Dolores Adamson Simons
April 4, 1929 ~ March 9, 2022
Dolores Adamson Simons passed away on March 9, 2022, at the age of 92. Born April 4, 1929, in Highland, Utah, she was the first child of Martell David and Etta LaRee Greenwood Adamson. Her sisters Shirley and Carole, and
brother David, followed after her. She attended schools in Spanish Fork, Utah, and graduated from Spanish Fork High where she excelled in Theater and Music. The quote written for her in her senior yearbook stated: "Sweet and witty and loved by everyone."
For several summers during her teenage and young adult years, Dolores worked at the lodge at Bryce National Park. Both her sisters later did the same, and her brother worked at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. This
tradition continued with all three of her children, as well as numerous nephews and a niece, working at either the North Rim, Bryce, or Zion National Park. The legacy she started grew to an estimated combined 125 summers at national parks from members of her extended family.
She attended both Brigham Young University and the University of Utah before graduating from the U with a bachelor's degree in Education in 1952. She taught English at West High School in Salt Lake City, where she was also given responsibilities for Speech Activities, the Drama Club, and the Assembly Committee. Her being hired for so many duties at her young age (she was just 23 years old) helped fill a void that had been created by male teachers going off to fight in the Korean War.
She loved to recount some of the more unique experiences she had at West High, including taking a knife away from a student during one class, and in another class, picking up a mouse by the tail and discarding it so her students would not think she was afraid. Because she was on the short side, and young, an administrator mistook
her for a student her first day on the job, and on another occasion, a senior boy, thinking she was a cute classmate, asked her out. Then there was the time that several burly football players took matters into their own hands and physically removed a disruptive classmate. Dolores never knew what they did to the boy, but the former
misbehaving student never gave her a problem again after that incident.
In the early 1950s, she embarked on a new adventure when she and a few friends went to Washington, D.C. where
she worked at Georgetown University as well as the Pentagon. It was during this time that she met Harold Wayne Simons in the local ward. They were married on February 21, 1955, in the Salt Lake Temple.
She and Harold welcomed their first child, Scott while living Back East. They later moved to California and Kevin and Janine joined the family. While living in Mission Hills, in the greater Los Angeles area, Dolores had the privilege of singing with the Mormon Choir of Southern California. Music had been and continued to be a great love of her life. She lamented that her voice gave out in her later years, although her daughter Janine recalls listening to her mother make the effort to join in with the congregational hymns during a Christmas program just a few months
before her passing.
In 1970, Harold and Dolores began what would be the greatest adventure for themselves and their children. At the time, the Peace Corps, which formerly had accepted only single adults as volunteers, opened their doors to admit married couples with children. Harold and Dolores saw this as an opportunity of a lifetime and took the plunge. The
family was assigned to work and live in Colombia, South America. Harold had served a Spanish-speaking mission, but Dolores had no familiarity with the language. But when assigned to teach English at a girls' boarding school,
she put aside her fears and offered not only her love of teaching, but also her love of the youth, and impacted the lives of many students once again.
Being a Peace Corps volunteer in Colombia had its unique challenges. Dolores and Harold and their children lived vastly different lives from other Americans living there at the time, the majority of whom were rich and worked for large corporations. But Dolores never let that deter her from doing what needed to be done. She would often ride the local bus to the central market, with three woven baskets in hand, to buy fresh produce right alongside the maids of those wealthy families.
During the Christmas season of 1971, mudslides washed out the pipes bringing fresh water into the city of Bucaramanga where they lived. For three weeks, the family learned to ration river water brought in by the local
army, as well as to cook with bottled water. When the water was restored on Christmas Eve, the family rejoiced in the miracle of having fresh water once again. When they returned to the United States, Dolores wrote of this
experience for the Deseret News' annual "Christmas I Remember Best" contest and her entry was published as one of the winners that year.
The family returned to Utah in 1972 where Dolores worked as the head cashier at LDS Hospital for a short time, and then returned to her teaching roots by working for the Young Mothers' program in the greater Salt Lake area.
She loved being able to offer an education to many young women who might normally have dropped out of school to have their babies. This experience led her to return to school herself and she received her master's degree in
Social Work in 1978 at the age of 49. She worked in school districts in Utah, had her own private practice, after having moved to Oregon, and worked with LDS Family Services in Idaho. Her compassionate heart and listening ear were a great blessing to many individuals.
While living on the Oregon Coast, she and Harold had one more adventure when they lived in a manufactured home on 14 acres where they enjoyed the natural beauty of the region including many animals that came to visit.
They also loved walking the nearby beaches, looking for agates. They then moved back to Idaho and lived in the small town of Weiser where they volunteered with the National Old-Time Fiddlers' Festival for many years. After 18 years in Weiser, she and Harold moved to South Jordan, Utah to live in the Sagewood at Daybreak retirement community where she was living at the time of her passing.
Dolores loved to cook well into her 90s and could turn leftovers into a gourmet meal in record time. She also loved books from an early age. One elementary school teacher wrote that she was an exceptional reader. As an adult,
she would frequently check out 6-8 books at a time, finishing them in a matter of days before returning for more. Dolores had read so many books, that she would often forget that she had read one until she was well into it. She set an example of the importance of literacy for her posterity. Frequent moves necessitated getting rid of boxes of books, something she regretted doing as recently as a few weeks before her passing.
Dolores was a member of the Sagewood Branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was loved by many.
She is survived by Harold, her husband of 67 years; her sisters Shirley Manwaring and Carole Ziegler; her son, Scott (Diana); her daughter, Janine; eight grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren, as well as a daughter-in-law, Loa Cyr and son-in-law, Randy Creager. She was preceded in death by her parents; her brother David Adamson; a son, Kevin Simons; and granddaughter Melissa Simons.
April 4, 1929 ~ March 9, 2022
Dolores Adamson Simons passed away on March 9, 2022, at the age of 92. Born April 4, 1929, in Highland, Utah, she was the first child of Martell David and Etta LaRee Greenwood Adamson. Her sisters Shirley and Carole, and
brother David, followed after her. She attended schools in Spanish Fork, Utah, and graduated from Spanish Fork High where she excelled in Theater and Music. The quote written for her in her senior yearbook stated: "Sweet and witty and loved by everyone."
For several summers during her teenage and young adult years, Dolores worked at the lodge at Bryce National Park. Both her sisters later did the same, and her brother worked at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. This
tradition continued with all three of her children, as well as numerous nephews and a niece, working at either the North Rim, Bryce, or Zion National Park. The legacy she started grew to an estimated combined 125 summers at national parks from members of her extended family.
She attended both Brigham Young University and the University of Utah before graduating from the U with a bachelor's degree in Education in 1952. She taught English at West High School in Salt Lake City, where she was also given responsibilities for Speech Activities, the Drama Club, and the Assembly Committee. Her being hired for so many duties at her young age (she was just 23 years old) helped fill a void that had been created by male teachers going off to fight in the Korean War.
She loved to recount some of the more unique experiences she had at West High, including taking a knife away from a student during one class, and in another class, picking up a mouse by the tail and discarding it so her students would not think she was afraid. Because she was on the short side, and young, an administrator mistook
her for a student her first day on the job, and on another occasion, a senior boy, thinking she was a cute classmate, asked her out. Then there was the time that several burly football players took matters into their own hands and physically removed a disruptive classmate. Dolores never knew what they did to the boy, but the former
misbehaving student never gave her a problem again after that incident.
In the early 1950s, she embarked on a new adventure when she and a few friends went to Washington, D.C. where
she worked at Georgetown University as well as the Pentagon. It was during this time that she met Harold Wayne Simons in the local ward. They were married on February 21, 1955, in the Salt Lake Temple.
She and Harold welcomed their first child, Scott while living Back East. They later moved to California and Kevin and Janine joined the family. While living in Mission Hills, in the greater Los Angeles area, Dolores had the privilege of singing with the Mormon Choir of Southern California. Music had been and continued to be a great love of her life. She lamented that her voice gave out in her later years, although her daughter Janine recalls listening to her mother make the effort to join in with the congregational hymns during a Christmas program just a few months
before her passing.
In 1970, Harold and Dolores began what would be the greatest adventure for themselves and their children. At the time, the Peace Corps, which formerly had accepted only single adults as volunteers, opened their doors to admit married couples with children. Harold and Dolores saw this as an opportunity of a lifetime and took the plunge. The
family was assigned to work and live in Colombia, South America. Harold had served a Spanish-speaking mission, but Dolores had no familiarity with the language. But when assigned to teach English at a girls' boarding school,
she put aside her fears and offered not only her love of teaching, but also her love of the youth, and impacted the lives of many students once again.
Being a Peace Corps volunteer in Colombia had its unique challenges. Dolores and Harold and their children lived vastly different lives from other Americans living there at the time, the majority of whom were rich and worked for large corporations. But Dolores never let that deter her from doing what needed to be done. She would often ride the local bus to the central market, with three woven baskets in hand, to buy fresh produce right alongside the maids of those wealthy families.
During the Christmas season of 1971, mudslides washed out the pipes bringing fresh water into the city of Bucaramanga where they lived. For three weeks, the family learned to ration river water brought in by the local
army, as well as to cook with bottled water. When the water was restored on Christmas Eve, the family rejoiced in the miracle of having fresh water once again. When they returned to the United States, Dolores wrote of this
experience for the Deseret News' annual "Christmas I Remember Best" contest and her entry was published as one of the winners that year.
The family returned to Utah in 1972 where Dolores worked as the head cashier at LDS Hospital for a short time, and then returned to her teaching roots by working for the Young Mothers' program in the greater Salt Lake area.
She loved being able to offer an education to many young women who might normally have dropped out of school to have their babies. This experience led her to return to school herself and she received her master's degree in
Social Work in 1978 at the age of 49. She worked in school districts in Utah, had her own private practice, after having moved to Oregon, and worked with LDS Family Services in Idaho. Her compassionate heart and listening ear were a great blessing to many individuals.
While living on the Oregon Coast, she and Harold had one more adventure when they lived in a manufactured home on 14 acres where they enjoyed the natural beauty of the region including many animals that came to visit.
They also loved walking the nearby beaches, looking for agates. They then moved back to Idaho and lived in the small town of Weiser where they volunteered with the National Old-Time Fiddlers' Festival for many years. After 18 years in Weiser, she and Harold moved to South Jordan, Utah to live in the Sagewood at Daybreak retirement community where she was living at the time of her passing.
Dolores loved to cook well into her 90s and could turn leftovers into a gourmet meal in record time. She also loved books from an early age. One elementary school teacher wrote that she was an exceptional reader. As an adult,
she would frequently check out 6-8 books at a time, finishing them in a matter of days before returning for more. Dolores had read so many books, that she would often forget that she had read one until she was well into it. She set an example of the importance of literacy for her posterity. Frequent moves necessitated getting rid of boxes of books, something she regretted doing as recently as a few weeks before her passing.
Dolores was a member of the Sagewood Branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was loved by many.
She is survived by Harold, her husband of 67 years; her sisters Shirley Manwaring and Carole Ziegler; her son, Scott (Diana); her daughter, Janine; eight grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren, as well as a daughter-in-law, Loa Cyr and son-in-law, Randy Creager. She was preceded in death by her parents; her brother David Adamson; a son, Kevin Simons; and granddaughter Melissa Simons.
Dolores Adamson Simons
April 4, 1929 ~ March 9, 2022
Dolores Adamson Simons passed away on March 9, 2022, at the age of 92. Born April 4, 1929, in Highland, Utah, she was the first child of Martell David and Etta LaRee Greenwood Adamson. Her sisters Shirley and Carole, and
brother David, followed after her. She attended schools in Spanish Fork, Utah, and graduated from Spanish Fork High where she excelled in Theater and Music. The quote written for her in her senior yearbook stated: "Sweet and witty and loved by everyone."
For several summers during her teenage and young adult years, Dolores worked at the lodge at Bryce National Park. Both her sisters later did the same, and her brother worked at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. This
tradition continued with all three of her children, as well as numerous nephews and a niece, working at either the North Rim, Bryce, or Zion National Park. The legacy she started grew to an estimated combined 125 summers at national parks from members of her extended family.
She attended both Brigham Young University and the University of Utah before graduating from the U with a bachelor's degree in Education in 1952. She taught English at West High School in Salt Lake City, where she was also given responsibilities for Speech Activities, the Drama Club, and the Assembly Committee. Her being hired for so many duties at her young age (she was just 23 years old) helped fill a void that had been created by male teachers going off to fight in the Korean War.
She loved to recount some of the more unique experiences she had at West High, including taking a knife away from a student during one class, and in another class, picking up a mouse by the tail and discarding it so her students would not think she was afraid. Because she was on the short side, and young, an administrator mistook
her for a student her first day on the job, and on another occasion, a senior boy, thinking she was a cute classmate, asked her out. Then there was the time that several burly football players took matters into their own hands and physically removed a disruptive classmate. Dolores never knew what they did to the boy, but the former
misbehaving student never gave her a problem again after that incident.
In the early 1950s, she embarked on a new adventure when she and a few friends went to Washington, D.C. where
she worked at Georgetown University as well as the Pentagon. It was during this time that she met Harold Wayne Simons in the local ward. They were married on February 21, 1955, in the Salt Lake Temple.
She and Harold welcomed their first child, Scott while living Back East. They later moved to California and Kevin and Janine joined the family. While living in Mission Hills, in the greater Los Angeles area, Dolores had the privilege of singing with the Mormon Choir of Southern California. Music had been and continued to be a great love of her life. She lamented that her voice gave out in her later years, although her daughter Janine recalls listening to her mother make the effort to join in with the congregational hymns during a Christmas program just a few months
before her passing.
In 1970, Harold and Dolores began what would be the greatest adventure for themselves and their children. At the time, the Peace Corps, which formerly had accepted only single adults as volunteers, opened their doors to admit married couples with children. Harold and Dolores saw this as an opportunity of a lifetime and took the plunge. The
family was assigned to work and live in Colombia, South America. Harold had served a Spanish-speaking mission, but Dolores had no familiarity with the language. But when assigned to teach English at a girls' boarding school,
she put aside her fears and offered not only her love of teaching, but also her love of the youth, and impacted the lives of many students once again.
Being a Peace Corps volunteer in Colombia had its unique challenges. Dolores and Harold and their children lived vastly different lives from other Americans living there at the time, the majority of whom were rich and worked for large corporations. But Dolores never let that deter her from doing what needed to be done. She would often ride the local bus to the central market, with three woven baskets in hand, to buy fresh produce right alongside the maids of those wealthy families.
During the Christmas season of 1971, mudslides washed out the pipes bringing fresh water into the city of Bucaramanga where they lived. For three weeks, the family learned to ration river water brought in by the local
army, as well as to cook with bottled water. When the water was restored on Christmas Eve, the family rejoiced in the miracle of having fresh water once again. When they returned to the United States, Dolores wrote of this
experience for the Deseret News' annual "Christmas I Remember Best" contest and her entry was published as one of the winners that year.
The family returned to Utah in 1972 where Dolores worked as the head cashier at LDS Hospital for a short time, and then returned to her teaching roots by working for the Young Mothers' program in the greater Salt Lake area.
She loved being able to offer an education to many young women who might normally have dropped out of school to have their babies. This experience led her to return to school herself and she received her master's degree in
Social Work in 1978 at the age of 49. She worked in school districts in Utah, had her own private practice, after having moved to Oregon, and worked with LDS Family Services in Idaho. Her compassionate heart and listening ear were a great blessing to many individuals.
While living on the Oregon Coast, she and Harold had one more adventure when they lived in a manufactured home on 14 acres where they enjoyed the natural beauty of the region including many animals that came to visit.
They also loved walking the nearby beaches, looking for agates. They then moved back to Idaho and lived in the small town of Weiser where they volunteered with the National Old-Time Fiddlers' Festival for many years. After 18 years in Weiser, she and Harold moved to South Jordan, Utah to live in the Sagewood at Daybreak retirement community where she was living at the time of her passing.
Dolores loved to cook well into her 90s and could turn leftovers into a gourmet meal in record time. She also loved books from an early age. One elementary school teacher wrote that she was an exceptional reader. As an adult,
she would frequently check out 6-8 books at a time, finishing them in a matter of days before returning for more. Dolores had read so many books, that she would often forget that she had read one until she was well into it. She set an example of the importance of literacy for her posterity. Frequent moves necessitated getting rid of boxes of books, something she regretted doing as recently as a few weeks before her passing.
Dolores was a member of the Sagewood Branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was loved by many.
She is survived by Harold, her husband of 67 years; her sisters Shirley Manwaring and Carole Ziegler; her son, Scott (Diana); her daughter, Janine; eight grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren, as well as a daughter-in-law, Loa Cyr and son-in-law, Randy Creager. She was preceded in death by her parents; her brother David Adamson; a son, Kevin Simons; and granddaughter Melissa Simons.
April 4, 1929 ~ March 9, 2022
Dolores Adamson Simons passed away on March 9, 2022, at the age of 92. Born April 4, 1929, in Highland, Utah, she was the first child of Martell David and Etta LaRee Greenwood Adamson. Her sisters Shirley and Carole, and
brother David, followed after her. She attended schools in Spanish Fork, Utah, and graduated from Spanish Fork High where she excelled in Theater and Music. The quote written for her in her senior yearbook stated: "Sweet and witty and loved by everyone."
For several summers during her teenage and young adult years, Dolores worked at the lodge at Bryce National Park. Both her sisters later did the same, and her brother worked at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. This
tradition continued with all three of her children, as well as numerous nephews and a niece, working at either the North Rim, Bryce, or Zion National Park. The legacy she started grew to an estimated combined 125 summers at national parks from members of her extended family.
She attended both Brigham Young University and the University of Utah before graduating from the U with a bachelor's degree in Education in 1952. She taught English at West High School in Salt Lake City, where she was also given responsibilities for Speech Activities, the Drama Club, and the Assembly Committee. Her being hired for so many duties at her young age (she was just 23 years old) helped fill a void that had been created by male teachers going off to fight in the Korean War.
She loved to recount some of the more unique experiences she had at West High, including taking a knife away from a student during one class, and in another class, picking up a mouse by the tail and discarding it so her students would not think she was afraid. Because she was on the short side, and young, an administrator mistook
her for a student her first day on the job, and on another occasion, a senior boy, thinking she was a cute classmate, asked her out. Then there was the time that several burly football players took matters into their own hands and physically removed a disruptive classmate. Dolores never knew what they did to the boy, but the former
misbehaving student never gave her a problem again after that incident.
In the early 1950s, she embarked on a new adventure when she and a few friends went to Washington, D.C. where
she worked at Georgetown University as well as the Pentagon. It was during this time that she met Harold Wayne Simons in the local ward. They were married on February 21, 1955, in the Salt Lake Temple.
She and Harold welcomed their first child, Scott while living Back East. They later moved to California and Kevin and Janine joined the family. While living in Mission Hills, in the greater Los Angeles area, Dolores had the privilege of singing with the Mormon Choir of Southern California. Music had been and continued to be a great love of her life. She lamented that her voice gave out in her later years, although her daughter Janine recalls listening to her mother make the effort to join in with the congregational hymns during a Christmas program just a few months
before her passing.
In 1970, Harold and Dolores began what would be the greatest adventure for themselves and their children. At the time, the Peace Corps, which formerly had accepted only single adults as volunteers, opened their doors to admit married couples with children. Harold and Dolores saw this as an opportunity of a lifetime and took the plunge. The
family was assigned to work and live in Colombia, South America. Harold had served a Spanish-speaking mission, but Dolores had no familiarity with the language. But when assigned to teach English at a girls' boarding school,
she put aside her fears and offered not only her love of teaching, but also her love of the youth, and impacted the lives of many students once again.
Being a Peace Corps volunteer in Colombia had its unique challenges. Dolores and Harold and their children lived vastly different lives from other Americans living there at the time, the majority of whom were rich and worked for large corporations. But Dolores never let that deter her from doing what needed to be done. She would often ride the local bus to the central market, with three woven baskets in hand, to buy fresh produce right alongside the maids of those wealthy families.
During the Christmas season of 1971, mudslides washed out the pipes bringing fresh water into the city of Bucaramanga where they lived. For three weeks, the family learned to ration river water brought in by the local
army, as well as to cook with bottled water. When the water was restored on Christmas Eve, the family rejoiced in the miracle of having fresh water once again. When they returned to the United States, Dolores wrote of this
experience for the Deseret News' annual "Christmas I Remember Best" contest and her entry was published as one of the winners that year.
The family returned to Utah in 1972 where Dolores worked as the head cashier at LDS Hospital for a short time, and then returned to her teaching roots by working for the Young Mothers' program in the greater Salt Lake area.
She loved being able to offer an education to many young women who might normally have dropped out of school to have their babies. This experience led her to return to school herself and she received her master's degree in
Social Work in 1978 at the age of 49. She worked in school districts in Utah, had her own private practice, after having moved to Oregon, and worked with LDS Family Services in Idaho. Her compassionate heart and listening ear were a great blessing to many individuals.
While living on the Oregon Coast, she and Harold had one more adventure when they lived in a manufactured home on 14 acres where they enjoyed the natural beauty of the region including many animals that came to visit.
They also loved walking the nearby beaches, looking for agates. They then moved back to Idaho and lived in the small town of Weiser where they volunteered with the National Old-Time Fiddlers' Festival for many years. After 18 years in Weiser, she and Harold moved to South Jordan, Utah to live in the Sagewood at Daybreak retirement community where she was living at the time of her passing.
Dolores loved to cook well into her 90s and could turn leftovers into a gourmet meal in record time. She also loved books from an early age. One elementary school teacher wrote that she was an exceptional reader. As an adult,
she would frequently check out 6-8 books at a time, finishing them in a matter of days before returning for more. Dolores had read so many books, that she would often forget that she had read one until she was well into it. She set an example of the importance of literacy for her posterity. Frequent moves necessitated getting rid of boxes of books, something she regretted doing as recently as a few weeks before her passing.
Dolores was a member of the Sagewood Branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was loved by many.
She is survived by Harold, her husband of 67 years; her sisters Shirley Manwaring and Carole Ziegler; her son, Scott (Diana); her daughter, Janine; eight grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren, as well as a daughter-in-law, Loa Cyr and son-in-law, Randy Creager. She was preceded in death by her parents; her brother David Adamson; a son, Kevin Simons; and granddaughter Melissa Simons.
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