Lona Mae Stratford Hyde Lauritzen

Lona Mae Stratford Hyde Lauritzen, our mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, and friend, age 94, passed away peacefully on April 13, 2023 in her home in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Born on November 10, 1928 in Ogden, Utah, she was the daughter of George Osmond and Lona LaVerne Stratford Hyde. Lona Mae grew up in Washington D.C. where she graduated from Chevy Chase High School. She was given many incredible opportunities and experiences throughout her youth. In 1940, she was a member of the Victory Volunteer Corps as a major and evoked hard volunteer work for the benefit of WWII. In 1945, she was the Stake Gold and Green Ball Queen. One memory she loved was that she was a Cherry Blossom Princess riding on the Idaho State float in the Presidential Parade for President Harry S. Truman. She also attended his Inaugural Ball.

After graduating high school in 1946, she attended BYU on scholarship. While at BYU, she met her eternal sweetheart, Vaughn Kent Lauritzen. They married in Kensington, Maryland on October 15, 1951, honeymooned in New England, then were sealed in the Logan Utah Temple on November 2, 1951. Together they have 5 beautiful daughters.

During her working years she did a variety of jobs from selling sterling silver to selling Tupperware to unloading box cars of carpet and carpet padding. Later she worked as a substitute teacher in the Jordan School District spending much of her time at Brighton High School and occasionally at Hillcrest High School or some of the elementary schools. She loved the students and would have fun with them while teaching. After her husband passed away, she started working at the Brighton LDS Seminary. She spent countless hours planting flowers and making the grounds look beautiful.

She enjoyed traveling and took advantage of opportunities to travel around the world with friends and family. One of her favorite trips was to Tonga where she was able to meet and have dinner with the King of Tonga. She loved being a part of the experiences and excursions everywhere she went. She seemed to run into someone she knew in every airport and loved that. She enjoyed having her family gather around her dining room table for the holidays.

Lona Mae made the best homemade date bread, she loved reading stories to her grandchildren, and she had the greenest thumb of anyone you’d ever meet. She joined her family on several adventures, including camping trips (although she had to have special sheets in her sleeping bag) and time in Disneyland; making fun memories with her grandchildren.

Lona Mae loved being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and enjoyed serving her friends whenever opportunity occurred. She lived a life of service stemming from 24 years as a hostess in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and 32 years as a volunteer to the Utah Symphony and Utah Opera. She served on the Utah Symphony Guild Ball committee for 20 years and was a representative for elementary schools for the Utah Symphony.

In 2013 Lona Mae was inducted into the Salt Lake Council of Women’s Hall of Fame an honor bestowed on women who have given 25 years or more of community service to Wasatch Front organizations. Lona Mae is also featured on the Utah Women 2020 Mural and is pictured on the side of the Zion Bank Building in downtown Salt Lake City.

Lona Mae is survived by three of her daughters, Laurene Lahr, Lynette Williams, and Leora (Craig) Ellingson, as well as 14 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren. Preceded in death by her parents George Osmond and Lona LaVerne Hyde, her husband, Vaughn K. Lauritzen, and her daughters, LonaVon Lamb, and LuAnne Gustafson.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, April 22, 2023 at the Mill Hollow Ward, 2522 East 6710 South, Salt lake City, UT 84121. Visitation will be from 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM. Funeral Services will begin at 12:00 Noon. Interment will take place at Memorial Estates, 3115 East Bengal Boulevard (7800 South), Cottonwood Heights, Utah, 84121

Service Information

Viewing April 22, 2023 at 11:00 AM - 11:45 AM

Mill Hollow Ward, 2522 East 6710 South, Salt lake City, UT

Funeral Service

April 22, 2023 at 12:00 PM

Mill Hollow Ward, 2522 East 6710 South, Salt lake City, UT