Leo Lydell Vance passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by his family, on November 28, 2017. He was 89 years old.
Leo was born July 12, 1928, to Leo and Marguerite Wood Davis Vance in Raymond, Alberta, Canada. His father passed away when he was only 10. As he felt the need to provide for himself, he missed out on much of his early education in order to work. He was a dependable, hard worker in the jobs he had from ages 12 to 17. At 17, he bought his first farm in Rosemary, Alberta, Canada, where he grew and harvested flaxseed to earn money for an LDS mission to Western Canada.
In 1953, he married his eternal companion, Olive Annie Prete, in the Cardston, Alberta, Temple. Together, with their first six children, they operated a dairy farm until 1965 when he received a prompting to uproot his family and immigrate to the United States to get an education. With great faith, they sold almost everything they owned and moved to Rexburg, Idaho, where Leo graduated from Ricks College with high honors. He continued on to Brigham Young University, where he obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work. Over the next 18 years, he enjoyed his career as a social worker while living in Blanding, Provo, and Mapleton, Utah.
He was a happy man whose life was centered around God, family, and country. He taught his children to be honest, obedient, hard working, and self reliant. He loved riding horses, gardening, serving multiple times as a stake missionary, sharing his testimony, and speaking of freedom and constitutional principles. His family was his greatest wealth and joy!
Leo is survived by his angelic wife, Olive, and their 10 children and spouses: Jeannie (Jared) Sorensen, Betty (Bruce) Barrett, Bonnie (Lorin) Hatch, Bob (Gayle) Vance, Don (Julia) Vance, Marianne (Wayne) Lytle, Connie (Alan) Higley, Jerry (Kassie) Vance, Evan (Lori) Vance, and Wayne (Cati) Vance. Also surviving are his 72 grandchildren, 64 great-grandchildren, and his siblings, David (Wilma) Vance, Margie (Don) Robinson, Marili (Rob) Nielsen, and Louise (Larry) Flexhaug.
He was preceded in death by his father, Leo Vance, his stepfather, Orson Anderson, his mother, Marguerite Vance Anderson, and his two sisters, Venita LeBaron and Velma Bigelow Pratt. Also preceding him in death were two grandsons, Jordan Seth Lytle and Kyle Leon Vance.
Funeral services will be held Friday, December 1, 2017, at 11 a.m. at the Mapleton Stake Center at 970 North 400 East in Mapleton, Utah. Viewings will be held on Thursday evening, November 30, 2017, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Wheeler Mortuary in Mapleton at 82 West 400 North and Friday morning at the Mapleton Stake Center, an hour prior to the services. The interment will be at the Mapleton Cemetery. Condolences may be offered to the family online at wheelermortuaries.com.
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