Marilyn Joyce (Simmons) Clegg

Marilyn Joyce Simmons Clegg

1935 ~ 2025

Our beautiful mother, Marilyn Joyce Simmons Clegg, passed away peacefully with her children by her side on Saturday March 29, 2025. She passed from causes incident to age. She was the first born of eight children to Clarence Dean Simmons and Vivian Burn Simmons on October 7, 1935. It wasn’t long before she learned the value of hard work performing household chores, tending the garden, and helping local farmers with the planting and harvesting of potatoes. She quickly developed a love for learning & became very involved in school activities. She was the Junior Class President of Grace High School and graduated a year later in 1953. That fall she went to Brigham Young University but wasn’t there long before the love of her life, Maurice Clegg, swept her off her feet. He was a former school mate and a dashing member of the Air Force ROTC at the University of Idaho. They were married for time and all eternity on July 23, 1954 in the Logan Utah LDS temple. She was the loving mother of 6 children, 24 grand children and 30 great grandchildren. She mastered the talents of cooking, entertaining, quilting, & sewing. She kept a daily journal for 50 years.

Her life became an adventure while supporting a husband in the Air Force. Over the next 20 years they lived in Bainbridge Georgia, Enid Oklahoma, Travis Air Force Base California, Salt Lake City Utah, and Colorado Springs Colorado. In 1972 they moved to Virginia where they then lived until 2005. In Virginia she and Maurice served a two year service mission in an Asian branch. Later, she was elated when they received a mission call to serve as “housing couple” for the BYU Jerusalem Center, then devastated when it was cancelled after the attack on 9/11. In 2003 they were both able to fulfill lifelong goals to serve full-time, 2 year missions, for the LDS church in Nuku a Lofa, Tonga. She continued to serve the LDS church and her family throughout her life and especially loved serving in the temple. She loved the gospel of Jesus Christ and practiced its values to the fullest while tirelessly serving in many church and civil capacities.

Marilyn is survived by her six children: Michelle (Kim) Peterson, Orem, Utah; Michael (Charly Ritchie) Clegg, Draper, Utah; Rahn (Carmen) Clegg, American Fork, Utah; Kristen (Rick) Shrader, Sandy, Utah; Cory (Suzanne) Clegg, Leesburg, Virgina; and David (Amber) Clegg, Santa Clara, Utah. Her parents preceded her in death along with her siblings Kenneth Simmons and Jeanne Simmons.

A funeral service will be held in her honor on Thursday April 3rd, at 11:00 a.m. with a viewing from 9:30-10:30 a.m. at the American Fork 19th Ward Chapel, 1305 North 100 East in American Fork Utah. A graveside service will be held in Grace Idaho on Friday April 4th at 12:00 noon at the Grace Cemetery.

Funeral arrangements have been prepared by Warenski Funeral Home in American Fork Utah.

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