Carol Lee Turley Jones

Carol Lee Turley Jones was born on August 9, 1958, in Tremonton, Utah to Lowell Reese Turley and Carol Larsen Turley.

She spent her early years in Tremonton. Her summers were spent at the family farm in the Pocatello Valley on the Utah and Idaho border. She was raised with her sisters Cathy and Pat and her brothers Jon, David, and Jimmy (deceased). She was named for her mother Carol but always insisted that she be addressed by her full name of Carol Lee. She was almost exactly 5 feet tall with brown hair and the most remarkable blue eyes. Many times, people would stop her to compliment her on the beautiful blue color.

During grade school, she moved with her family to Royal City, Washington where her family bought a farm. Carol Lee was diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes at the age of 7. Despite requiring multiple daily injections of insulin, she never slowed down. She was a cheerleader for the wrestling team and a talented piano player.

After graduation she enrolled at Ricks College and then transferred to Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah in the fall of 1977. She met her future husband Gordon picking apples as a BYU service project. They became friends and spent long hours talking in the recesses of the BYU library. It felt as though she and Gordon were long lost friends getting reacquainted.

Eventually friendship grew into love. Gordon traveled to Vernal, Utah for a job interview and Carol Lee went with him. His boss, to be, recommended that he have a wife because there were so few young women in Vernal. Gordon proposed on Valentine’s Day outside the Provo Temple and after a little thinking Carol Lee accepted. After graduation in April 1978, Gordon moved to Vernal to start his accounting career and Carol Lee returned to Royal City to prepare for the wedding. While there she received her patriarchal blessing and heard the words the “Lord is pleased with your decision to marry”. Later when she received the written copy of the blessing those words were not there, but she knew it was a special confirmation from the Lord.

Carol Lee was known for her quick sense of humor and warm personality. While on the trip Carol Lee told Gordon that she didn’t have something that other women had. He was puzzled and she led him along for about a month until she confessed that it was a driver’s license she lacked.

Carol Lee had read in Spencer W Kimball’s biography that he kissed his wife for the first time over the alter of the temple. Being a pure and virtuous woman Carol Lee made it her goal and convinced Gordon it was good idea. They were married in the Idaho Falls, Idaho temple on June 16, 1978. When the sealing was completed, she bounded over the alter for that first kiss. She was teased that she was anxious for that first kiss, but she insisted that she was short and afraid she wouldn’t make it to Gordon.

They honeymooned in Vernal for lack of funds. They were poor, living paycheck to paycheck. They committed to paying a full tithe, so they never lacked for anything important. Carol Lee was a wise and careful shopper. They survived on tuna noodle casserole. Once after all the bills were paid, they had a small amount of cash left in the bank. Carol Lee was so happy until she stepped outside and saw that the car had a flat tire. It took the last of the cash to buy a new tire, but they were fine until next pay day. They also determined that they would not take welfare from the government or the church. Even though it was offered it was never needed or accepted.

While in Vernal, Carol Lee became pregnant with their first child, Robert Nickolas “Nick” Jones. She was the most beautiful as an expectant mother. Because of her diabetes it was necessary to go to Salt Lake City for her prenatal care. At 7 months it became necessary for her to stay full time at the University of Utah hospital. On Sunday night, March 12, 1979, after returning to Vernal, Gordon got a call to return to the hospital because Nick was being born. The proud parents returned to Vernal where they rented a 1-bedroom house. The winter was so cold in Vernal that they would often sleep in the living room by the gas heater.

The cold winter convinced them to move to Salt Lake City where they rented a home from Gordon’s great uncle Clinton Walker. The doctors insisted that Carol Lee must not get pregnant again, but despite precautions, Heavenly Father had other plans. The doctors were very upset that she was pregnant and insisted that she get an abortion because of the risk of blindness and other complications. Carol Lee has great faith in her Savior Jesus Christ and her Heavenly Father. She refused the abortion and gave birth to a premature baby girl on December 6, 1979. Ericka Leigh Jones (McGraw) was a joy to her parents.

In 1983 they bought a home in Midvale, Utah and finally got a full-blown honeymoon in Hawaii. Carol Lee was the primary president where she brought her sense of joy and to all the children.

Because of the health risks Gordon and Carol Lee agreed that she should not get pregnant again. They had a strong desire to have a bigger family, so they pursued adoption but were informed that it was unlikely since they already had 2 children. They, soon after, were informed of a baby boy born on November 24, 1983, that was available for adoption in Brazil. The adoption had been arranged privately for another family who had a change of plans. The Brazilian judge was very upset and was prepared to cancel the adoption unless it could be completed in 3 weeks. Carol Lee went into overdrive and arranged the immigration documents within the time limits. However, she was advised to not complete the adoption until she had a visa to bring the baby back to the United States. Acting on faith and knowing the judge would not wait, they flew to Sao Paulo and then traveled by bus to Bauru, Brazil. Jeffery Andre Jones was adopted in Rio de Janeiro. When the time to fly home came, they were informed by the US embassy that there was no visa. Out of desperation they went to the embassy and found that they had been misinformed and the visa had been there the whole time. They brought him home and were sealed in the Jordan River Temple a year later.

In 1988, they found a building lot in Farmington, Utah. The lot had a spectacular view of the Great Salt Lake and Antelope Island. They engaged a contractor to build the house. When the contractor struggled to get the job done, Carol Lee’s father and brother agreed to come to Utah and finish it. This home at 1393 Bennett Circle has been the family residence ever since.

Carol Lee restarted her college education by reenrolling in BYU remote classes for elementary education. She was very close to beginning her student training and receiving her degree.

A few years into her college program Carol Lee and Gordon sought to adopt a sister to Ericka. Eventually, they met and fell in love with Ronnie Jeffrey, Jennifer Marie, and Lisa Marie. Rather than separate the siblings they adopted all three and were eventually sealed in the Bountiful Temple as an eternal family.

The house was now full of soon to be teenagers. There were a lot of hungry mouths to feed, school commitments and church activities that required Carol Lee’s time, so she was unable to get her teaching certificate.

Carol Lee was a living miracle. When the kids left home and Gordon and Carol Lee were empty nesters, they were called to be ordinance workers in the Bountiful Temple. Carol Lee worked for about a year but had to resign because her kidneys were failing. She was put on a transplant waiting list and told to expect a 3-5 year wait and to expect dialysis treatments until the transplant occurred. Gordon continued to work at the temple. Within less than 6 months she received a call that a donor with the DNA match had become available. The donor was the victim of an accident so not only would she receive a kidney but also a pancreas. Pancreas transplants are very rare because the donor does not survive. Miraculously she became free of diabetes for the remainder of her life. She was told that pancreas transplants typically last only 5 years and kidneys 15 years. However, she lived more than 17 years with the transplants as was sincerely grateful for the blessing.

She was very generous. Carol Lee opened her home to many people. These included her mother and mother-in-law. Her niece lived with them for an extended period after living homeless in Salt Lake City. Her foster daughter Janeth from Ecuador was very dear to her. Her favorite church callings were Sunday School teacher and Compassionate Service in the Relief Society.

Carol Lee was a person of many interests. She particularly enjoyed her gym membership. She made many lifetime friends there. She was a traveler too. She traveled to Dubai, Germany, Holland, China, Egypt, Israel, Australia, and many other countries on cruises.

Most of all she was the best wife a man could ask for. All that is good in my life: my children, my grandchildren, my home, my success in work, the gospel, my testimony of the Savior was given to me or strengthened because of Carol Lee. As is engraved in her wedding ring, she is my forever love.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, January 7, 2023 at Shepard Lane Chapel - 729 Shepard Lane in Farmington at 2:00 PM with a viewing at the church just before from 12:30 - 1:45 PM. Interment will be at Farmington City Cemetery.

The ward will be providing streaming of the services using the following link https://zoom.us/j/95411927259