Lu Ann Deeben 1948 – 2018 Ann was born on August 20, 1948 to William John Wilson and Lilla Bell (LU) Holtzclaw Wilson in Alamosa, Colorado. Ann was born with long black hair and at the age of 3 months her mom and a friend gave her a permanent. There after garnering oohs and aaws over this beautiful curly headed baby.
At six months of age she was admitted to the Alamosa Hospital with double pneumonia, at age 4 she decided she could milk the meanest cow in the county scaring her mom, dad and grandparents half to death. At age seven on a trip to Oregon and Washington Ann contracted Polio and was rushed back to Salt Lake where she received treatment from doctors from Primary Children’s Hospital. Ann has had problems with her health from the very beginning.
Ann has loved music her entire life. In high school she joined the school choir and then a High School Choir group called the Continentals. A friend of Ann’s, sister Rita heard Ann sing and got her singing gigs at weddings and group gatherings and parties.
She had developed a coloratura soprano voice and received a scholarship to BYU in voice. A professor in speech told Ann she had one of the most monotone voices he had ever heard and yet was so enjoyable to watch when she talked because of her facial expressions. Yet Coloratura means full of color and emotion.
Her voice professor envisioned Ann as a professional vocalist possibly singing at the Met. But all Ann wanted to do was sing lullabies to her children. As a mother Ann had a mischievous side, she often took Paul and his brother from another mother Nathan out toilet papering homes in the neighborhood.
Ann would drive the boys to the designated victim’s home and then stand watch while the deed was done. After completion of the deed which took place between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. in the morning, Ann would take the boys to Betty’s Doughnut Shop for hot doughnuts right out of the fryer and a carton of milk. Donna the owner of Betty’s would let them into the shop so they could have a treat after their adventure of the night.
On one occasion Ann gave the kids in the carpool which she drove for, a treat of crackers and cheese and a rubber mouse. Where upon several of the mothers found mice in there cupboards scaring many of them. Her pranks were legendary right down to scaring her family.
When Desert Storm broke out Ann was talking to the wife of a soldier who was in Kuwait and wrote home about all the negative press that was being given to the military. Ann upon hearing about this decided to start a group that supported our troops. She was not about to let another Vietnam happen to those who put their lives on the line in defending democracy and the freedoms that we enjoy here in the United States.
Ann met with the wives of the National Guard soldiers and received permission from them and the National Guard to hold rallies at the state capitol. She then sought permission from the state to hold the rallies on the capitol steps. It is my personal belief that she helped turn the tide of negative commentary to one of more positive commentary toward the men and women who were serving our great country in preserving our freedoms and those of citizens of other countries.
In November of 1992 Ann contracted a staph infection from surgery that took over six months to eradicate. Then in April of 2001 she was diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis, scaring of the interstitial tissue in the lungs and we were told she had less than year to 14 months to live; however, Ann had other ideas and made it an additional 17 and a half years. Ann was proceeded in death by her parents Bill and Lu Wilson, sisters Rita Cheryl Edgel (Reid), Kay Lee VanDyke (Que) and daughter Amy Lee Deeben.
She is survived by her husband Glen, son Paul (Jill), and grandsons Jared, Zachary and Nathan and 8 step-grandchildren Taylor, Isaac, Cameron, Lily, Lexi, Jacob, Johnny, and McKy. Funeral services will be held Dec. 28, 2018 11 a.m. at the Butler West Stake Center, 1845 East 7200 South.
Interment Springville Evergreen Cemetery. In lieu of flowers please donate to your favorite charity or to the LDS churches continuing education fund in Ann’s name.
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