Glenna Tippets

Glenna Wood Tippets, 100, died November 27, 2015, at Hot Springs County Memorial Hospital in Thermopolis. 

Glenna Wood was born on August 31, 1915, in Hurricane, Washington County, Utah to Orin Wood and Harriet Flanigan. She was the third child and only daughter born to this union. Her mother died during childbirth with a ruptured appendix when Glenna was 2 years old. Her father Orin was killed in a horseback accident when she was 8. She and her brothers were raised by Anna Jennings, their stepmother.

Glenna attended the public schools in Hurricane and graduated from Hurricane High School in 1933. After graduation she attended Branch Agricultural College graduating with Associates Degree and was awarded the 1935 Outstanding Woman Student of the year. She went on to attend Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, and graduated with a Bachelors of Education in the spring of 1937. Glenna meet Don Harold Tippets, an agricultural student from Cowley, Wyo., while at BYU. Don also graduated from BYU in the spring of 1937. They were married on September 21, 1937, in the LDS Manti, Utah Temple.

Their first job took them to Trenton, Utah where Don was hired by the Soil Conservation Service and their first child Tamara was born in Logan, Utah. Still working for the SCS the family moved to Torrington, Wyo., and eventually settling in Wheatland and Sheridan. Elvis and Ashby were born while in Sheridan.

The family moved to the Tower Ranch just east of Devil's Tower, where Don ran a large herd of cattle, raised hay and feed and they did all of the ranch work as a family with teams of horses. That year, 1945-1946, Glenna taught in a one-room school in Crook County Wyoming to 3 little girls. She and Tamara road horseback each day. In the fall of 1946 Glenna was persuaded teach English and Drama at the high school in Moorcroft, Wyo. She moved with the children to take the teaching assignment.

In the spring of 1947 the family of 5 moved to Thermopolis where Don was hired to be the County Agent of Hot Springs County until retirement in 1969. They purchase the home at 804 Mondell where Glenna resided for 68 years. In Thermopolis 2 more children were born Melene and Jeryl Don. Their lives were filled with community service in advancing the agricultural programs in Hot Springs County. She worked alongside Don in 4-H programs as a project leader, 4-H camps, county fairs and extension clubs that helped support families. The family also raised a large garden and cultivated a beautiful yard with many flowers.

Glenna taught 4th grade at the Hill School in Thermopolis for 2 years and continued to substitute teach all grades. In 1964 she was hired by the State of Wyoming with the Department of Family Services in child casework. She continued to work for DFS until Don was given an assignment by University of Wyoming to be manager of the project farm at Kabul University in Kabul, Afghanistan. Their youngest son Jeryl accompanied them for the 2 1/2 years they were gone. Daughter Melene joined the family in the summer of 1969. Glenna was active in the American Women's Club supporting and helping the Afghan People. She was the Hospital Chairman organizing the volunteer programs for 3 large hospitals. She also taught Seminary, a LDS early morning education program. While living in Afghanistan they were able to travel to different countries including Russia, Africa, Israel, India and Europe to mention a few.

Returning to Thermopolis during the summer of 1971 Glenna continued her work with Social Services until retirement in 1979. Don passed away May 31, 1977.

Glenna was active in the LDS Church serving in many positions, and supporting her husband Don while he was the Bishop of the Thermopolis LDS Ward. She served a mission for the LDS Church to Winnipeg, Canada from 1980-1981. Glenna was an active member of Extension Homemaker Clubs, Thermopolis Women's Club, various civic organizations, Hospital Auxiliary, was on several advisory boards for Thermopolis and for the State of Wyoming.

Glenna was honored by several outstanding awards. She was nominated as Wyoming Mother of the Year in 1983; she was the recipient of the Quealey Award, an award given to outstanding community leaders; the Lifetime Achievement Award presented at the State 4-H Leaders Conference 2010; and she was award the community Golden Shovel for her beautiful yard. Her hobbies were family, flowers, her roses, making quilts for all of her grandchildren, making homemade wheat bread for the community, going to exercise class 3 days a week, and opening her home and heart to her neighbors and friends.

She is survived by one sister, Maud Brown of Kanab, Utah; children, Tamara Lockhart of Thermopolis, Elvis (Ann) Tippets of Arvada, Colo., Ashby (Susan) Tippets of Lyman, Wyo., Melene (Bill) Mierzejewski of Thermopolis, and Jeryl Don Tippets of Centennial , Colo .; 26 grandchildren; 71 great-grandchildren, and 1 great great-granddaughter.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Don H. Tippets; mother and father; brothers, LuWayne Wood, Cleo Wood, Calvert Wood, Jack Wood; sister Leah Naegle; and son-in-law, Don Lockhart.

Funeral services will be held at the LDS Church in Thermopolis on Friday, Dec. 4 at 10 a.m. A viewing will be held on Thursday, Dec. 3 from 7-9 p.m., also at the LDS Church. Interment will be at the Riverside Cemetery beside her husband following the funeral proceedings.

Funeral arrangements were made by the Mortimore Funeral Home in Thermopolis. Online condolences/memories may be expressed at http://www.mortfh.com.