ReNae Ashby Stokes Obituary (1936

After a life of dedicated service to her family, our mother, ReNae Ashby Stokes, returned peacefully to her Heavenly Father on Tuesday, October 30, 2018. She died of causes incident to age in Provo, Utah. Born April 6, 1936 in Garland, UT, ReNae was the second child of Elbert Tovey and Margaret Ann Roderick Ashby. She always felt that the date of her birth was a very special day. She married Gordon Ellis Stokes May 25, 1955 in the Salt Lake Temple. Her life was spent as a devoted wife and mother, supporting her husband and guiding their nine children with faith. She sought perfection and worked hard to create beauty in her home and outside in her flower gardens. She was organized and thorough, diligent and determined. She was a skilled seamstress, often tweaking and combining patterns to create one-of-a-kind clothing pieces for herself and her girls. She was content and creative in the kitchen. She honed a talent for candy making – the creamiest fudge and penuche, caramels, pecan turtles and a wide variety of hand-dipped chocolates. She created and decorated elaborate gingerbread houses at Christmas time. She was an expert Himalaya berry pie maker. Nobody made piecrusts like mom! Over the years of her life, she served with commitment and zeal in many church callings. She didn't have to speak a sermon; her life was a sermon. ReNae was proud of her pioneer and Welsh heritage. Mom experienced numerous surgeries and health challenges. Although her days and years were filled with pain, she knew the grand plan of happiness and was intent on enduring well. She wanted to be where she was supposed to be and do what she was supposed to do. Gordon was her strength and her heart broke at his death in 2012. Certainly their reunion has healed all pain. Mom’s legacy is her family. She leaves behind her children: Randall and Robin Stokes, Gary and Julie Stokes, Gaylene and Fred Greener, Kyle and Donna Stokes, Karalee Stokes, Karlin and Sharon Stokes, Cory and Jessica Stokes, Cherise and Scott Miller, Cherina and Kris McFadden; 31 grandchildren and 29 great-grandchildren. During her last days on earth, mom expressed that she’d had a wonderful life. A life blessed with goodly parents, a loving husband and family, challenges, responsibilities in the Lord’s work and a joyful hope of her eternal home in Heaven. The funeral service will be Friday, November 9, 2018 at 11 a.m. in the Grandview South Stake Center, 1122 Grand Avenue, Provo, Utah. Please join our family as we celebrate ReNae’s life and as we share our love for her at a viewing at Berg Mortuary of Provo, 185 East Center Street, on Thursday from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. and at the church on Friday from 9:30 -10:40 a.m. before the service. Condolences may be expressed at www.bergmortuary.com.