Sarah Oliver

Tally Oliver, age 84, passed away at her home in Bountiful, Utah, July 18, 2022. Tally was born Sarah Jane Oliver, June 28, 1938, in Monticello, Utah to Flossie Gold Gedge and Charles Harrison Oliver. Flossie passed away 11 days after Tally's birth and asked that Tally's aunt Leilan Gedge raise Tally.

Tally grew up surrounded by her Gedge cousins in Salt Lake in the Redwood Road area. Tally's aunts were good to her and provided her with opportunities to learn piano, art, and develop her creative abilities. Tally graduated from Cyprus High School in Magna, Utah in 1956 and from BYU in 1960 with a degree in Elementary Education. Tally started her teaching career at Hillsdale Elementary School teaching kindergarten; she moved to teaching 4th grade, and subsequently taught at Taylorsville Elementary and Academy Park where she retired after teaching for about 35 years.

Tally had perhaps five great loves. She loved gardening. She gained her love for gardening growing up, where she had the opportunity to work on her grandparent's farm, and take care of the plants, trees, and lily ponds there. For many years, she volunteered as a tour guide for the gardens at Temple Square. Her own personal garden was awash in a variety of plant life.

Tally also loved to create with her hands. She loved sewing, crochet, knitting, embroidery, and quilting. She and her aunts made doll clothes for many. She loved painting and art. Although humble about her abilities, she learned how to paint with watercolor and acrylic, and enjoyed capturing the beauty of life on canvas.

Tally loved to play the piano and organ. Tally was an active member of the American Guild of Organists and served for many years as an organist at church. She volunteered playing music at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and at the Conference Center. She had studied the organ for the past 22 years and was always eager to learn new music. She was never phased by the difficulty of the piece and worked diligently until she could play it. When the University of Utah offered organ lessons, Tally was the first to sign up for all the pedagogy and organ lessons offered. Her favorite was Bach. She loved to play Bach.

Tally also love The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She was an active member in her congregation and had served in many callings including, Young Women's President, Sunday School Teacher, and in the Relief Society Presidency. She loved to read and discuss any kind of doctrine. She was very well read, and an incredible resource for information. She always wanted to learn. She had an insatiable desire to learn and to grow.

Tally also loved lemons. She loved anything lemon. If it was lemon flavored, she loved it - lemon cakes, pies, pudding, candy....anything. It was even rumored that there's an apartment wall at BYU with paint covering some lemons, oranges, and apples she painted there one summer when she was taking classes to renew her teaching certificate!

Tally was endlessly creative and imaginative. She was generous with ideas and thoughts and approached teaching and learning creatively. But perhaps what she is best remember for, is her sense of humor. Tally had a delightful sense of humor. She had a bit of a wink in her eye when she was teasing you. Sometimes, her delivery was a bit dry and made it difficult to tell if it was a joke or not. When she retired from teaching, she hadn't informed the principal, only the district. So, when the last day of school came, she announced to the principal, "I'm finished and I'm not coming back!"

Although we are saddened by her passing, she has returned to her Heavenly Father, and a long-awaited hug from her mother.

Tally is preceded in death her by father; mother; her aunts, Flossie Joyce Oliver, Erwin Oliver, and Mary Carolyn Oliver.

She is survived by many cousins; and brothers Dean and Gedge Oliver.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, July 23, 2022, 11:00 a.m. at the Val Verda 5th Ward Chapel, located at 2633 South 50 West, Bountiful, Utah, where a viewing will be held prior to services from 9:30-10:45 a.m. Interment, Elysian Burial Gardens, 1075 East 4580 South, Salt Lake City, Utah.