Delsa McClean Sjostrom (sister)
Powell Bennett McLean (brother)
George Mark McLean (brother)
John McLean (Grandfather)
Janet Moffat McLean (Grandmother)
Gilbert John McLean passed away on August 3, 2011 at the age of ninety-one, in Salt Lake City, Utah, of causes incident to age.
Gilbert was born February 28, 1920 in Salt Lake City, Utah. He graduated from South High School and attended the University of Utah, where he met Maurine Jackson. He served in the East Central States Mission and the year following his release, Gilbert and Maurine were married on October 29, 1943 in the Salt Lake Temple.
His schooling was interrupted when he was drafted into the U.S. Army. He served in the Central European Theater from May 9, 1944 and returned home on March 8, 1946. Gilbert's greatest joy in life was his family. He taught them to work and that you don't quit until the job is done.
He was a faithful member of the LDS Church and served in many positions, including Bishop of the Liberty Park Ward. He enjoyed working in the Scouting program and received the Silver Beaver Award.
Gilbert is survived by his wife, Maurine; children, Kathleen (Dennis) Judd, Marilyn, Rosemary (Duane) Swapp, Powell (Lorraine), John (Leslie), David (Stacey Jo), Douglas (Jandeen), and Steven (Diane); twenty-nine grandchildren; and twenty-seven great-grandchildren. Preceded in death by his parents; son, Mark (Claire); and two grandchildren.
Funeral Services will be held on Monday, August 15, 2011 at 1:00 p.m. in the Liberty Ward Chapel, 445 Harvard Avenue, Salt Lake City. A viewing will be held on Sunday from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Garner Funeral Home, 1001 11th Avenue, Salt Lake City, and prior to the services in the Liberty Ward Building from 11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.
Interment at the Salt Lake City Cemetery.
Published in the Deseret News on August 10, 2011.
Missionary Experience
Gilbert served as district president in the North Carolina East area. He became good friends with and appreciated many of the members. He was particularly fond of sister Chloe Hodge, a member in Raleigh, who did many things for the missionaries.
In his journal, he mentioned many other members that he still had fond memories of. Included among those he mentioned from Goldboro are: Mary Epps, Christine Epps, Bertie Epps, Libby Sadler, Frankie Gwaltney, Lathan wiggins, and others who provided him many delicious meals as well as frequent lodgings. He particularly enjoyed fruit-cake,and "extra good, cold, buttermilk" at Bertie Epp's house. For relaxation, he sometimes played chinese-checkers with the Epps family for pennies.
Baptisms that he personally performed in North Carolina included:
Mary Isabelle Gwaltney, and Needham Eugene Jones (Goldsboro);Alice Mae Hamilton Smith (Wilmington) William Clayton Henderson and Adolph Nethercutt (Beaulaville); Thomas Leo Braxton (Greenville)
-from a letter to Mary Epps Spiron, 25 Sept 1992
Christine Epp's recalled how Gilbert had installed the first electric lights in the home of Bertie Epps. Once the electrical work had been done, he boldly declared "Let there be light!" , and there was.
World War II experience (direct quotes from a letter he wrote to Christine Epps Gardner, dated December 3, 1998):
"After returning home to Salt Lake City, after my Mission, I went back to the University of Utah ,Mechanical Engineering Department...toward the end of my Senior year, I was drafted into the Army, here at Ft. Douglas, Utah. After Basic-training in Ft. Riley, Kansas and Camp Howze, Texas, I went overseas to Europe, with a Combat-Infantry Unit...ending up right in the middle of the "Battle of the Bulge" between Belgium and Germany. It was rough, as you migh well imagine (so totally different from my previous life---) but I'm a tough survivor-type. I'll find a way to cope, with the good Lord's help. During part of that time out in the Ardennes Forest--3 ft of snow and about 0 degrees F., I was taken as a P.O.W. down over into Dachau...a German extermination camp. But after 3-weeks of getting to know the place from the inside...while asking for directions (from you know who)...I got a special "mental-message" and I followed it explicitly--going out thru a rear door (that ALWAYS was locked previously) quickly dashing into the forest land that surrounded the place...going undercover...mostly in the dark of night...until I was well way..up streams and creeks so I couldn't be tracked by footprints or scent...after two weeks making it back to my Unit near Nuremberg (where the War-Trials were later held.). I later served in the Count-intelligence Corps 3rd Army Hdqrts...and still later with the same at 1st Army..undercover...in civilian clothes..out in front of the Front-Lines.
After the war, I waited for about 3-months down in Marseille, France, for a chance to come home...finally almost 11,000 of us on a BIG ship that had been converted to Army use as a troop ship...and 11-days seasick on a rough ocean...finally seeing the "Statue of Liberty" in the the harbor back in the good old USA."
He also quoted this:
"Life is Sweet, because of the Friends we make, and the things which in common we share And we want to live on, not because of ourselves but for others who care. Its giving and doing for someone else, that the joy of the world is found. And we want to live on not because of ourselves, and the joy of the world is found in the making of Friends... "
Another one of his favorite sayings was "You have to live your life forward...but you only understand it backwards". -from a letter to Mary Epps Spiron, 25 Sept 1992
Marriage Announcment:
Salt Lake tribune. Thursday Morning October 28, 1943
Miss Maurine Jackson, daughter, of Mr. and.Mrs. S. Andrew Jackson, 763 East Fifth South street, and Gilbert John McLean; son of Mr. and Mrs. George Mark McLean, 1094 Fourth East street, will be married Friday at 11 a. m. in the LDS. temple, with Harold B. Lee officiating. Following the ceremony, the couple' will be honored at a wedding luncheon at the. Lion House social center.' The bride-to-be .is a former University-of Utah student and a graduate of the L D S hospital school. of nursing. Mr. McLean is a mechanical' engineering student at the University of Utah, where he is affiliated with Beta Sigma Eta, professional engineering fraternity. He fulfilled an LDS mission to the east central states and is a member'of Delta Phi fraternity. The wedding reception' will be at the home of the bride's parents Friday from 8 to 11 p. m. Attendants will be Merle Burman, bridesmaid, and Hugh Darwin Brown, best man.
Delsa McClean Sjostrom (sister)
Powell Bennett McLean (brother)
George Mark McLean (brother)
John McLean (Grandfather)
Janet Moffat McLean (Grandmother)
Gilbert John McLean passed away on August 3, 2011 at the age of ninety-one, in Salt Lake City, Utah, of causes incident to age.
Gilbert was born February 28, 1920 in Salt Lake City, Utah. He graduated from South High School and attended the University of Utah, where he met Maurine Jackson. He served in the East Central States Mission and the year following his release, Gilbert and Maurine were married on October 29, 1943 in the Salt Lake Temple.
His schooling was interrupted when he was drafted into the U.S. Army. He served in the Central European Theater from May 9, 1944 and returned home on March 8, 1946. Gilbert's greatest joy in life was his family. He taught them to work and that you don't quit until the job is done.
He was a faithful member of the LDS Church and served in many positions, including Bishop of the Liberty Park Ward. He enjoyed working in the Scouting program and received the Silver Beaver Award.
Gilbert is survived by his wife, Maurine; children, Kathleen (Dennis) Judd, Marilyn, Rosemary (Duane) Swapp, Powell (Lorraine), John (Leslie), David (Stacey Jo), Douglas (Jandeen), and Steven (Diane); twenty-nine grandchildren; and twenty-seven great-grandchildren. Preceded in death by his parents; son, Mark (Claire); and two grandchildren.
Funeral Services will be held on Monday, August 15, 2011 at 1:00 p.m. in the Liberty Ward Chapel, 445 Harvard Avenue, Salt Lake City. A viewing will be held on Sunday from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Garner Funeral Home, 1001 11th Avenue, Salt Lake City, and prior to the services in the Liberty Ward Building from 11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.
Interment at the Salt Lake City Cemetery.
Published in the Deseret News on August 10, 2011.
Missionary Experience
Gilbert served as district president in the North Carolina East area. He became good friends with and appreciated many of the members. He was particularly fond of sister Chloe Hodge, a member in Raleigh, who did many things for the missionaries.
In his journal, he mentioned many other members that he still had fond memories of. Included among those he mentioned from Goldboro are: Mary Epps, Christine Epps, Bertie Epps, Libby Sadler, Frankie Gwaltney, Lathan wiggins, and others who provided him many delicious meals as well as frequent lodgings. He particularly enjoyed fruit-cake,and "extra good, cold, buttermilk" at Bertie Epp's house. For relaxation, he sometimes played chinese-checkers with the Epps family for pennies.
Baptisms that he personally performed in North Carolina included:
Mary Isabelle Gwaltney, and Needham Eugene Jones (Goldsboro);Alice Mae Hamilton Smith (Wilmington) William Clayton Henderson and Adolph Nethercutt (Beaulaville); Thomas Leo Braxton (Greenville)
-from a letter to Mary Epps Spiron, 25 Sept 1992
Christine Epp's recalled how Gilbert had installed the first electric lights in the home of Bertie Epps. Once the electrical work had been done, he boldly declared "Let there be light!" , and there was.
World War II experience (direct quotes from a letter he wrote to Christine Epps Gardner, dated December 3, 1998):
"After returning home to Salt Lake City, after my Mission, I went back to the University of Utah ,Mechanical Engineering Department...toward the end of my Senior year, I was drafted into the Army, here at Ft. Douglas, Utah. After Basic-training in Ft. Riley, Kansas and Camp Howze, Texas, I went overseas to Europe, with a Combat-Infantry Unit...ending up right in the middle of the "Battle of the Bulge" between Belgium and Germany. It was rough, as you migh well imagine (so totally different from my previous life---) but I'm a tough survivor-type. I'll find a way to cope, with the good Lord's help. During part of that time out in the Ardennes Forest--3 ft of snow and about 0 degrees F., I was taken as a P.O.W. down over into Dachau...a German extermination camp. But after 3-weeks of getting to know the place from the inside...while asking for directions (from you know who)...I got a special "mental-message" and I followed it explicitly--going out thru a rear door (that ALWAYS was locked previously) quickly dashing into the forest land that surrounded the place...going undercover...mostly in the dark of night...until I was well way..up streams and creeks so I couldn't be tracked by footprints or scent...after two weeks making it back to my Unit near Nuremberg (where the War-Trials were later held.). I later served in the Count-intelligence Corps 3rd Army Hdqrts...and still later with the same at 1st Army..undercover...in civilian clothes..out in front of the Front-Lines.
After the war, I waited for about 3-months down in Marseille, France, for a chance to come home...finally almost 11,000 of us on a BIG ship that had been converted to Army use as a troop ship...and 11-days seasick on a rough ocean...finally seeing the "Statue of Liberty" in the the harbor back in the good old USA."
He also quoted this:
"Life is Sweet, because of the Friends we make, and the things which in common we share And we want to live on, not because of ourselves but for others who care. Its giving and doing for someone else, that the joy of the world is found. And we want to live on not because of ourselves, and the joy of the world is found in the making of Friends... "
Another one of his favorite sayings was "You have to live your life forward...but you only understand it backwards". -from a letter to Mary Epps Spiron, 25 Sept 1992
Marriage Announcment:
Salt Lake tribune. Thursday Morning October 28, 1943
Miss Maurine Jackson, daughter, of Mr. and.Mrs. S. Andrew Jackson, 763 East Fifth South street, and Gilbert John McLean; son of Mr. and Mrs. George Mark McLean, 1094 Fourth East street, will be married Friday at 11 a. m. in the LDS. temple, with Harold B. Lee officiating. Following the ceremony, the couple' will be honored at a wedding luncheon at the. Lion House social center.' The bride-to-be .is a former University-of Utah student and a graduate of the L D S hospital school. of nursing. Mr. McLean is a mechanical' engineering student at the University of Utah, where he is affiliated with Beta Sigma Eta, professional engineering fraternity. He fulfilled an LDS mission to the east central states and is a member'of Delta Phi fraternity. The wedding reception' will be at the home of the bride's parents Friday from 8 to 11 p. m. Attendants will be Merle Burman, bridesmaid, and Hugh Darwin Brown, best man.
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
