Florence Plooma Holmes Stucki

Florence Plooma Holmes Stucki

Florence Plooma Holmes Stucki died January 8, 2022. She lived on a farm in Colorado near the town of Dove Creek, but her story really began in Cortez, Colorado, where she was born June 28, 1921 to homesteaders Arthur Clarence Holmes and Bessie Florence Davison. Her first home was a tent, where she lived for three months until her father finished building their house.

As the oldest child, she soon assumed responsibilities with both fields and cattle. She left home for the first time when she began first grade. At that time, she moved into Dove Creek to attend school, living with school teachers during the week and only coming home on weekends. As she grew older, she rode horseback or skis to a one-room country schoolhouse.

During World War II, her brother, Bill, contracted polio and was paralyzed from his neck down. Her family sold the farm at that time and moved to Kingman, Arizona, but Florence traveled to Denver to help Bill. Florence and Bill joined their family when he partially recovered, and she worked in the tool crib at the army air field.

At the end of the war, she found a job at a grocery store, where she met a man called Rocky Mountain, a truck driver who made deliveries to grocery stores throughout Arizona and Southern California.

Several years later, long after he was widowed, that truck driver asked Florence for a date. She married Lazelle Stucki November 2, 1952 and moved to Santa Clara, Utah, a community that welcomed her with open arms. Lazelle’s children, ElRoy, Maureen, Deanna, and Warren, also welcomed the good food, warm heart, and fun times she brought into their home. She and Lazelle had two more children, Von and Carla.

During those years, she resumed work she had enjoyed as a youngster, laboring on a farm, where she learned new skills of irrigating fields and packing tomatoes. She also began working as a part-time clerk in the Santa Clara post office, a position she held for over thirty years.

In 1962, Florence surprised her family by announcing that she wanted to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She had already been serving in the Sunday-School nursery and in Primary, where she learned fundamental doctrine. In total, she served thirty years as a nursery teacher, in addition to callings in Primary and Relief Society. She treasured the friendships she made in that service. She also worked at the temple and helped digitize church records. She had a fervent testimony of our Savior, tithing, and visiting teaching.

When Lazelle retired, he and Florence began raising cattle. How she loved spring roundups with Lazelle and the Gubler boys! She also loved camping and fishing every summer in the mountains.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her siblings, Bill, Ladene, and Helen; and her dear son, ElRoy. She is survived by the rest of her children. Her first home was a tent, but her last home was The Retreat at Sunbrook, where the staff cared for her with respect and love. Her family will be forever grateful for their tender care.

A viewing will be on Friday, January 14, 2022, 9:30 – 10:30 am at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Santa Clara 1st Ward, 3040 Santa Clara Drive, Santa Clara, Utah.

Funeral services will be held Friday, January 14, 2022, 11:00 am at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Santa Clara 1st Ward, 3040 Santa Clara Drive, Santa Clara, Utah.

Family and friends that are unable to attend are invited to view the Funeral Service online by clicking on the link below. Then click on Sacrament Meeting.

http://sc1stward.com/

Interment will be in the Santa Clara City Cemetery, Ancestor Way, Santa Clara, UT.

Arrangements are made under the direction of Spilsbury Mortuary, 110 South Bluff Street, St. George, Utah. 435-673-2454. Family and friends are invited to sign Florence’s online guest book at www.spilsburymortuary.com