn often told the story of seeing her face on a campus poster advertising the Fall Harvest Ball and telling his friends he would marry that girl.

Lynn and Barbara started their married life in Fort Collins, Colorado where Lynn worked on a Master’s Degree, and Barbara worked in a diner.  Their oldest daughter Ann was born in Ft. Collins.

To pursue his PhD, Lynn and Barbara moved to Raleigh, North Carolina where second daughter Jean was born.

After completing the doctorate, the Mellor family moved to Laramie, Wyoming where Lynn had been hired to teach in the Soils Department at the University of Wyoming. Their first son Robert was born in Wyoming.

After two years, Lynn and Barbara left Academia to work at Olin Chemical Corporation in Phoenix, Arizona where second son Roy was born.

Eventually, Lynn was transferred to the Olin company headquarters in Little Rock, Arkansas where the family lived for 15 years and third son John was born.

Barbara loved Little Rock.  She loved her neighborhood and friends, but devoted most of her time to the LDS church, which was in its infancy in Little Rock.  She served as the Mission Relief Society President before Arkansas became a stake.  She also served as a ward Relief Society President.  Her children remember spending most of their Saturdays delivering food to the needy in the ward, and stake.

In 1982, Lynn and Barbara were called to serve for three years as Mission President and wife in the Montana, Billings Mission.  When they returned from their mission they moved to Utah and lived in the old Aunt Marvel home in Lehi, later moving to Orem.

After Lynn’s death in 1992, Barbara was called to serve an 18-month mission in Bangkok, Thailand.  She and her companions were the first group of missionaries called to work with Thai elementary school teachers who were preparing to teach English to their young students. She loved her time in Thailand and stayed close to the people she worked with.

After her return from Thailand, Barbara moved to her condo in Farmington, and eventually to Fairfield Village, which she loved and considered her home.  We would like to acknowledge the outstanding care provided by Fairfield Village and Summit Hospice in the last years of her life.

Barbara had three great loves in her life.  The first one was her husband and family.  When people ask her why she didn’t remarry after being widowed at a fairly early age, her answer was always, “When you had a perfect marriage, why would you marry again?”  Secondly, she was absolutely devoted to the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Her testimony was strong as she supported her husband in all of his callings and he supported her.  She spent her life in service to others through the church organizations of Relief Society, Primary, and Young Women, where she served as an advisor in her 70s. Barbara also served as a Relief Society President at least three times; she loved serving people and they in turn loved her. Barbara also served for 10 years at the Bountiful Temple, arising at 3:30am every Saturday morning to be at the temple at 5:00am. Her temple service continued until she could no longer drive. One of the disappointments of her later years was that she felt she could no longer serve others.  We always told her that her cheery personality and constant smile were service enough.

Her third great love and main hobby in life was collecting friends.  Barbara made friends everywhere she went.  She loved everyone.  She was interested in their families, where they came from and whom she could possibly connect them to in Brigham City. She had friends from every place she ever lived.  Her Christmas card list was immense.  To her children’s chagrin, she always wanted to know where the waiter in the restaurant was from or where the young woman who helped her in the store lived and where their people were from.  She was very unhappy when one of us couldn’t remember the woman who lived next door to us in Phoenix 60 years ago.  One of her favorite activities of the last several years was her association with the North Farmington Camp of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers where she served as Captain and Historian.

As Barbara’s health began to decline, she needed more help from her children.  It was our privilege to serve her as she had served all of us. And, by serving her we were also able to honor our father who adored his “Babs”.  We loved Grandma B and rejoice in her wonderful life.

Barbara had 5 children, one from each state where she and Lynn lived.  Ron and Ann Mellor Woolley are the parents of 5 children, grandparents of 15 and live in Provo, Utah.  Rick and Jean Mellor Weinert are the parents of 4 children, grandparents of 13 and live in Farmington, Utah.  Robert and Claire Mellor are the parents of 4 children, grandparents of 9, and live in Kaysville, Utah.  Roy and Patrice Mellor are the parents of 3 children and reside in Little Rock, Arkansas. And youngest son John and wife Kelsi Mellor are the parents of two children and live in Park City, Utah. 

Funeral services will be held Saturday, May 27, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. at the Russon Mortuary, 1941 N. Main St., Farmington, where friends and family may call from 9:30-10:30 a.m. prior to the service.  Interment – Lehi City Cemetery.