Alma Ruth Zobell Boyce died peacefully at age 98 at the home of her youngest daughter Laura Boyce Connors on January 22, 2025, in Des Moines, Washington. She was born July 24, 1926, in Rigby Idaho, to Ira Delos Zobell and Amy Scholes Zobell. She was the third of eight children. She was preceded in death by her older sister, Helen Shurtz; older brother, Rex; and her younger brothers: Karl, Keith, and Grant. She is survived by her youngest sisters: Amy Clegg and Janet Swanson.

After graduating from Ronan (Montana) High School in 1944, Alma Ruth enrolled in the United States Cadet Nurse Corps. Before completing that training, she became engaged to Leslie Henry Boyce who was then in the U.S. Army Air Corps. Then World War II ended, and upon Leslie's return from the Pacific Theater, she left the training, and they were married September 13, 1945 in the Cardston Alberta Canada Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Her nurse training was of great value to her and her family for the rest of her life.

Alma Ruth and Leslie had eight children, all of whom survive: William Carl Boyce, Carol Boyce Dudley, Joan Boyce McKnight, Judy Boyce Rhyne, Delos Zobell Boyce, Steven Leslie Boyce, Susan Jean Boyce, and Laura Boyce Connors. They also have 23 grandchildren, 46 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild.

Alma Ruth and Leslie moved from Charlo, Montana to Quincy, Washington in 1952 and, having established a very successful farming operation, lived there until 1980. Their retirement from farming was accelerated in order to serve a three-year mission for their church at Adam-ondi-Ahman in Missouri. They then established a new home in the Cascade mountains near Leavenworth, Washington, where they transformed their mountainside and valley into a wonderland of trails, ponds and streams, pavilions, and Alma Ruth's amazing flower gardens. During these years they also served another two-year mission for their church in England. Their last household move was to St. George, Utah, where they transitioned from snowbirds into full-time residents in 2004.  During all these years they made and maintained hundreds of deeply valued and lasting friendships all over the United States as well as in Canada and England. They remained always active in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Alma Ruth was still serving as a ward Primary president in St. George well into her 80's, working with children ages three to twelve, and then served several more years as a Cub Scout leader. She continued to speak of "her" primary children and Cub Scouts until her last days.

Alma Ruth had many talents and interests including music, art and crafting of many types. She had a particular fondness for gnomes and they must have liked her, because they were always around her. She loved holidays, especially Halloween, and enjoyed dressing up as "Sandy Witch" to greet trick-or-treaters. She spent many hours on paddleboats in the ponds in their mountain home. She was always quick-witted and spontaneously cheerful. She and Leslie loved to sit and read books out loud to each other. Her children also fondly remember the epic water fights the two of them enjoyed when everyone was younger.

When Alma Ruth moved into a full-time care center in 2018, among the things she missed most was having access to her "chop saw" and other power tools. Even then, she did not stop making things; she just had to scale back slightly the scope of her projects. In late 2023 she moved to Washington State to be near more of her children.

Leslie died in February 2006 and Alma Ruth has missed him terribly for 19 years. It is a comfort to the family to recognize the joy in their reunion. She was interred beside him on Saturday, February 8, 2025 in Tonaquint Cemetery, 1777 South Dixie Drive, St. George, Utah.

Because many close family members were unable to attend the burial, a separate memorial service will be held on Friday, April 18, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. at the Southgate Chapel, 1068 West Chandler Drive, St. George, Utah.

The memorial services will be livestreamed at the following link:

Livestream Link

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