March 24, 1945 – June 5, 2023
Ellen Gunderson Beckstead Thomson, a.k.a. Ellen Dee Beckstead, passed away June 5, 2023, in St. George, Utah. She was born in Ogden, Utah on March 22, 1945, to Roland Edward Gunderson and Ellen Faun Tuttle.
She married James H Thomson on March 24, 2008, in Mesquite, Nevada. They were sealed in the Nauvoo, Illinois Temple on March 24, 2010.
Ellen was raised in Sunset, Utah. She earned her cosmetology license in California and worked in that profession for 47 years. She loved to travel and lived in Van Nuys, California; Denver, Colorado; Richmond and St. George, Utah.
She served a church service mission at the canning operation in Honeyville, Utah and served in various callings for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In her spare time, she loved to paint ceramics, especially ones of Santa Claus.
Ellen was “old school” in that she loved sending birthday and anniversary cards and not text greetings. In the last few years, she discovered adult coloring books and colored for many hours as it relaxed her.
She is survived by her husband James Thomson, children Michael (Mandy) Mitchell, Smithfield, Utah; Mark (Sheila) Mitchell, Riverside, Utah; and Roger (Kristy) Mitchell, Farmington, Utah, step-children James (Kerry) Thomson, Pollock Pines, California; Nicole (Greg) Garrison, Santa Rosa, California; Moira Levy, Scottsdale, Arizona; and Kelly (Ivan) Banning, Olympia, Washington, siblings Donald Gene Gunderson, Albion, Idaho; Robert Scott (Phyllis) Gunderson, Las Vegas, Nevada; Deborah Leigh (Lynn) Johnson, Toquerville, Utah; and Brett (Heidi) Gunderson, Willard, Utah.
She loved her 16 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and many cousins, nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents Roland Edward Gunderson and Ellen Faun Tuttle Gunderson; son, Terry James Parker; brother, Bruce Lee Gunderson and sisters Kay Cheri Halsey, Carol Ann Brown, and Vicki Lynn Thomson.
The family would like to thank St. George Intermountain Hospital, especially the doctors, nurses and aids in the Intensive Care Unit. In Lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to the Southern Utah Food Bank.
Funeral services will be held on Thursday, June 22, 2023, at 2 p.m.. at 1184 N Dixie Downs Rd, St. George, Utah.
A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, June 24, 2023, at 1 p.m. at the Richmond City Park, North Pavilion, Richmond, Utah.
Family and friends are invited to share tributes online. Arrangements and memorial tree planting by Serenity Funeral Home of Southern Utah, 435-986-9100.