Carma Colleen Clyde Russell

Carma Colleen Clyde Russell, our beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, died peacefully on October 18, 2022, surrounded by her family.

She was born January 13, 1934, in Springville, Utah, as the first child of W. Cornell Clyde and Edna Thornock Clyde and was the much loved first grandchild of her grandpa and grandma Clyde. She was a lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and enjoyed a wonderful and loving childhood in Springville along with her younger brother, Richard.

She married her high school sweetheart and fellow Red Devil, Kenneth Llewelyn Russell on Halloween, Oct 31, 1952 in the Salt Lake Temple. Ken had been serving in the Korean War and was on leave for a few days. This Halloween would have been their 70th wedding anniversary. Immediately following their marriage, they set out on an adventure living in Louisiana, South Dakota, and Wyoming as Kenneth finished his service in the Air Force. Then life took them to San Francisco for dental school. During these early years, they were blessed with their first three children, which kept Carma busy while also supporting Kenneth in his studies. She loved those early years and made many lifelong friends while in California.

After dental school, they made their way back to Utah where they settled in Salt Lake City and set up Ken’s dental practice. Eventually three more kids joined the family, and Carma found herself involved in the PTA, various church callings, and pursuing her own education at BYU with a focus in Family History. She became quite proficient with ancestral research and blessed many lives with the information she provided.

As a skilled gardener, Carma created an idyllic and very English backyard patio. Many were lucky enough to share countless hours sitting and enjoying the beauty. It was not uncommon for her to look out her window and see a friend sitting quietly, enjoying the fruits of her labors. In recent years, she created a Secret Garden with a playhouse for her grandchildren.

She and Ken enjoyed many friendships, including a special dinner group with whom they traveled, partied, and celebrated with each other's families. Carma also enjoyed her associations with her knitting group, quilting group, and her treasured art pals with whom she enjoyed many laughs and gallery strolls.

She was a friend to many, a second mother to some, and had many close friendships in her neighborhood of 62 years. One bonus daughter was Merja Vanninen, whose friendship and dedicated service has blessed Ken, Carma, and Bryan’s lives for many years. One of Carma’s greatest achievements was raising and caring for her special child, Bryan, who she tenderly loved and cared for with Ken for 44 years.

Carma is survived by her loving husband, Kenneth, and five of her six children: Debra Russell (Matt Davies), Andrea (Don) Weidemann, Julie (Scott) Bult, David (Kelly) Russell, and Bryan Russell along with 12 cherished grandchildren: Christopher Weidemann, Matthew Russell, Adam Weidemann, Lizzy Valentine, Jonathon Bult, Lexie Snow, Rachel Yentes, Jake Russell, Sarah Bult, Nick Russell, Elsa Russell, and Drew Russell, as well as her 12 equally-loved great-grandchildren. Carma is also survived by her brother and sister-in-law, Richard and Pat Clyde, and sister-in-laws Kathleen Moorehead and Shirley Hansen. She is preceded in death by her parents Cornell and Edna Clyde, her in-law’s Glenn and Catherine Russell, and her son Randy.

Her dedicated and consistent effort to provide opportunities for family to gather, to laugh, connect, and be together remains a powerful part of why she was so loved by all of us in this life, and why she has left behind a powerful legacy of connecting loved ones together, living and past, with the knowledge that she will continue gathering us all together in the world to come. Her life embodied the doctrine of continuity between this life and the next, that our life and relationships here on this earth have meaning, continue beyond death, and unite us as children of God to our loving Father in Heaven through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Funeral services will be held Monday, October 24th, at 12:00 PM at Yalecrest Ward chapel, 1035 South 1800 East, in Salt Lake City. A viewing will be held prior to the services from 10:00 - 11:30 am. Interment will follow at Evergreen Cemetery in Springville, Utah.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the LDS Humanitarian Fund at https://donate.churchofjesuschrist.org/donations/church/humanitarian-services/humanitarian-aid-fund.html?cde2=475-Humanitarian-home&cid=Humanitarian-home-donate-button&

For those unable to join us in person, services can be viewed HERE