Today we said farewell to our dear friend, Helen Clegg.  We’ve quilted together for more than 25 years.  She was the President of the Utah Valley Quilt Guild in the mid-1990s when I started quilting and she invited me to be on her UVQG Board.  I started there as a writer and newsletter editor.  Before long, I took my turn as the guild President in 1997-98.  Helen and I have served and quilted together ever since.

I went early to her funeral this morning because I had to leave early to meet with my oncologist.  I figured Helen would excuse me.  It was cancer that took her this week.

As I sat in the back before the meeting, family members came in, one by one, with arms filled with the quilts Helen had made for each of them–children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren all received her quilts.  They were well-used and well-loved.  It was a touching sight.  I wish I could have stayed to see all of the quilts arrive as the room filled with love for a fitting send off to our dear quilting friend.

This is our dear Helen:

Obituary for Helen Colleen (Brown) Clegg
August 30, 1939 ~ November 23, 2022 (age 83)

Helen Colleen Brown Clegg, age 83, peacefully passed away surrounded by loved ones on November 23, 2022. Helen was born on August 30, 1939, in Provo Utah to Paul Anthony and Helen Palmer Brown. She grew up in Provo and graduated from Provo High School in 1957. She met the love of her life, Kenneth Clegg, at the age of 4 and later kindled their relationship and were sealed on October 23, 1956, in the Salt Lake Temple. She was blessed to be the mother of 8 children and devoted her life to her family.

She was a devoted member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and held several callings in the Stake and Ward including Primary President, Stake Blazer Leader, Relief Society, Young Women President and Camp Director.

Alongside her husband, she was involved in the scouting program for 55 years. She helped lead boys from Tiger Cubs through the rank of Eagle Scout. All five of her sons earned the rank of Eagle Scout. She earned several awards including Silver Beaver, Woodbadge, District Hall of Fame, and Rock of Squaw Peak. She was honored with the 1st annual influential Women in Scouting award in 2010.

She was an avid quilter and was the President of the Utah Valley Quilt Guild and a member of the Thimblecreek quilt group. She made sure that each of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, all received one of her quilts. She made, quilted, and donated over 650 quilts to various humanitarian projects, and has quilts as far away as Nepal.

She has 8 children, 32 grandchildren and 41 great-grandchildren.

She is survived by her husband of 66 years, and her children Stan (Katrina), Steven (Kay), Diane, Robert (Laurie), Sharon (Mark), Andrew (Angela), and Melinda (Scott). She is preceded in death by her parents, her sisters Wanda Morley and Pauline Knight, brothers Stanley and William, her son Paul Wesley Clegg, and daughter Sarah Helen Clegg (stillborn).

A viewing for family and friends will be held on Tuesday, November 29, 2022, from 6:00-8:00 pm at Sundberg-Olpin Mortuary, 495 South State in Orem. Funeral services will be at 11:00 am on Wednesday, November 30, 2022, at the LDS Chapel located at 1035 South 800 East in Orem with a viewing held that morning at the church from 9:30-10:30 am prior to the services. Burial will be in the Provo City Cemetery.