Lillian was born on October 14, 1906, in Kanab, Utah, to John Charles and Harriet Lillian Hadfield Averett. She died on October 8, 1999, due to causes incident to age.
She was raised in Kanab. She was intelligent and an independent thinker. She only completed high school through the 10th grade because her family couldn't afford to buy her school books beyond then. The principal at Kanab High School made arrangements for her to attend as long as she did because, he said, "She has one of the few minds around here worth educating."
Some of her greatest strengths were a dry wit and droll sense of humor. She faced a great deal of hardship in her life, but powered through on grit and humor.
She was an excellent cook and seamstress. Her pies were legendary. She loved music, singing, and dancing. She cultivated beautiful flowers. She was a voracious reader. (One of her "dirty little secrets" was that she read every Harlequin Romance that ever came out.) She learned much about geography and world politics from the books she read. She remained up to date and able to discuss current events through most of her life.
She met Lewis Koyle Thomas when she worked at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon as a cabin maid. He was head foreman of the group engineering Bright Angel Trail. He was taken with her spunk and intelligence, and being a handsome and intelligent man himself, she was immediately smitten with him. They were married in Parowan, Utah, on July 3, 1931. Tragically, he was killed in a construction accident in Monrovia, California, on December 5, 1932. Lillian was five months expectant with their first child at the time.
She returned to Kanab, Utah, and gave birth to Barbara Koyle Thomas in March, 1933. Her heart remained with Koyle and she never remarried.
She opened her own restaurant called, "The Ideal Cafe" which she operated for several years. In order to provide for Barbara and herself, she also worked as a house, hotel, and hospital maid. She was proud that she never took a dime of "charity" from the government or any other entity.
She doted on her daughter. They couldn't afford to buy high fashion, but Lillian's creative skills saw to it that Barbara was always one of the best-dressed girls around.
Most of her life was spent in Kanab, but when Barbara was fourteen they moved to Provo, Utah. She stayed there until 1962, when Barbara was married. She then returned to Kanab.
Barbara, her husband Bob, and Lillian opened a business together, "The Frostop" in Kanab, and she was actively involved in its operation for most of the thirty-three years they owned it.
She was a hard worker and a perfectionist. She expected everyone else to be the same. She was stubborn as a mule but that helped to get her through the rough patches in her life.
She was preceded in death by her parents; siblings; and husband, Koyle. Also preceded by her brother and sister-in-law, Ernest and Allie Smith, who provided her a beautiful link to Koyle after he passed.
She is survived by her daughter Barbara (Bob) Russell, of Kanab, Utah; granddaughters Lynn (Barry) Nielsen, of Cedar City, Utah; Gina (Mark) Lloyd, of Panaca, Nevada; and five great-grandchildren: Devin (Kristen) Lloyd, Midway, Utah; Derek (Jenna) Lloyd; Pioche, Nevada; Alec Lloyd, Panaca, Nevada; and Madelin and Allie Nielsen of Cedar City, Utah.
In the last years of her life she worried that Koyle wouldn't want her back. As her family, we are assured that they are finally reunited and making up for lost time.
She was raised in Kanab. She was intelligent and an independent thinker. She only completed high school through the 10th grade because her family couldn't afford to buy her school books beyond then. The principal at Kanab High School made arrangements for her to attend as long as she did because, he said, "She has one of the few minds around here worth educating."
Some of her greatest strengths were a dry wit and droll sense of humor. She faced a great deal of hardship in her life, but powered through on grit and humor.
She was an excellent cook and seamstress. Her pies were legendary. She loved music, singing, and dancing. She cultivated beautiful flowers. She was a voracious reader. (One of her "dirty little secrets" was that she read every Harlequin Romance that ever came out.) She learned much about geography and world politics from the books she read. She remained up to date and able to discuss current events through most of her life.
She met Lewis Koyle Thomas when she worked at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon as a cabin maid. He was head foreman of the group engineering Bright Angel Trail. He was taken with her spunk and intelligence, and being a handsome and intelligent man himself, she was immediately smitten with him. They were married in Parowan, Utah, on July 3, 1931. Tragically, he was killed in a construction accident in Monrovia, California, on December 5, 1932. Lillian was five months expectant with their first child at the time.
She returned to Kanab, Utah, and gave birth to Barbara Koyle Thomas in March, 1933. Her heart remained with Koyle and she never remarried.
She opened her own restaurant called, "The Ideal Cafe" which she operated for several years. In order to provide for Barbara and herself, she also worked as a house, hotel, and hospital maid. She was proud that she never took a dime of "charity" from the government or any other entity.
She doted on her daughter. They couldn't afford to buy high fashion, but Lillian's creative skills saw to it that Barbara was always one of the best-dressed girls around.
Most of her life was spent in Kanab, but when Barbara was fourteen they moved to Provo, Utah. She stayed there until 1962, when Barbara was married. She then returned to Kanab.
Barbara, her husband Bob, and Lillian opened a business together, "The Frostop" in Kanab, and she was actively involved in its operation for most of the thirty-three years they owned it.
She was a hard worker and a perfectionist. She expected everyone else to be the same. She was stubborn as a mule but that helped to get her through the rough patches in her life.
She was preceded in death by her parents; siblings; and husband, Koyle. Also preceded by her brother and sister-in-law, Ernest and Allie Smith, who provided her a beautiful link to Koyle after he passed.
She is survived by her daughter Barbara (Bob) Russell, of Kanab, Utah; granddaughters Lynn (Barry) Nielsen, of Cedar City, Utah; Gina (Mark) Lloyd, of Panaca, Nevada; and five great-grandchildren: Devin (Kristen) Lloyd, Midway, Utah; Derek (Jenna) Lloyd; Pioche, Nevada; Alec Lloyd, Panaca, Nevada; and Madelin and Allie Nielsen of Cedar City, Utah.
In the last years of her life she worried that Koyle wouldn't want her back. As her family, we are assured that they are finally reunited and making up for lost time.
Lillian was born on October 14, 1906, in Kanab, Utah, to John Charles and Harriet Lillian Hadfield Averett. She died on October 8, 1999, due to causes incident to age.
She was raised in Kanab. She was intelligent and an independent thinker. She only completed high school through the 10th grade because her family couldn't afford to buy her school books beyond then. The principal at Kanab High School made arrangements for her to attend as long as she did because, he said, "She has one of the few minds around here worth educating."
Some of her greatest strengths were a dry wit and droll sense of humor. She faced a great deal of hardship in her life, but powered through on grit and humor.
She was an excellent cook and seamstress. Her pies were legendary. She loved music, singing, and dancing. She cultivated beautiful flowers. She was a voracious reader. (One of her "dirty little secrets" was that she read every Harlequin Romance that ever came out.) She learned much about geography and world politics from the books she read. She remained up to date and able to discuss current events through most of her life.
She met Lewis Koyle Thomas when she worked at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon as a cabin maid. He was head foreman of the group engineering Bright Angel Trail. He was taken with her spunk and intelligence, and being a handsome and intelligent man himself, she was immediately smitten with him. They were married in Parowan, Utah, on July 3, 1931. Tragically, he was killed in a construction accident in Monrovia, California, on December 5, 1932. Lillian was five months expectant with their first child at the time.
She returned to Kanab, Utah, and gave birth to Barbara Koyle Thomas in March, 1933. Her heart remained with Koyle and she never remarried.
She opened her own restaurant called, "The Ideal Cafe" which she operated for several years. In order to provide for Barbara and herself, she also worked as a house, hotel, and hospital maid. She was proud that she never took a dime of "charity" from the government or any other entity.
She doted on her daughter. They couldn't afford to buy high fashion, but Lillian's creative skills saw to it that Barbara was always one of the best-dressed girls around.
Most of her life was spent in Kanab, but when Barbara was fourteen they moved to Provo, Utah. She stayed there until 1962, when Barbara was married. She then returned to Kanab.
Barbara, her husband Bob, and Lillian opened a business together, "The Frostop" in Kanab, and she was actively involved in its operation for most of the thirty-three years they owned it.
She was a hard worker and a perfectionist. She expected everyone else to be the same. She was stubborn as a mule but that helped to get her through the rough patches in her life.
She was preceded in death by her parents; siblings; and husband, Koyle. Also preceded by her brother and sister-in-law, Ernest and Allie Smith, who provided her a beautiful link to Koyle after he passed.
She is survived by her daughter Barbara (Bob) Russell, of Kanab, Utah; granddaughters Lynn (Barry) Nielsen, of Cedar City, Utah; Gina (Mark) Lloyd, of Panaca, Nevada; and five great-grandchildren: Devin (Kristen) Lloyd, Midway, Utah; Derek (Jenna) Lloyd; Pioche, Nevada; Alec Lloyd, Panaca, Nevada; and Madelin and Allie Nielsen of Cedar City, Utah.
In the last years of her life she worried that Koyle wouldn't want her back. As her family, we are assured that they are finally reunited and making up for lost time.
She was raised in Kanab. She was intelligent and an independent thinker. She only completed high school through the 10th grade because her family couldn't afford to buy her school books beyond then. The principal at Kanab High School made arrangements for her to attend as long as she did because, he said, "She has one of the few minds around here worth educating."
Some of her greatest strengths were a dry wit and droll sense of humor. She faced a great deal of hardship in her life, but powered through on grit and humor.
She was an excellent cook and seamstress. Her pies were legendary. She loved music, singing, and dancing. She cultivated beautiful flowers. She was a voracious reader. (One of her "dirty little secrets" was that she read every Harlequin Romance that ever came out.) She learned much about geography and world politics from the books she read. She remained up to date and able to discuss current events through most of her life.
She met Lewis Koyle Thomas when she worked at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon as a cabin maid. He was head foreman of the group engineering Bright Angel Trail. He was taken with her spunk and intelligence, and being a handsome and intelligent man himself, she was immediately smitten with him. They were married in Parowan, Utah, on July 3, 1931. Tragically, he was killed in a construction accident in Monrovia, California, on December 5, 1932. Lillian was five months expectant with their first child at the time.
She returned to Kanab, Utah, and gave birth to Barbara Koyle Thomas in March, 1933. Her heart remained with Koyle and she never remarried.
She opened her own restaurant called, "The Ideal Cafe" which she operated for several years. In order to provide for Barbara and herself, she also worked as a house, hotel, and hospital maid. She was proud that she never took a dime of "charity" from the government or any other entity.
She doted on her daughter. They couldn't afford to buy high fashion, but Lillian's creative skills saw to it that Barbara was always one of the best-dressed girls around.
Most of her life was spent in Kanab, but when Barbara was fourteen they moved to Provo, Utah. She stayed there until 1962, when Barbara was married. She then returned to Kanab.
Barbara, her husband Bob, and Lillian opened a business together, "The Frostop" in Kanab, and she was actively involved in its operation for most of the thirty-three years they owned it.
She was a hard worker and a perfectionist. She expected everyone else to be the same. She was stubborn as a mule but that helped to get her through the rough patches in her life.
She was preceded in death by her parents; siblings; and husband, Koyle. Also preceded by her brother and sister-in-law, Ernest and Allie Smith, who provided her a beautiful link to Koyle after he passed.
She is survived by her daughter Barbara (Bob) Russell, of Kanab, Utah; granddaughters Lynn (Barry) Nielsen, of Cedar City, Utah; Gina (Mark) Lloyd, of Panaca, Nevada; and five great-grandchildren: Devin (Kristen) Lloyd, Midway, Utah; Derek (Jenna) Lloyd; Pioche, Nevada; Alec Lloyd, Panaca, Nevada; and Madelin and Allie Nielsen of Cedar City, Utah.
In the last years of her life she worried that Koyle wouldn't want her back. As her family, we are assured that they are finally reunited and making up for lost time.
Bio by: Lynn Nielsen
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
