- Date Of Birth: August 25, 1918
- Date Of Death: October 1, 2018
- State: Idaho
Beatrice Mary Luthi Croft was born on August 25, 1918, in Afton, WY to Fredrick Luthi and Mary Zollinger Luthi, the oldest of four children born to Mary. She was blessed to join Ernold, Frank and Ella born to Fredrick Luthi and deceased wife, Clara Smith. Beatrice grew up on the family farm in Freedom with her sisters Leora and Alta and brother Dale.
Beatrice attended school in the two-room Idaho schoolhouse, 9th grade in the new Freedom WY. Elementary school and high school in Afton, WY. where she graduated in 1936.
Beatrice worked on the family farm helping her Dad milk cows and putting up hay during the summers. She loved working beside her dad who often bragged about his daughters. Quote: “He’d rather have his girl-crew, than any hired hand in town.”
After graduation, Beatrice worked at Chadwick Mercantile in Freedom. Later, she was employed by Lower Valley Power & Light as a bookkeeper/secretary. She owned and operated the Freedom store; worked short periods of time for Star Valley Cheese Factory and Polaris Industries and part-time for the telephone company. After the Freedom store was closed she worked full time for the Silver Star Telephone Company until her retirement.
While working at Chadwicks, Beatrice meet and later married Bill Croft on September 13, 1941 in Idaho Falls with their friends Keith Robinson and Verda Titensor. The couple was later sealed in the Logan Temple in March of 1942. Bill was soon drafted into the US. Army where he served for 3 1/2 years. Once he returned from WWII, they made their home in Freedom where they farmed, ran the local store and raised their four daughters.
Once leaving Star Valley at retirement, Beatrice and Bill lived a number of years in Wellsville, and St. George, Utah. After the death of Bill, she moved to Sandy, Utah to live for several years with her daughter, Julie and her family. On August 25, 2018, Beatrice celebrated her 100th birthday. Family and friends, many who traveled from several surrounding states, enjoyed this 100th celebrate with Beatrice and her family. A few short weeks after, she peacefully returned to her Heavenly Father.
Beatrice was preceded in death by her husband, William (Bill) Croft, brothers, Ernold, and Frank Luthi, sisters, Ella Johnson, and Leora Rainey, and her parents.
She is survived by her sister, Alta Wolfley and brother, Dale Luthi, her daughters, Connie (Roger Christensen), Jana (Duane Pounder), Teina (Richard Moore), Julie (Bradley Ford), eighteen grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.
