Ludeen Mecham

LuDeen (Petersen) Mecham, born April 29, 1938, passed from this life on Feb. 21, 2016.

Summarizing 77 years of life-28,422 days-into 300 words seems reductive. They began when born to Clyde Ephraim and Sarah Louetta (Hatt) Petersen and included days of innocent, carefree childhood on a dairy farm in South Jordan, Utah, attending Brigham Young University and working as a secretary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Hercules.

They included the day she met the love of her life-B. James (Jim) Mecham-on a blind date, and May 27, 1960, the day she married him for time and eternity in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. They included more than four years of pregnancy, 12 years of diapers and 24 years of hot breakfasts on every one of her kids' schools days. And they included 17 years of cashiering in the lunchroom at Jordan High School, her alma mater, a covert activity that was truly motivated by a desire to monitor her teen children.

Her 77 years comprised abundant friendships, many nurtured for numerous years via long letters and even longer telephone conversations; faithful service to her church; surrogate motherhood to too many people to count including the Nisguritzer family; learning to bottle grape juice with her sister-in-law Joann Guthrie; and fun and laughter with her dear siblings, Max (Pauline) Petersen, Cloyd (Jolayne) Petersen, Marilyn (Jack) Fitzgerald and Oneita (Ken) Simmons.

She fit in visits to all 50 states, read thousands of books, developed an impressive recipe collection and made quilts for each of her grandchildren, whom she loved to spoil.

Her time on earth also included much suffering with many health problems and chronic pain, and countless days of courage and tenacity. If a life is to be measured by the sum of its days, hers was worth far more than 77 years. She is already missed dearly.

She is survived by her beloved husband; their heartbroken children: Jill (Paul) McGrath, David (Barbara) Mecham, Annette (Richard) Mikat, Pamela McShane, Todd (Jeanne) Mecham and Steven (Ali) Mecham; 19 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren-who all hope she finds Tab, the Gameshow Network and a cordless phone in her new home.

Memorials are preferred to the American Diabetes Association.

A viewing will be held Thursday evening, Feb. 25, 2016, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Mt. Jordan 2nd Ward, 9331 S. 300 E., Sandy, Utah, and again from 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 26, 2016. A funeral will follow at 11 a.m.