LaWana Crandall Whitehead

LaWana Crandall Whitehead died on December 22, 2006 after a valiant fight with cancer. She was born in Twin Falls, Idaho on September 2, 1936 to Martin Oscar Crandall and Ella Sims Crandall. She was raised with eight brothers and sisters with whom she was very close. LaWana graduated from Twin Falls High School in 1954 where she was a cheerleader.
She attended Brigham Young University for three years taking education/secretarial classes. She was a member of the Nautilus Social Unit.
LaWana married John Clark Whitehead on December 20, 1957 in the Salt Lake Temple. After their marriage she worked as a secretary to help support her husband through college. LaWana's greatest accomplishment and joy has been their seven children and their families. She is survived by her husband, Clark, her children Michelle Peterson (Brad), Douglas (Sherri), Renee Malae (Filiki), David (Kelli), John (Kirstin), Cherie Thompson (Wade), and Melo Choque (Paula), and by her brothers Lentz, Richard, Elwin and Ted and her sisters Geraldine Goldsmith, Maureen Mallory and Mary Jane Johnson. She has 29 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
LaWana moved to Morocco, Africa in 1959 for three years with her husband who served in the Air Force. They returned to Salt Lake City for several years before moving to Rexburg, Idaho for five years. They moved to Sandy, Utah in 1977. After her children were raised she enjoyed a part- time job as an elementary school librarian.
LaWana was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints her entire life. She served in the Young Women's, Relief Society and Primary organizations as an officer and a teacher. She had also served for many years as a genealogy extraction worker. LaWana and her husband served a full-time, two year mission at the Church Office Building. She was an Administrative Assistant to the Director of Church Service Missionaries. She served a second mission with her husband as Church Service Missionaries in the Salt Lake Temple Square Mission.
LaWana organized the East Mill Creek Camp of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers and served as first captain. She was an officer of the Ebenezer Brown Camp upon her passing. An avid reader, she had been an Officer of the East Mill Creek Book Club and an officer of the Sandy "Book Worms" club. Her other interests include: oil painting, water colors, crocheting, sewing, interior decorating, and playing the piano. She found great enjoyment in "scrap booking" her children's families and their lives, helping with family histories.
LaWana loved her family and friends very much and was grateful for the love and service of her family, her friends, and her health practioners. LaWana was a great strength to her family and will be greatly missed, though; her legacy will live on in her children, her grandchildren, and her great-grandchildren who cherish the beautiful memories they have of her.

Funeral services will be held on Dec. 29 at noon in the Willow Canyon 4th Ward LDS Chapel (1600 East Buttercup, 10200 South). A viewing will be held in the chapel the evening before from 6 to 8 p.m. and again at 11 a.m. before the funeral service.