Beth Wessel Marshall

Beth Wessel Marshall, 83, of Bountiful, Utah passed away after a  courageous fight with cancer on February 18, 2018. She was born in Ogden, Utah on November 5, 1934, the oldest child and only daughter of Hubert Louray Wessel and Athleen Mable Opheikens. She married Mark Taylor Marshall on August 28, 1954, and was later sealed to him in the LDS Bountiful Temple on January 30, 2018.
 
During World War II, Beth’s family moved to Baltimore, Maryland, where she graduated from high school. Beth then moved to Provo, Utah to attend Brigham Young University. She met Mark her first summer home from college, and they were wed a year later when he was discharged from the Army. They returned to Provo, where she graduated BYU at the age of 20. Ten days after graduating she began teaching at Dixon Junior High School, where she worked for a year.  Job opportunities for Mark moved them to Henderson, Nevada, where two daughters were born.  California lured them and became their home, adding a son and daughter, until 2008, when they made their final move to Bountiful, Utah.
 
When all four children were school age, Beth returned to school and got her Master’s degree in Special Education. She taught in a Hearing Impaired classroom, mostly preschool and kindergarten, at Saticoy Elementary in North Hollywood for 24 years.
 
In 1980 Beth took her first cake decorating class, which started a wonderful hobby and a second career teaching Wilton Cake Decorating classes and selling many beautifully decorated cakes.  Cake decorating conventions and classes took Beth and her daughter Julie all over the country. Beth became a member of the International Cake Exploration Society (I.C.E.S.), California Cake Club, Cookie Cutter Collector’s Club, and attended most CookieCons in Salt Lake City.  She became a member of Wilton’s Cake Decorating Instructor Hall of Fame for having taught over 2500 students in 25 years.
 
Beth and her husband Mark were avid travelers, and Beth visited all but one state and many foreign countries in Europe, Asia, and Central America. Trips would often be to where her ancestors lived, walking where her Savior walked, fun trips to zip line or to see a total eclipse.
 
Beth’s love of Family History opened many opportunities — Member of the Immigrant Genealogical Society, Ward Family History Consultant, Stake Family History Librarian, Service Missionary for the LA Regional Family History Center, helping in the Church History Library, and being a Temple Worker at the Bountiful Temple. She was a 60-year member of Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), working as Historian for the Sego Lily Chapter. She was also a member of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers (DUP), also working as Historian in the Flowing Wells Camp.
 
Beth was preceded in death by her parents, a great granddaughter, Macie J Rivers, and son-in-law, John Charles Watts.
 
Beth is survived by her husband of 63 years, Mark, her four children, Sheila Watts, Julie (Jeff) Hoffman, Keith (Cindy) Marshall, and Cindy (William) Lush, 16 grandchildren, 27 great grandchildren, and two brothers, Donald (Kathy) Wessel and Mark (Leslee) Wessel.
 
Funeral services will be held Friday, February 23 at the Stone Creek Ward Chapel, 1476 N 300 W, Bountiful, UT at 11am. Visitation will be February 22, 2018 at Russon Mortuary, 295 N Main St, Bountiful from 6-8 pm and then just prior to the funeral service on Friday from 9:30-10:30 am. Interment will follow at Bountiful City Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please donate to your favorite charity.