Annie Banks Ewell

Our beautiful and loving mother Annie Ruth Banks Ewell (92) returned home to her Father in Heaven, quietly in her home, surrounded by loved ones on Tuesday morning, November 21, 2023.

Annie was born July 30, 1931 in Spanish Fork, Utah, and is the daughter of John Delbert and Mary Sophie (Jex) Banks. She had three half-siblings, Lois, John, and William. She had two brothers, Richard and Ray, whom she adored. Annie was a quiet, obedient, talented, child. She was a daddy’s girl and much preferred spending time with him out on the farm and working in the fields to staying at home to do chores with her mother. This time with her father taught her the value of hard, honest work.

Annie loved learning. She went to formal school and graduated from Spanish Fork High School. Annie was bright and had a photographic memory. In school, she loved a good challenge and taking tests. She had a love of language and was a gifted writer. During her high school years she was involved in tennis, track and field, and future homemakers of America (FHA). She was a speedy typist and was highly skilled in short-hand.

After graduating high school, she attended Brigham Young Academy (BYA), now known as Brigham Young University (BYU). She planned on being a registered nurse. Her plans quickly changed in the summer of 1950 when she met her true love, Arlin Ewell, at the Del Monte Cannery. They were married the following summer on July 26, 1950. They were married for 66 years, living primarily in Genola, Utah, where they raised their family and were active members of their community and church.

Annie was a homemaker and she was proud that she never had to work outside of the home in her life. In the home her talents, creativity, and artistry could be seen in all she did. From cooking, canning, and sewing to care-taking, she made it look easy. She ran her home with discipline, character, and incredible organization. She was spunky, joyful, a super-woman with abundant energy, holding fast to her beliefs, serving those she loved, and always seeking ways to live a fulfilling life. Her dinner rolls were a family favorite. She was a master bread maker, making loaves almost weekly. She often made a few extra loaves to share with neighbors and friends. As a skilled seamstress, Annie was known for the perfectly tailored dresses she made for her little girls. She was known across the state for her sewing demonstrations, where she would teach others how to prepare and cut their own patterns, along with the sewing skills needed to make their own dresses. Over the years, she also made many costumes, stuffed animals, and dolls for her family. Whatever she was making, she did it with intricate detail and made sure it was special for whomever she had in mind.

Annie was a photographer, and she always had a camera in her hands. She loved images, especially portraits. She loved to capture smiles, moments, and history. She was a journalist by hobby and referred to herself as the family historian. She loved to make “history” books, and in those books she shared images, thoughts, and personal history accounts of our lives. She has made hundreds of picture books and was known for her ability to record and preserve history.

As a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Annie served in many callings over the years, from Scouts, Primary, Young Women’s, and Relief Society Presidencies, to Sunday School Teacher, Events Coordinator, and her longest held calling as the Gospel Doctrine Teacher. Her favorite calling was as a temple worker, serving over a decade between both the Provo and Brigham City LDS temples. She loved the people she served with and the members she assisted there. Her favorite place to be was the temple and she visited as often as she could. She had a strong testimony and it was exemplified in all she did, from her
example, writings, discussions, and her prayers, to the art she collected, you understood her love of her Lord.

Annie loved her family and was proud of her posterity. She was the mother of 14 children, 8 biological, and 6 adopted. She is the grandmother of 41 grandchildren, and 51 great-grandchildren. Even with a large family she had the ability to be aware of all of them. She knew each member, what they were up to, and how best to love them.

She is preceded in death by her husband, her son Corey, her parents, siblings, and grandparents. She is survived by her children Reed (Linda), Randy (Gay), Kurt (Rebecca), Allen (Sherrie), MaryAnn (Spencer), Marilyn (Gregg), Merlene, Bruce (Regina), Melanie, Gina, Keauna, and Shaylauna (Jimmy), as well as her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

A viewing will be held Sunday, November 26, 2023 from 6 PM to 8 PM at the LDS Church (175 S. Main St.) in Garland, Utah. Funeral services will be held on Monday, November 27, 2023 at 11:00 AM at the Genola LDS church (50 N. Main St). There will be a viewing before the funeral from 9:00 AM to 10:45 AM. Interment will be in the Spanish Fork Cemetery

Annie embodied the light of love, and you felt it whenever she was near. She had unshakable patience, vast insight, unconditional love, and an uncanny way of knowing exactly what you needed. She had the ability to give and expect nothing in return. She leaves a legacy of labor and love that will be hard to fill. She lived a long, happy, fulfilled life here on earth - she was an angel in human form. We love you and we will miss you.