Sarah Joyce Maughan

Our sweet angel mother, grandmother, sister, and friend passed away peacefully in her sleep, surrounded by her loved ones, on October 1, 2016. She was born in Mt. Emmons, Utah, to Claude Merlin Thacker and Hilda Grace Fullmer on December 27, 1930. She left home at an early age, and made her way to Salt Lake City. At the age of 18, she met the love of her life, Cortley E. Maughan, at the Newhouse Hotel where he was a fry cook and she was a waitress. They loved to walk along the city streets together in-between shifts, and look into the store windows, where they first saw a television. Later in life, Mom was given the opportunity to learn how to drive a school bus, and she did so for 32-years. She was the first woman school bus driver in the Granite School District - a pioneer - a giant among women. Mom loved baking, quilting, sewing, and making all kinds of craft projects. She was talented at seeing quilting designs in other things. She even designed Christmas wreaths out of discarded used IBM cards. She was a genius with candle making. She used to have us unwrap crayons so she could melt them down into Paraffin wax, whip them up with a kitchen beater, and then layer that mixture over a candle mold. At Christmas time she made the worlds best carmels, and she would set us to work again, cutting up waxed paper into small pieces, and the wrap sessions began. We probably ate more than we wrapped. Everything we made we gave away to others. She was the most generous and compassionate person ever In the fall she could be found in the kitchen canning tomatoes and peaches. She also enjoyed teaching prospective missionaries how to bake their own bread. Our mom's bread was THE BEST!!! Above all else our mother was a missionary. She talked about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to everybody she came into contact with. She taught us in Primary and Sunday School, as well as her other LDS Church callings as a visiting teacher. The one calling that followed her throughout her life from the 1950's to date was that of Ward Chorister. She loved the music, loved teaching others how to lead the music, loved learning the Scriptures related to the songs. Preceded in death by her husband of 52 years; parents, 4 sisters; 1 brother; eldest son Robert; and great-granddaughter Jacqueline. She is survived by children: Lily (Robert's widow), Verlin (Gayle), Jacqueline (Wallace), Taulana (Douglas); 13 grandchildren; 41 great-grandchildren; 3 brothers; and 2 sisters. Viewings will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at McDougal Funeral Home, 4330 South Redwood Road in Taylorsville, and from 10 to 10:45 a.m. prior to funeral service at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Taylorsville 12th Ward, 4505 South Brians Way (3420 West). Interment, Valley View Memorial Park. Place of Birth:Mt. Emmons, UtahPlace of Death:South Jordan, Utah