Carolyn Bagley
Greenwich, Utah/Tempe, AZ
On November 5, 2021 at 8:10 PM, our loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great- grandmother reunited with her Father in Heaven. Rhoda Carolyn Brown Bagley was born the oldest of ten children to parents, LaRue and Lenea Brown of Koosharem, Utah on April 13, 1934. She married Weldon D Bagley on September 5, 1950 in the Manti, Utah Temple. Together, they raised their five children: James (Lisa) Bagley, Greenwich, UT; Van (Kay) Bagley, Mesa, AZ; Clay Bagley, Greenwich, UT; Curtis Bagley, Greenwich, UT; and Suzanne (Stephen) Brown, Saratoga Springs, UT. Carolyn was known by her family, simply, as “Mom”. With her spunky and cute personality, Mom was the center of love, hugs, and clever one-liners that caused many to laugh with her. Working as a cafeteria manager for 26 years, she was a talented and dedicated cook and loved to cook for her family. She often stressed that everything in the kitchen was done correctly and in order to perfection. There wasn’t a soul that tasted her cooking that didn’t love it. The grandchildren would refer to her food as “Grauma Food” pronounced [Gruh-ma]. At any hour of the day, you could find Cowboy Cookies in the cupboard, ready for enjoyment.
Mom was always working. Not only did she tend to the yard, she took to helping her four strong boys on the farm, often letting them catch up on sleep while she worked. With water, a book, and a goodie bag packed, she was ready to jump into helping with the farm. She could irrigate fields by herself or drive the big truck, hauling hay from Koosharem to Greenwich.
One year, she asked and asked and asked to help prepare the fields for planting. Finally, Clay put her in the cabbed tractor, thinking, “How hard could it be in the cab with AC and a radio?” After leveling the field, it was time to go into the house. Mom hobbled out of the tractor, saying, “I always wondered why y’all were so stiff. Now I know.”
Mom also loved The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. One of her greatest joys was sending all four of her boys on missions. She loved doing service and dedicated herself to her callings of teacher, visiting teacher, and Relief Society president. When she became too ill to attend meetings, she still loved to watch Music and the Spoken Word and General Conference
The only time we ever saw her stop to rest was when she had her nose in a book. She also enjoyed reading magazines and the Richfield Reaper, both of which she read from the back page, working to the front. Either that, or she was watching the Phoenix Suns or the Utah Jazz. When they played each other, however, she didn’t know who to cheer for, she loved them both.
To Mom, Greenwich, Utah was home. When she first became ill in 2018, the first thing she asked her doctor in Arizona was, “How can I get back to Greenwich?” By getting stable and finding a Cardiologist in Utah, she was able to drive herself with Weldon back home to Greenwich where she had a vast improvement in health. The doctors and staff members that worked with her soon fell in love with her, affectionately calling her Miss Carolyn. As a gesture of her gratitude, she would pat their hands and thank them for the wonderful care she received. When leaving facilities, she always thanked the doctors and staff with loving hugs.
She is survived by her husband; 5 children; 18 grandchildren and 32 great-grandchildren; siblings; Melvin (Bonnie) Brown, Saratoga Springs, UT; Marva (John) Lewis, Pleasant Grove, UT; Ross (Kaye) Brown, Richfield, UT; Gwen Taylor, West Jordan, UT; LaJuana (Randy) Robinson, Paragonah, UT; LaJune (Chad) Sorenson, Koosharem, UT; Vivian Youngkin, Austin, UT; and Connie Smith, Koosharem, UT; sister-in-law, Elaine Brown, Aurora, UT.
She is preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Dahl Brown; brothers-in-law, Jerald Taylor, Corky Youngkin, Brent Smith.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, November 20, 2021 at 12:00 Noon in the Koosharem Ward Chapel, where friends may call from 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. Burial will be in the Koosharem Cemetery. Funeral Directors: Magleby Mortuary, Richfield, Salina and Manti. Online guestbook at www.maglebymortuary.com
