Betsey Carole Vuyk

Betsey Carole Nelson Vuyk–our beautiful, kind, and very fun mom, mormor, sister, and friend–passed away peacefully on October 27th at the age of 93. She was happily reunited with our dad and sister, who she missed immensely.

Betsey was born on May 3, 1933, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Otto Harold and Alice Victoria Nelson. She was the third of five children. She loved her childhood and especially loved growing up on Hubbard Avenue with her three sisters and one brother. One of her early loves was tennis, and she spent every moment she could playing on the courts at Liberty Park. She graduated from South High and went on to graduate from Boise Junior College. She taught 2nd grade at Grandview Elementary in Idaho while living with her dear friends Jack and Bonnie Clayton. She loved being a teacher and later taught at her kids’ school as a substitute teacher.

While directing a ward roadshow in the Liberty Stake, she met our dad, Pouwel Vuyk, who was directing his own ward roadshow. After a very long courtship, they were married on September 20, 1963, in the Salt Lake Temple. She loved our dad immensely and supported him in all his endeavors. They were married 57 years until his death 5 years ago. She has missed him every day since.

They raised their five children in Cottonwood Heights in the shadows of the beautiful mountains of Big Cottonwood Canyon. Our mom loved living there for 60 years and especially loved her dear friends and neighbors.

As a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, she had great hope & faith in the plan of salvation and instilled that faith in her children.

While she loved her Swedish heritage, she also embraced our dad’s Dutch heritage. We were raised with rich Swedish and Dutch traditions that are continuing with the next generation.

The last five years were difficult for her as her health declined, but she always kept her sense of humor, kindness, and laughter. We will miss her but are so grateful for her reunion with our dad, our sister, her parents and her siblings.

Betsey is survived by her children, Stephen Vuyk, Melissa Jensen (Brad), Bonnie Vuyk, and Nancy Stoddart (Scott), her 8 grandchildren, Kirsten, Kaitlyn, Jake, Evie, Caleb, Kelsey, Blakeley, and Erika, who will miss her so much, 12 great-grandchildren, and her sister Karin Liddle.

Betsey was preceded in death by her loving husband Pouwel, daughter Kristy, her parents, sisters Bonnie and Mary Jane, and brother Alan.

We are grateful to our brother Steve for caring for her so she could stay in her home that she loved. We are also grateful for Harmony Hospice, especially her nurse Mary.

Graveside services will be held at 10 am on Thursday November 5th at Memorial Mountain View Cemetery, 3115 East Bengal Boulevard (7800 South), Cottonwood Heights, UT. Following the burial, there will be a celebration of life at 12:00 pm at Butler Hills Ward, 2695 East 7000 South Cottonwood Heights, Utah.