Charmaine Iva Matson Jeppson

Charmaine (Char) Iva Matson Jeppson, (94) of Farmington, Utah, passed away peacefully on January 22nd, 2024, at Layton Intermountain Hospital, in Davis county, Utah, surrounded by her children and family. At Char’s request her family held quiet, mostly-family funeral events, including a viewing and life celebration at her home on Friday, January 26th. Char was then interred at the Brigham City cemetery, Utah, on Tuesday, January, 30th, 2024.

Char was born in a home on 13th East, in Salt Lake City, UT, on June 22nd, 1929, to parents Ivan Marcellus Matson, and Gertrude Margaret Lucas. She was the youngest of three daughters, Leah (Ernie) Tutt, and Betty (Ray) Ruddell. Her parents, looking for better opportunities for work, moved their family to Los Angeles when Char was a child. When her grandmother, Theresa Powell Matson Rands would visit, she’d take Char to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Char loved going and was baptized. 

Living in Los Angles gave Char many opportunities. Her father had a neon sign business with exclusive contracts to supply many of the big movie houses with neon signage, so Char often got to go to premiers and other local events. As a child, in 1937, she remembered going in full costume to see Disney’s premier of “Snow White,” dressed as the main character. Though Char came from Irish heritage, had almost-black hair, and green eyes, she was also a true “California girl,” social, active, confident and well liked. She often went with friends to see a young Frank Sinatra perform on the radio in front of a live studio audience, or to barbecues on the beach, and swimming in the nearby ocean. 

During WWII, at the age of 14, Char worked at a department store, selling perfume and hosiery. Later, she attended Dorsey High School. Just before her senior year, a girlfriend, Polly Kent, who was the only other member of her church in her high school, invited Char to go with her to Provo, Utah, where Char would attend Brigham Young High School, for her senior year, and Polly would attend BYU University as a freshman. The two girls planned to board together at a private home, as many students did in the time around the ending of WWII, when Latter-day Saint students flooded Provo. 

Just before school started, with their plans all set, Polly caught rheumatic fever and could not go, but Char, bravely determined to go by herself to Provo anyway, implemented her plans, and rode the bus to Provo alone. 

In 1947, Char was elected as a cheerleader at BY-High. Char boarded with other female students in the same house, and formed life-long friendships. At the end of her senior year her father offered Char a new car, but Char instead asked him if she could use the money to go on to college, at BYU. He agreed, and this was the beginning of a lifetime of learning through collegiate education that never stopped for Char until well into the last years of her life. 

While at BYU Char met WWII veteran and just returned missionary for the Church, John Wilbur Jeppson. The two were married June 20, 1951, officiated by Apostle, Matthew Cowley, in the Salt Lake Temple. A year later they had their first child, and Char quit school as most new mothers did at that time, while John finished. They enjoyed living in a student ward with other new parents, but this was not the end of Char’s educational opportunities. 

The young couple moved to Rose Park, and then to Roy, Utah, buying a house there, in the new “Halvern” subdivision. John’s brothers talked them into moving up to Idaho, to start a dairy business, which they did for a year, but as it did not pay to stay in the competitive dairy business, they moved back to their house in Roy, where they lived until 1984, having seven children in total, being active in church and community events. 

In 1984, they built a house in Farmington, Utah, to move close to John’s family, and stayed there the rest of their lives. 

Education was paramount to Char, who later returned to college at Weber State University, where she graduated in psychology, with a minor in interior design. Char attended classes at Weber and the University of Utah, for most of her adult life, especially after her children left home, determined to continually learn and expand her considerable knowledge. She was an avid reader, and a talented artist. 

Professionally, she was a receptionist for Doctor Hodges Psychiatry office; the first woman to work for ZCMI in their all-male furniture sales department, then at Tribes Furniture store; and an interior designer for Lynn McGhie and Associates, interior design firm in SLC. 

Char enriched countless lives through her example, teaching and service: While her children were growing Char wrote, directed and produced neighborhood plays, and taught cooking and interior design to her own and neighborhood children, in the 4-H program. She filled countless callings in the church—her children’s favorites were when she served as monthly cultural arts and literature specialist in Relief Society—she practiced with and involved her children to prepare to teach—which in turn exposed them to world-class art, culture and literature. She served as her ward’s “Roadshow director” for many years, most of which won “1st Place,” year after year. Serving in the Boy Scouts Webelos program and primary programs with her husband was also a highlight for Char as they grew older together. She also was a mentor in many psychology groups throughout the Wasatch Front. As a widow in her eighties, Char diligently served as a primary teacher. She took such care in the preparation of her lessons for those little children she loved. 

Gardening of all kinds was important to Char. She loved cultivating nature, while teaching children to love beauty: She taught her children poetry while working side by side, reciting verses together in their large vegetable garden in Roy. One year, the family TV broke, and Char refused to get it fixed for two complete years, keeping her kids busy with playing outside, socializing with neighbors, working in their family garden, scouts, camping, bird-watching, and other activities. At the time her kids thought of this “No TV time” as a disaster. Now, looking back, they realize it was a great blessing. 

Later, after moving to Farmington, Char also certified as a “Master Gardener,” creating her own beautiful flower garden, and shared her knowledge with others. Many neighborhood and grandchildren learned about plants and flowers, reciting their names to Char to earn candy when they visited her garden.

Char persevered and overcame many hardships and obstacles: The Great Depression, World War II, Civil Rights, Women’s Rights, a large house fire, the Covid pandemic, and many other physical and mental challenges too numerous to mention, which she encountered and learned from. She had a positive outlook on life, an indomitable spirit, and a determination to make the best of every setback and improve every situation. 

Char also left an impressive legacy of a love of learning, and cultivating a knowledge of the arts and sciences to her posterity. Many of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren are involved professionally and civically in fine arts, in various capacities, including painting, sculpture, drawing, architecture, poetry, prose, ceramics, interior and building design, theater, dance, music, photography, graphic, media and film arts. 

Char not only loved accumulating as much knowledge as possible, but maintaining physical and mental wellness was just as important to her. She read extensively, researched what interested her, and practiced yoga, Feldenkrais, piano and dance. Char was always sharply dressed, in an era when other women wore housecoats all day. Self-improvement was a top priority of Char’s. She had a curious mind and determination to understand the world, keep herself active and engaged, and kept up with the modern world and changing technologies. She was constantly learning and engaged in living, and being involved in life to its fullest. Many in her posterity have followed Char’s example into careers in teaching, psychology, physical fitness, math, science, and technology. 

 Perhaps Char’s greatest gifts were her ability of making, cherishing and keeping close friendships, taking genuine interest in people, engaging with, and building them up, giving them her listening ear, and being an influence for good, all anchored on her unshakable testimony, faith in, and love of Jesus Christ, her Savior. She wrote of Christ often in her numerous journals, and expressed her firm desire to serve Him and everyone she came in contact with. She passes onto her family a legacy of faith in God— as she followed Him by creating beauty—exemplifying loving kindness, interest in others—combined with tolerance, forgiveness and love—for all whom she met, sacrificed for, and influenced in her long, interesting, wonderful, and useful life.

Family was, and is, everything to Char. She is oh-so missed by her living family, while welcomed with open arms by those she loved and missed the most, who have passed on before her. Though we cannot see her, we can still feel her loving presence and influence in our lives. 

Her family would like to thank the kind and caring nurses and staff at the Layton Hospital, in Layton, Utah, along with the hospice staff who were so considerate and made Char’s passing just what she’d hoped for, painless, peaceful, and surrounded by her family.

Charmaine was preceded in death by her parents, sisters and husband. She is survived by her seven children: Robin (Jim) Pettett, Susan (Bob) Wood, Cynthia, Carol (Scott) Balaich, Jake (Shauna), Chris, and Liz (Dee) Huber: 40 grandchildren & spouses: 44 great-grand children and spouses: 2 great-great granddaughters; making in all, five generations, of 100 people in Char and John’s family, at the time of her death.