Aaron Bruce Mendenhall Jr.

Aaron Bruce Mendenhall Jr. died October 1, 2010. He was born September 7, 1925 to Aaron Bruce and Senate Jane Johnson Mendenhall in Price, Utah but lived his whole life in Mapleton. He graduated from Springville High School in 1943. Bruce served his country in Europe in the Air Force during WW II then completed a mission in the Eastern States for the LDS Church. He married Phyllis Nixon in the Salt Lake Temple in 1952 and graduated with a Bachelors of Science degree from BYU in 1953.



He held many leadership positions in the church but his favorite calling was in the Boy Scout program where he earned the Silver Beaver Scouting Award in 1979. Bruce loved to take his grandchildren and other people into the mountains and teach them to identify the flowers, plants, trees, insects and birds. He was always at home in the mountains; he climbed peaks in the Tetons (his favorite) as well as major mountains throughout the western states.



He was always interested in history and was honored with the 2005 Mayors Award in the Humanities. Being especially interested in Mapleton's history, he was instrumental in establishing the Mapleton Historical Society and acted for many years as curator of the Mapleton Pioneer Museum.



He is survived by his wife Phyllis and three daughters and spouses: Melanie and Evan Roundy, Heidi and Brad Brinkerhoff and Korin and Bryson Hapairai; 13 grandchildren, 9 great grandchildren, and sisters, Gwen Mehr, Lorraine DeYoung, and Janice Hastings. He was preceded in death by his parents and sisters, Bee Jensen and Dawna Cluff and a granddaughter, Alyssa Roundy.



A viewing will be held Tuesday, October 5, 2010 from 6 to 8 pm at Wheeler Mortuary in Springville, and the funeral will be Wednesday, October 6, 2010 at 12 noon, preceded by a viewing at 10:30 am at the Mapleton North Stake Center located at 475 North 1600 West, Mapleton, Utah. Internment at Springville Evergreen Cemetery.



The family would like to thank Max for five years of kind and considerate care.