Iris Montague Spafford

Our beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother passed away peacefully from natural causes on the morning of October 7 at the age of 92. She was born on May 29, 1923 to Charles Andrew Montague and Ethel Eliza Montague.  She married her sweetheart Earl Smith Spafford in the Salt Lake City Temple on September 2, 1949.

Iris was born in Salt Lake City but her father's work took her all over the western United States for construction projects. She graduated from High School in Boulder City, Nevada in 1938 during the construction of the Hoover Dam. She completed her education at the University of Utah with a degree in Elementary Education.  Iris loved teaching and quit to raise her family.

As an active lifetime member of the LDS church, she had a strong testimony of the gospel and attended her meetings until the last week of her life.  After her children were raised she served as a temple worker in the Jordan River Temple and served several missions with her husband as a host and hostess at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and at the Family History Library.  Iris's life work was researching, collecting and writing many family histories for her ancestors and family.  She belonged to the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers and served as a Historian.

Iris loved being with her family.  She enjoyed boating, camping, traveling and Sunday dinners.  She will be deeply missed.

Iris was the proud parent of five children, 11 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. She is survived by: Janet Wilson (Del), Robert Spafford (Debbie), Lynn Spafford, Alan Spafford (Dorothea) and JoAnn Dennison (Bruce).  Iris was preceded in death by her husband Earl, grandson Cody Spafford, her parents, sister Dolores Beckstead (Rulon), and brothers Kenneth Montague (Pearl), Keith Montague and Lamar Montague.

A viewing will be held on Monday, October 12, 2015 from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at Little Cottonwood 1st Ward located at 6350 South Rodeo Drive Salt Lake City, UT.  Services will be conducted at 11:00 a.m. following the viewing.  Interment will follow at the Redwood Memorial Cemetery, 6500 Redwood Road, Salt Lake City, UT. Guestbook to post messages and tributes for the family available at: www.HolbrookMortuary.com

The family expresses gratitude to the staff of Cottonwood Creek Assisted Living Center and Brighton Hospice for their loving care.

Click play button below to listen to funeral service, available until Jan 10, 2016.