Santa Clara, Utah - On February 5, 2011, our beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend passed through the veil into the arms of her loving husband, Lester Guy Wittwer; son, DeVerl; granddaughters; parents; sister; and many others who had preceded her. Vanola Gubler was born August 10, 1915, in Santa Clara, Utah, the eldest child of Edmund and Eliza Hafen Gubler. She spent her early years growing up in Santa Clara and living at the family ranch on the south side of Pine Valley Mountain during the summers. She spent several winters on a homestead her father was "proving up" west of Ivins (now Kayenta) where they lived in a two room lumber home. Vanola learned to work when she was very young. She helped her father and mother plant, weed, water and harvest their crops. She learned to milk cows, make butter, cheese, lye soap, and helped with the cooking and with the washing by scrubbing the clothes on a scrub board and using a "stomper". Every Saturday water was heated on the wood burning stove and the family all took turns taking baths in the tin wash tub. Vanola was born in the horse and buggy days and throughout her life she saw the advent of automobiles, telephones, airplanes, television, space travel, computers, the internet and other technologies. Santa Clara officially became a town the year Vanola was born. The first electric lights were turned on in Santa Clara when she was two. Vanola attended Santa Clara Elementary School and graduated from Dixie High School in St. George. About 1933, she was seriously courted by a young man who later became her husband. She and Lester Guy Wittwer were married September 18, 1934. They were sealed in the St. George LDS Temple on May 1, 1936. Lester was a partner in the Stucki-Wittwer Trucking Company and soon after their marriage he received a truck as his share in the company and started his own trucking business. He bought an orchard and grew his own fruits and vegetables to take to the markets in Nevada. Vanola worked alongside him, planting and harvesting vegetables and fruits. When Lester built his first motel in Las Vegas, Nevada, Vanola supported him as they moved their family to Las Vegas where they lived for four years. She worked in the motel, doing whatever needed to be done, along with taking care of her family which by then consisted of a teenage daughter and three sons. They built their first motel in St. George in 1955. Vanola once again supported and worked with Lester at the motel, taking her baby boy to work with her. She was a wonderful homemaker, cook and seamstress. She made most of her children's clothing when they were young. She also sewed graduation quilts for each of her 28 grandchildren. She crocheted many doilies and tatted beautiful lace. She taught herself to knit and made several sweaters. Her hands were seldom idle. Vanola's life has been a life of service, not only to her family, but to her Church and Community. She served in many positions in the LDS Church, including teaching in all auxiliary organizations, being in a Primary Presidency and on the Stake Primary Board, as Relief Society President and Junior Sunday School Coordinator. She served as a Primary Teacher at the age of 13. She was an ordinance worker in the St. George LDS Temple for fourteen years. She completed thousands of temple endowments. She served as a visiting teacher for about 75 years. In 2009, Vanola was honored as Grand Marshall of Swiss Days in Santa Clara. She was a full-blooded Swiss and was very proud of her Swiss Ancestry and heritage. After her mother passed away, she carried on with research to find the names of more of her ancestors. Vanola liked to travel and enjoyed trips to Hawaii, Alaska, Australia, New Zealand and Islands of the Pacific, Japan, Switzerland (several times), and many places in the United States. After a tour of Europe at the age of 72, visiting eleven countries with her siblings and daughter, she decided she had traveled enough and was glad to stay home. Even with success and achievements in the community and business world, Vanola considered her family her greatest achievement, treasure and blessing. She and Lester had six children; Joyce (Donald) Whittaker; DeVerl (died as an infant); Royden (Diane); Tony (Cherri); Melvin (Karen); and Sheldon (Karma). She leaves behind 28 grandchildren, and 61 great-grandchildren, with 3 more on the way, one being her first great-great-grandchild. Her greatest desire was that all her posterity will be together as an "Eternal Family" forever. She is also survived by a brother, Darwin Gubler; sisters: Jewell Frei, Cleopha LeBaron, Linna Rosenlof, Edna Hunt, Fawn Mitchell, Reta Hansen; plus many nephews and nieces. She was preceded in death by her husband, Lester; son, DeVerl; a granddaughter, Rebecca Wittwer; two great-granddaughters, Alexandrea Dansie and McKala Wittwer; her parents; and sister, Wilma. A celebration of her life will be held Friday, February 11, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. at the Santa Clara LDS Ward Chapel, 3040 Santa Clara Drive, Santa Clara, Utah. Visitations will be Thursday evening from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Metcalf Mortuary, 288 West St. George Blvd., St. George, Utah and on Friday morning from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the Chapel, prior to the services. Interment will be at the Santa Clara City Cemetery. Arrangements entrusted to the care of Metcalf Mortuary, 435-673-4221. The family wishes to thank the wonderful ladies who so lovingly cared for our precious mother and made it possible for her to remain in her home during her final months of life. Thanks, Julie, Marcia, Carla, Kim, Debra, and also Lynette and others from Southern Utah Hospice.