Betty Jo Liddell Young

Betty Jo Liddell Young, 85, passed away peacefully on Sunday, October 11, 2026, after a brief and intense experience with leukemia.

Betty Jo was born April 16, 1941, to Wilton Adrian Liddell and Sarah Agnes Maylin. She grew up in Tooele, Utah, and some of her fondest memories were of time on her grandparents’ (Laurence and Blanche Liddell) farm in nearby Erda. A scholarship she earned at Tooele High School opened the door to Henager’s Business College in Salt Lake City, and she was thrilled for the new adventure. While in school, she lived with her aunt and uncle, Melva and John Redford. After graduating, she started her first job at the law firm of Richards, Bird & Hart and moved into an apartment on Yale Avenue in downtown Salt Lake City with five other “roomies” who became lifelong friends.

One evening in 1961, a friend brought along a handsome young man who had recently returned from New Zealand, where he completed a two-and-a-half-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Betty Jo and Floyd quickly found they shared the same values, the same goals, and even the same birthday. Just two weeks after they started dating, Floyd received his orders for Army Reserve basic training at Fort Ord, California. With only one night left in Utah, he proposed under a simple streetlamp on Yale Avenue. Three months later, he called from California to ask if they could get married during his upcoming leave so she could join him at Fort Lawton in Seattle, where he was being deployed for active duty. She said yes again. They were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple on November 10, 1961 by Harold B. Lee. With no time to find a wedding dress of her own, Betty Jo wore one borrowed from her cousin and lifelong best friend, Joan Winger.

In 1966, they built a home in the Little Cottonwood Valley, where Betty Jo raised two beautiful daughters and five very active boys. She served as president of a Primary so large it had to be split in two. She never turned down a calling or a chance to serve, and she always served in her thoughtful, quiet way. She focused all of her energy on her home and supported Floyd as he served in the Church and ran his business, Young Bros., Inc.

Betty Jo loved to cook, and it brought her family together. In her kitchen, children and grandchildren learned at her side, and family recipes were passed from one generation to the next. She was the one everyone turned to for cooking advice, and she always had answers for every question. As her family grew larger, she began giving her homemade bread, rolls, and chocolate syrup, along with her beautiful knitting, as gifts. These gifts became a cherished tradition everyone looked forward to receiving.

After Floyd’s sudden passing in 2007, Betty Jo served a mission in Houston, Texas, wanting to thank the Lord for her blessings and to show her grandchildren what it means to do hard things with faith. She loved President and Sister Hansen and stayed close to them for years afterward.

Betty Jo’s faith was deep, personal, and tested. She taught with few spoken words and more through the way she lived, how she treated others, and the cards and letters she wrote. Generations to come will look to her as a source of quiet strength and unwavering faith in the Lord. As Proverbs 31 says, “Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.”

Betty Jo was preceded in death by her husband, Floyd; her parents; and one brother. She is survived by her sons Paul (Deanna), David (Janae), Mike (Becky), John (Hillary), and Aaron (Jen), all of Sandy; her daughters Karen (John) of Vernon and Nancy (Eldon) of Provo; 47 grandchildren and their spouses, including one serving in the Taiwan Taipei Mission; 34 great-grandchildren; and many friends and relatives who adored her.

The family is grateful to the medical teams at Intermountain Medical Center and LDS Hospital, and for the extraordinary care of Debi Poulsen and Bristol Hospice.

Viewings: 

Sunday, October 18, 4:00–6:00 p.m. 

Monday, October 19, 10:00–10:45 a.m.

Funeral: 

Monday, October 19, 11:00 a.m.

Interment: 

Farmington City Cemetery

All services will be held at the Cottonwood Creek 4th Ward, 1834 E. Creek Road, Sandy, Utah.