Donald LeRoy Enders

Donald LeRoy Enders passed away peacefully, January 18, 2025, after years of health problems related to Parkinson’s Disease. He was at home surrounded by family who loved him, while watching a BYU basketball game. Go Cougars! 

Don was born in SLC, Utah, March 26, 1941, to Ruby Neilsen and Gordon Enders. His early years were spent moving around the Western United States with his parents and siblings as his parents searched for steady work near the end of the Great Depression and the beginning of WWII. 

Eventually the family settled in Kennewick, Washington, where Don attended junior high and Kennewick High School. Don played football and ran hurdles on the track team, was active in student government, and was the sports editor of the high school newspaper. After graduation, Don joined the Army Reserves, and after basic training he was called to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-Day Saints. Don served honorably in the Eastern States Mission and it was here that he began a life-long love of church history. At the end of his mission Don drove home to Utah with his mission president’s son as both young men would be attending BYU. While on the drive west they stopped in Nauvoo where Don fell in love with this pioneer city and wanted to be a part of the restoration that would soon be taking place there. He had a strong impression that this would be an important place in his life. Once home, he began attending Brigham Young University, where he eventually graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in History, and 3 Masters’s Degrees in History, Archaeology, and Library Science. It was at BYU where he met the love of his life, Loretta Joanne Anderson (or Lovely Lady, as Don affectionately called her). Don and Loretta were married on June 3, 1968, in the Salt Lake Temple. The next day they left for Nauvoo, Illinois, where Don had been employed for the past three summers by Nauvoo Restoration, working on excavating and restoring historic sites. In Nauvoo, Loretta worked as a tour guide for two summers while Don’s responsibilities in Nauvoo increased. After Don completed his first master’s degree they moved full time to Nauvoo with their baby daughter Amy and lived in the little pioneer home of Orson Hyde for the next three years. 

When Don’s work in Nauvoo was done, the family moved back to Utah where Don and Loretta had three more children, Jenny, Tim, and Sara. Don then began working for the Family History department of the LDS church in Salt Lake City. After completing two more master’s degrees he began his dream job working for the Historical Department for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He spent the next half-century working as a researcher, historian and archaeologist restoring beautiful church sites, including sites in Nauvoo, Illinois, Kirtland, Ohio, Palmyra, New York, Sharon, Vermont, Winter Quarters, Nebraska, and sites in Missouri and Utah. Much of his research over the last 50 years was devoted to learning as much as he could about Joseph Smith and the Smith Sr. Family. Don developed a great love for and has written many articles about them. When Don retired in 2010, he was Master Curator of Historic Sites. 

After retirement, Don and Loretta enjoyed many years of spending time with kids and grandkids, traveling to many wonderful places around the world, and watching BYU sports! They also served as church service missionaries for 10 years in the Historic Sites Division. 

Don is survived by Loretta, his wife of 56 years, and brothers Gordon (Kathy), Larry (Carol), Gary (Cheryl), and sister Kathy. He has also left behind 4 children, Amy (Shane), Jennifer (Matt), Timothy (Angella), and Sara (Stefano). Don and Loretta have 11 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren, with 3 more greats on the way. He is preceded in death by his parents Ruby and Gordon, mother- and father-in-law Georgina and Douglas, his sister Patti and husband David, brother-in-law Billy, and sisters-in-law Anna Marie and Linda. 

The family would like to thank all the wonderful caregivers from Inspiration Hospice and Home Health, and Arosa Home Health Care, who cared for and loved Don. The family requests those who wish to express sympathy to consider making a donation to Parkinson’s Foundation in Don’s memory @ Parkinson.org. 

Viewings will be held Friday, January 24, 6-8pm at Russon Mortuary, 1941 N Main Street, Farmington, UT and Saturday morning, January 25, 9:30-10:30am at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel at 980 Shepard Church Drive, followed by the funeral service beginning at 11:00am. Interment will be at the Kaysville City cemetery following the funeral. 

Due to technical difficulties, the livestream for this funeral service is unavailable. However the full funeral service is being recorded and will be posted to our Facebook page and this obituary page as soon as possible.