Ethel Firth

Ethel Mae Manning Firth passed away at the age of 98 on August 21, 2021 at her home in Bothwell Utah surrounded by her loving family. She was born November 30th,1922, in Logan, Utah to LeRoy Wilcox Manning and Vida Ericksen Manning. She grew up on a farm just North of Garland with 4 brothers and 2 sisters, Melvin, Glen, David, Earl, Marie and Dorothy.  It was a  young girl’s dream, roaming the hills picking buttercups, swimming in and ice skating on the canal.   She and her brothers and sisters walked 5 miles to school every day.

Music has been a love and talent of Ethel Mae’s all her life.  She was the song leader for school assemblies in high school and chorus was one of her favorite classes. She continued to sing in trios and other groups throughout her life often singing duets with her daughter Carol. She played the trumpet and the bass fiddle and played in a band that performed every weekend at Crystal Springs for dances.   She was serving as ward music chorister in the Bothwell Ward at her passing.

Ethel Mae met a young man by the name of Clair Firth from Bothwell in one of their high school classes.    They were married in the Logan Temple on October 5th, 1943.  Together they raised 5 children. They were married 61 years before Clair passed away in 2004.

While raising her family of 5 children, Ethel Mae served the Lord in many ways.  She served as President and as a Counselor in both the ward Primary and Relief Society.  She served in the Stake Relief Society Presidency.  Ethel Mae served in the MIA and was a chorister for the ward primary and relief society and served as a visiting teacher and primary teacher.

At the age of 84, Ethel Mae served a full-time mission in Salt Lake City at the Family History Center.

Ethel Mae’s greatest joy was her family.  She is the most positive person and remained to be that way during even her most difficult times.  She was an avid reader and spent many hours reading to her children and grandchildren.

Ethel Mae is survived by all her children, Carol (Jess), Rex (Kathy), Max (Rebecca), Wayne(Debra), and Wendi(John); 23 grandchildren; and 66 great grandchildren.  She was preceded in death by her dear husband, Clair, her parents, LeRoy and Vida Manning, son in law Jess Petersen, brothers Melvin, Glen, and David.

Funeral services will be held Friday August 27, 2021, at 11:00 AM at the Bothwell LDS Chapel (10350 W. 11600 N. Bothwell, UT). Viewings will be held Thursday August 26, 2021, at Rogers and Taylor Funeral Home (111 North 100 East Tremonton) from 5-7PM and Friday August 27, 2021, from 9-10:30AM at the Bothwell LDS Chapel. The services will be livestreamed and may be found at www.ruddfuneralhome.com under her obituary.

The family would like to thank: Home Health Care, Kathy Firth and Jessica McNeely for their loving care!