Rudolph Stephan Obituary (1913 - 2008)

“Rudy” Rudy Stephan, age 94, passed away Friday, January 4th at his granddaughter’s home in Las Vegas, NV. He was on vacation with his daughter and son-in-law. He was born November 18, 1913 in Bingham Canyon, UT, the fourth of five children to Anton and Annie Stephan. He attended school in Midvale, UT graduating from Jordan High School. He worked very hard on the family farm in Midvale throughout his years in junior and senior high school. His fondest childhood memory was building and flying kites with his brothers, sister and his friends. Later he was an avid baseball player. In junior high school he was playing in a game and remembers his turn at bat and lo and behold he knocked in a home run and won the game. He could still see that day in his mind throughout the rest of his life. He went on to play in the American Legion Ball Club for five years. He described himself as honest, hard working, and loyal to his company, Kennecott Copper. He was the loan officer for Kennecott Credit Union for fifty years. He married Mary Olive Shelton, later divorced. He married Mildred Reese and later was her care giver for 10 years while she was bedridden until her death. He lived with his daughter and son-in-law for nearly six years until his death. During that time, he traveled with them to New York, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Italy, California, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, Williamsburg, Virginia, Alaska, Washington D.C., Montana, Oregon, Yellowstone Park and Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Mt. Rushmore, and Hawaii. He found his family in Slovenia and this became the grandest experience of all. He was able to visit them four times in his later years visiting the home of his parents and grandparents in Ravenauce, Slovenia. He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers John, Joe (Elizbeth), Frank (Melba), and his sister Ann (Stan) and his stepson Walter Cracraft. He is survived by his daughter, Susan Jensen, son-in-law Reed Jensen, grandchildren Stace Jensen, Kristen Jensen, Brett Jensen (Erin), and Alexis Cowley (Dan). He has eight great-grandchildren, Brad Jensen, Daniel Jensen, Brittany Haggard, Michelle Preslar, Hayden Jensen, Hunter Jensen, Hadley Jensen and Ella Cowley and seven great-great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 12, 2008 at Jenkins-Soffe Mortuary, 4760 So. State Street, Murray, UT. The viewing will also be at the mortuary on Friday evening, January 11th , from 6-8 p.m. and one hour prior to services on Saturday. Interment: Murray City Cemetery.