Tom and Verlynn Sheffield, 9th Ward Members

Thomas H. Sheffield’s Family (Parents, Siblings, and Grandmother) moved
into their new home on 200 North in 1960.

In 1960, my parents, Russell H. and Harriet Y. Sheffield, moved our family into the home
where I now live at 497 East 200 North in Bountiful.

My Grandmother, Harriet Cornish Young, lived with us from 1960 until her death in
1979. Grandma Young had diabetes and needed someone to watch over her. She died
while living with my parents. She had lived with our family for 19 years and was a very
choice person.

Grandma Young was a member of the Bountiful Stake Relief Society Singing Mothers.

I had a lot of love and respect for my grandmother. She loved working on genealogy and
would travel by bus to Salt Lake City to work on her family history lines. She was a
second mother to us and I remember she always had fresh hot tapioca pudding to serve us
when we got home from school.

I am the oldest of Russell and Harriet Sheffield’s five children:

Thomas
The twins: Russell and Jeanene
Kevin
Paula

My father, Russell H. Sheffield, was a member of the Bountiful Utah Stake Presidency,

first serving as second counselor to President Stanford G. Smith beginning in 1958. After
about 7½ years in the stake presidency, a new bishop was needed in the Bountiful 3rd
Ward. My father wrote:

President Smith said the Spirit had told him that I should be the new bishop
of the Bountiful 3rd Ward, but he wanted to keep me as a counselor. After a
rather long session of discussion with President Smith and his seeking
counsel from President Spencer W. Kimball, I was sustained and ordained
as the bishop of the Bountiful 3rd Ward on June 23, 1965. While serving as
a bishop they had a bishop’s chorus for General Conference. I sang in the
bishop’s chorus in the choir seats in the Salt Lake Tabernacle.

After serving as a bishop for just short of 2½ years, President Stanford
Smith was released as stake president and President Edgar Denny was
sustained as the new stake president of the Bountiful Utah Stake. I was
called to be his first counselor with Bruce Smart as his second counselor. I
served in both capacities as a bishop and counselor in the stake presidency
for a number of weeks before I was released as bishop.

In May 1971 the Bountiful Stake was divided into the Bountiful and the Bountiful

Heights Stakes. My father, Russell H. Sheffield, was called to be the Stake Patriarch for
the Bountiful Stake. My father wrote the following about receiving this special calling:

The Bountiful Stake grew and was large and we worked on and submitted
plans for a division. In mid-May 1971, Elder Mark E. Peterson of the
Quorum of the Twelve, came to our stake conference to handle the division.
On Saturday about 8:00 a.m., I arrived at the stake offices and was asked to
join Elder Mark E. Peterson and President Denny. I was informed by Elder
Peterson that the Lord was calling me to be a Stake Patriarch. This was a
shock as I thought I would continue as President Denny’s first counselor. I
was excused from my stake reorganization meeting but would still conduct
the conference sessions I had been assigned to handle.

I went home and picked up Harriet and we went to Mueller Park by the
stream and talked. That was a precious time. There were many precious
thoughts expressed. After the Saturday session of conference held in the
stake at the Bountiful Tabernacle, the Sunday sessions of conference were
held at the Bountiful Regional Center (formally the Valley Music Hall) on
May 16, 1971. After the morning session, Elder Mark E. Peterson of the
Quorum of the Twelve ordained me a patriarch and set me apart to be an
active stake patriarch in the Bountiful Utah Stake. In the setting apart, Elder
Mark E. Peterson instructed that I should begin to give blessings
immediately. That very day, at stake conference, a stake member asked for
a patriarchal blessing. What a shock, but the date was set for the following
Sunday.

That week after work I went to the Church Historian’s Office several days
and studied and read until they closed. One of the blessings available was a
blessing given by my great-grandfather Heber John Sheffield upon the head
of my cousin Vaughn Sheffield. With much prayer and supplication to the
Lord, the Lord sustained a new patriarch and the blessing was given. How
grateful I am to the Lord for His sustaining power from that day to this.

Tom continues: “My mother, Harriet Jane Young Sheffield, was a very loving and

compassionate woman who worked with the special needs mutual for many years.
They wrote an article about her in the Church News. My mother was loved and
admired by many. My mother died on May 20, 1986, at the age of 61 from a brain
tumor.”

About two years after my mother died, my father remarried and I was able to

purchase my family home and move our family from Magna back to Bountiful.

Our five children grew up in the Bountiful 9th Ward. They are:

Paul
Mark
Pam
Marci
Dianna

The Sheffield and Hill Families in the Bountiful 9th Ward

It’s interesting to note that Tom Sheffield’s sister, Paula Sheffield, married David Hill,
the son of Mel and Ruth Hill, all of the Bountiful 9th Ward. Tom’s nephew and their son,
Andrew Hill, is a product of a Bountiful 9th Ward romance. Andrew now lives where his
Grandpa Mel and Grandma Ruth Hill lived and his Uncle Tom and Aunt Verlynn
Sheffield now live where his Grandpa Russell and Grandma Harriet Sheffield lived. The
Sheffield and Hill families have deep roots in the Bountiful 9th Ward.

Thomas H. Sheffield’s Memories of Service in the Bountiful 9th Ward:

I was called to serve as the assistant ward clerk in January 2001 under Bishop
Lynn Larsen with Ed Norfleet serving as the ward clerk.

For a ward talent show, the bishopric performed “The True Story of the 3 Little

Pigs”. We had a lot of fun together.

I continued serving as the assistant ward clerk under Bishop Kenneth Allred.

During my time of service, I brought all the membership records and ordinance
records up to date—some were years and years behind. I even purchased a
typewriter so I could type the certificates for baby blessings, baptisms,
confirmations, and priesthood ordinations and deliver them to the members of the
ward both past and present. I spent hours and hours organizing all the certificates
by year and by type of ordination and getting certificates out to families in the
ward and some that had moved out of the ward. After I had brought everything up
to date, the Church installed a new computer system and the Bountiful 9th Ward
was prepared to move forward with all outstanding certificates having been
distributed.

On November 2, 2003, I was released as a ward clerk and was called to serve as

the second assistant in the High Priest Group Leadership in the Bountiful 9th Ward
under Brother Lloyd Carr. I served with Brother Lloyd Carr, Brother James
Ammon, and with Brother Dave Porter as secretary. I thoroughly enjoyed my
service in this capacity. I really enjoyed going out on our weekly visits to the
widows as well as to other ward members both within the ward boundaries as well
as driving into Salt Lake City to visit with ward members who were in the
hospital.

Verlynn Squire Sheffield’s Memories of the Bountiful 9 th Ward

Verlynn Squire Sheffield’s first introduction to the Bountiful 9 th Ward was when

she was dating Tom and he invited her to the 9th Ward Christmas party on
December 18, 1999. Verlynn loved meeting the lovely people in the 9th Ward
including Ashton and Mathel Smith, Delor and Jean Maxfield, Glenn and Marilyn
Goodrich, the Fisher’s, the Bakers and several other couples. Everyone she met
was so friendly and kind. After dinner, the Primary children acted out the
Christmas Nativity and they were adorable. Verlynn wrote: “The Smith’s were
very complimentary of Tom and I could tell many people in his ward think very
highly of him.”

Verlynn became an official member of the Bountiful 9th Ward after she married Tom on May 5, 2000. President J. Roger Fluhman, the stake president of the Bountiful Stake and a member of the 9th Ward, performed their marriage ceremony. Verlynn became an instant “other” mother to five wonderful grown children when she married Tom. The following year, on June 1, 2001, Tom and Verlynn were sealed together in the Salt Lake Temple by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. Elder Holland told those in attendance that with his busy schedule, he doesn't get to do all the family sealings that he would like to do for his own family, but "that's how special these two are to me." He spent 45-minutes teaching them about marriage, the temple, and the Savior.

In March 2005, as Young Women’s secretary, Verlynn was asked to co-chair the

youth conference in August with Brother Bruce Brand.

In May 2005, Verlynn was called to serve as the Young Women’s president in the

Bountiful 9th Ward. She had been serving as Young Women’s secretary under
Penny Barton beginning in September 2003 then Penny moved out of the ward
and Verlynn was called to be president and served in that position for six years.
Verlynn’s amazing counselors were Tanya Whitney and Wendy Evans. Emily
Urie helped with the New Beginnings programs. Emily always came up with fun
and creative ideas for our programs including a Pinewood Derby. Why should the
Young Men have all the fun? When Tanya and Wendy were released in January
2008, Verlynn’s counselors were Becky Hendriksen and Julie Smith with Chelsey
Nelson Horne as secretary. We had a lot of fun activities and we also had some
very spiritual meetings as well. We had a great group of young women who got
along very well with each other.

One of the things Verlynn will be remembered most for is an incident that happened
at Girl’s Camp at Piuta in 2008.

When we arrived at camp, the stake leaders warned everyone that a momma moose and

her young one had been spotted close to camp. Everyone was told not to go near them
because the momma moose could knock you down to the ground and hoof you to death if
she felt her young one was being threatened. A few nights later, all of the 9th Ward young
women and leaders were gathered around the campfire singing camp songs. Soon, the
group would discover how little Verlynn knows what different wild animals sound like.
You see, one of our priesthood brethren, Bart Bowman, sneaked away in the woods
behind us with a contraption that makes “bear” sounds. While sitting around the campfire
on this dark night, when pressed by another leader about “What’s that noise? Is it a
bear?” panic struck Verlynn as she recalled the warning about the moose in the area and
how they will knock intruders down and hoof them to death. Fear struck Verlynn as she
realized what the noise was and she jumped to her feet and shouted: “That’s not a bear;
it’s a moose! I know it is!”

Those observing said they never knew Verlynn could run so fast! Like a flash of
lightening, she ran down the hillside and into the cabin with 29 girls and leaders madly
dashing behind her. Of course, she was just trying to keep all her girls safe, right? And
surely, she must have followed behind most of them until all made it safely into the
cabin. Or perhaps she was doing what leaders do best, and she jumped out in front to lead
the way! Needless to say, there are varying accounts as to what actually occurred! And,
upon my word, some accounts have become quite distorted! Once safely inside the cabin,
the girls were either crying or praying, and some were doing both! An electric feeling
close to hysteria filled the cabin.

In our flight to the cabin, a cute little Beehive, Kellianne Stirling, fell off a log and had a

footprint on her back from being trampled during the stampede to the cabin. One of the
Laurels, Natasha Baker, stopped and grabbed Kellianne by the top of her jacket and lifted
her up then together they ran to the cabin together. Verlynn does not believe she is the
one who ran her down but one of her girl’s (who wasn’t even there) stated, “But you
really don’t know, do you, Verlynn!” Ha! When the cabin door slammed shut the noise
startled and scared the wits out of everyone and suddenly there were 30 piercing
screams! Verlynn’s ear drums still haven’t recovered from that one! Upon our return
home, our camp director, Kara Howe, sent an e-mail to Verlynn stating, “Hope you have
a great day! But most of all I hope you learn to stay within your bounds of
expertise...It’s a moose; I know it is!? bahahahahahaha...Oh, Verlynn, will you ever live
that down? GOOD TIMES, GOOD TIMES! :)...Just in case you want to actually hear
what a moose sounds like, click the link that says hear a moose on the National
Geographic website. LOL.”

Verlynn says the following about the moosecapade, “Let me set the record straight
once and for all. I absolutely did not run over that sweet little Beehive, Kellianne
Stirling!”

Verlynn Sheffield named Mother of the Year for Bountiful City in May 2013

On Wednesday, May 8, 2013, Verlynn received a phone call from the Davis County

Clipper informing her that she had been selected as Bountiful City’s Mother of the Year
for 2013. Verlynn remembers feeling complete disbelief, shock, gratitude, humility and
joy when she heard the news. Although she felt like she could do better, as she arrived
home from work that day she realized that being a good mother is not just about keeping
the house clean. It’s about loving, serving, listening, nurturing, teaching, sharing,
guiding, and being a good friend. Verlynn felt this honor was not only a tribute to her but
also to her daughter, Pam, for being so thoughtful and caring.

In the past, Verlynn had many Mother’s Days that were filled with tears as she longed to
be a mother. When she married Tom, that dream was fulfilled. Needless to say, this was
one of Verlynn’s best Mother’s Days ever thanks to her sweet daughter, Pam, who wrote
a beautiful letter nominating her.

Another special and memorable Mother’s Day happened right after Tom and Verlynn got

married. They returned home from their honeymoon on Mother’s Day and much to
Verlynn’s surprise, Mark and Pam—the two children living at home—gave Verlynn a
card, bouquet of flowers, and a bottle of rose-scented hand lotion. Although Verlynn
hadn’t even spent one night in the home, they remembered her on her first Mother’s Day
in the home. That is a tribute to the wonderful children that Tom and Verlynn share with
their mother, Gerri.

Verlynn says, “All five of my children are remarkable. They are all ‘stepchildren’ aka
‘bonus children’ which made this award all the sweeter. They came into my life as young
adults when they were ages 16 to 26 and they have always treated me kindly and with
respect. I don’t feel like I’ve arrived but this honor let me know that I am on the right
path. As I’ve told our children before, ‘I know you already have a mother and I’m not
trying to take her place. The truth is, I will be forever grateful for her and for your father
bringing you into this world. Without both of them, you would never be a part of my life.
You are the only children that I will ever have, so I’m going to love you like my own.’”
Verlynn called and spoke with each of the children and told them about her award, and
each one of them were genuinely happy for her. When Verlynn called their oldest son,
Paul, living in New York, Paul said, “You know, when I was picking out a Mother’s Day
card for you this week, I thought, ‘Verlynn’s not my mom—she came into my life when I
was an adult—but she is a mother to me.’” Paul continued, “You’ve had an influence in
my life and I’ll second whatever Pam wrote in her letter.”

Following is the letter that Pam wrote about Verlynn on Why your mother deserves to be
your city’s Mother of the Year:

My stepmom, Verlynn, is like a mom to me. She has this bubbly, outgoing,
fun and happy personality. She is so kind and thoughtful of people she
meets. She has a great laugh and an awesome sense of humor. She has had
hard times in her life, though she has worked hard to accomplish great
things in life. She inspires and motivates me to be a better person. My mom
is there for me and listens when I need a friend to talk to. She is always
willing to help and care for people in the community and with family and
friends. She is a strong loving person who is a great example to me. I am so
grateful to my mom for all that she does for me. Happy Mother’s Day!
Love your daughter, Pam

Verlynn was honored at a luncheon at the White House in Bountiful where Mayor Joe
Johnson presented the award to her. During the luncheon, Verlynn asked Mayor Joe
Johnson, “So what was it about Pam’s letter that made you select me as Mother of the
Year?” Mayor Johnson got so choked up that he couldn’t speak for a full minute then he
answered. “One of the sweetest things I get to do as Mayor is read the nominating letters
for Mother of the Year. There are many worthy mothers out there. We probably have a
Mother of the Year on each city block in Bountiful. I’ll tell you what it was about Pam’s
letter. It was the first two words: ‘My stepmom’…and I thought, ‘Well this isn’t going to
be very good.’ But I kept reading and every other time she talked about you she referred
to you as, ‘My mom’ and ‘My mother’ and I circled about 15 things that she had said
about you. Things like bubbly, outgoing, fun, happy personality, kind, thoughtful, great
laugh, sense of humor, inspires me, motivates me, listens, friend, willing to help, loving
person, and great example.”

Verlynn says, “Blending families has its challenges. We’ve had our share of difficult and
bumpy times. Whenever there is a divorce, that brings feelings of pain and great loss as a
family is torn apart and going through that loss makes people feel hurt and angry. But to
their great credit, ‘my children’ have always treated me with kindness and respect. It took
some time to heal, but over time my husband and I have become very good friends with
their mother. I credit all three of us for wanting this and for working hard to make this
happen. Now we exchange Christmas and birthday gifts and we genuinely care about
each other and it’s better for everyone.”

Upon hearing the news, fellow ward member J. Roger Fluhman said, “Congratulations,
Verlynn! This is well deserved. The way you have pulled that family together, it’s
amazing… Well, it’s incomprehensible, really.”

A sister missionary serving with Tom in the Missionary Department told said, “Tom is so
proud of you for being Mother of the Year. You can just tell how happy and how proud
he is of you! It’s written all over his face!”

Perhaps one of Verlynn’s coworkers put it best when he said, “Congratulations on being
the Mother of the Year. There are some honors and achievements that stand above the
rest and, in my mind, this is one of them. I can’t think of a higher honor that you could
receive.”

The Davis Clipper article by Rebecca Palmer, Clipper Editor, on May 13, 2013
Bountiful Mother of the Year, 2013: Verlynn Sheffield

For many, the idea of a stepmother brings to mind tales such as Cinderella, but
Verlynn has shown enough love and support to earn the title of “Mom” from her
stepdaughter Pam.

“She has this bubbly, outgoing, fun and happy personality,” Pam wrote when
nominating Verlynn. “She is so kind and thoughtful of people she meets.”
Verlynn has also earned the title of “friend.”

“My mom is there for me and listens when I need a friend to talk to,” Pam wrote.
“She is always willing to help and care for people in the community and with
family and friends.”

Verlynn has had her share of challenges, but the way she overcame them and
accomplished great things despite them left those around her motivated to face
their own demons. Her stepdaughter is among them; she wrote:

“She inspires and motivates me to be a better person.”