Granny Pearl Ahlstrom, 97, of Manti, passed away March 22, 2022 in North Salt Lake, Utah.
Nora Pearl Walton was born in Lewistown, Montana, the fourth child of John Henry and Nora Mae Green Walton on Feb. 26, 1925. She had a twin brother who was just a few minutes older than she was. There were two more children born a few years later.
She lived in Lewistown until the family moved to Harlowton, Montana sometime in the early 1930s. The family later moved to Deer Lodge, Montana, where she met and married her first husband. She was a war bride on Oct. 9, 1943.
Pearl worked as a telephone operator through the whole war, which was an essential job at that time.
After the war, she and her husband made their home in Deer Lodge until he went back in the service in the Air Force in July 1948. Then they moved to Vallejo, California, then to Wichita Falls, Texas, then Montgomery, Alabama. She had two children – a daughter, Vivian, in Deer Lodge in 1947, and a son, Russell “Rusty,” in Wichita Falls in 1950.
In 1952, the family moved again, this time to Othello, Washington for five years, then to Condon, Oregon until 1960, when she moved to Orem, Utah to await Port Call to go to Misawa, Japan.
She brought her children back to Orem in 1961. She had a job at a hardware store until she met and married her second husband, Clifford B. Holder, and moved to Holladay, Utah, where she worked at Litton Industries in the early days of building electronic guidance and control components for military jet aircraft. She was very proud of her work in this important industry. She was widowed in 1980. She continued working at Litton and became more active in her church.
She met Charles Ahlstrom, and they were sealed for time and all eternity in the Jordan River Temple on Sept. 9, 1982. They were called on a mission to the Hawaii Temple. While there, Charles became very ill. They were released and moved to Manti, Utah. After she was widowed, she lived there for the rest of her years. Pearl worked in the temple until her retirement. She loved that time in her life.
She lost her son, Russell W. Holder II, in April 2005. His wife, JoAnn, was always there for Pearl for the rest of her life. Her daughter, Vivian (David) Wiltse, lives in Clifford, North Dakota.
Pearl lost her twin brother, John Earl, when they were seven years old. She was also preceded in death by her parents and three of her sisters.
She is survived by her sister, Grace Hovey; her daughter, Vivian (Dave); daughter-in-law, JoAnn; four grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews; eight of Charles’ children and their families; and by so very, very many family and friends here in Sanpete County and all the missionaries she has loved through the years.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, April 2, 2022 at noon in the Manti 9th Ward Chapel, 300 South Main. Friends may call prior to services at the church from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Burial will be in the Manti City Cemetery.
Online guestbook and live streaming of the services can be found at www.maglebymortuary.com under Pearl’s obituary. Funeral Directors: Magleby Mortuary, Richfield, Salina and Manti.
