Betty Lavon Randall Nelson

Betty Lavon Randall Nelson was born on January 22, 1931 in Blackfoot, Idaho to parents Henry and Marie Randall. She grew up with two brothers, Clive and Lee, who both worked hard on the farm while she tended to her kittens. Her childhood was spent in the Blackfoot and Rose areas and she loved playing outside, spending time with her grandmother and mother, going to school, and above all singing. Her high school years were spent socializing and participating in the Girls Glee Club, choir, and the Pep Club where she became aware of a certain basketball player named Clint Nelson. Clint and Betty started dating the summer after their junior year. They were both members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and were married for time and all eternity in the Idaho Falls temple on September 7, 1950.

When she got married, Betty said “that was when my life began.” Clint worked at Albertson’s and they had thirteen homes in seventeen years between Portland, Oregon, Blackfoot, Pocatello, Twin Falls, Burley, and Rupert. At each place, Betty created a wonderful home for her family full of good food, singing, games, dancing to jukebox tunes, and many cherished memories. She spent summers at the ballpark, cheering on Clint in his ward and city league softball teams with neighbors and friends. She enjoyed water skiing, dancing with Clint, riding motorcycles (even though the helmet messed up her hair,) golfing with friends, socializing with family, friends, ward members and neighbors, and throwing New Year’s Eve parties when her kids were young. While living in Pocatello, she joined the Sweet Adelines, a group of women who sang and traveled to various competitions. After moving to Burley she discovered there wasn’t a group there. She found a sponsor and started her own chapter, growing it to 35 women. They practiced weekly and sang in several competitions. Her love of singing led her to also participate in ward choirs throughout her entire life.

She served in many callings, teaching and leading the Primary organization, serving with the Young Women, in the Stake Relief Society presidency and as the ward Relief Society president. She especially enjoyed serving as an ordinance worker with Clint in the Logan, Utah temple. They also served two missions: one in the Washington, DC South mission working with the Vietnamese branch, and the other serving in Santa Barbara, California on a CES Institute mission.

Clint and Betty liked to travel with their family and friends and visited many places including California, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Yellowstone, Island Park, Lake Tahoe, Jackson Hole, and a cruise from New Orleans to Costa Maya and Cozumel. They also went on a church history tour along the east coast. For several years they stayed in Sun City West, Arizona during the winter and made a lot of good friends and memories there.

In the words of her all-star beau Clint, “Betty never preached a sermon, she showed a sermon.” She was compassionate and kind, caring deeply about the people around her. She had the unique ability to make people feel special, interesting, important, and seen, listening intently and remembering minute details. She had a quick and clever wit and spending time with her was so much fun. She was generous, especially with food. No one has ever walked out of her house hungry, and she always had treats on hand for the grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her beauty was as deep as her kindness, a well without bottom. Her sweet voice, laugh, smile and love will be cherished and dearly missed until we meet again.

She is survived by her husband of 71 years, Clint, and their children Lynne (Terry) Buckner, Terri (Mike) Dutcher, Andra (Matt) Lalli, and Val (Jacque) Nelson, 15 grandchildren, an ever-growing number of great-grandchildren, and siblings Clive Randall and Lee (Sandy) Randall. She was preceded in death by her daughter Barbara Nelson, her parents, Henry and Marie Randall, and sister-in-law Audrey Randall.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 pm on Thursday, February 17, 2022 at the Stonecreek Ward Meeting house, 1476 North 300 West, Bountiful, Utah where a viewing will be held from 12:45-1:45 p.m. prior to services.  Interment will be in Blackfoot, Idaho.

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Funeral services will be live streamed on Russon Mortuary & Crematory Facebook page and on this obituary page for friends of the family.