Belva Dean Cooper Fredrickson, beloved wife, mother, grandmother and sister, passed away on Thursday, May 28, 2015, after a long and courageous battle with cancer. She was born on Sept. 23, 1931, in Tooele, Utah, to Vincent Lund Cooper and Margaret Ruth Henwood. She grew up and attended schools in Tooele.
After high school, she went on to Henager Business College, where she received a secretarial diploma. Belva had her first date with Kenneth Fredrickson on July 8, 1951. They were married exactly four months later in the Salt Lake Temple, on Nov. 8, 1951. They lived almost all of their married life in Vernon, where they built their home together, raised six children, and Belva embraced the challenge of being a farmer’s wife. Belva worked many different jobs to help her children get through school and on missions, including as a teacher’s aide, medical clerk at Tooele Valley Hospital and Tooele Clinic, and finally as a secretary to the medical officer at Tooele Army Depot. Belva was a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in many positions. She particularly loved being a family history specialist and serving for 10 years in the baptistry at the Jordan River Temple with Ken. One of the highlights of her church service was the 18 months she and Ken spent serving a mission in Adam-Ondi-Ahman, Missouri. Belva lived a life of service, always making others feel loved and comfortable. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her, especially her children, 35 grandchildren, and 38 great-grandchildren. Belva is survived by her children Doretta (Rick) Shumway, Diane (Kent) Barker, Kenneth (Janet) Fredrickson, Vincent (Kathy) Fredrickson, Brian (Debra) Fredrickson, and Kelli (Jeff) Beazer; also survived by siblings Ruth (Jim) Calano, Thale (Suzanne) Saxton, Alan (Jane) Cooper, and Roger (Diane) Cooper. Preceded in death by her husband, Ken, and parents; siblings Nick Cooper and VerDell Saxton. We give special thanks to Dr. Blake Beazer, Dr. Nitin Chandramouli, and the many nurses that have cared for mom over the years; and to Harmony Hospice and the staff at Rocky Mountain Care Center for their loving care of mom these last couple of weeks.