Esther Hafen Blackburn

Those who knew Esther know that she always greeted people with a firm handshake and a kind smile. She approached life with a sense of fairness, a good sense of humor, and a testimony of God’s love. 

Esther cherished her membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was proud of her pioneer heritage. She was the granddaughter of artist John Hafen, known for his original murals in the Salt Lake Temple, and was a direct descendant of Hyrum and Mary Fielding Smith. Esther served two missions for the church, the first in Argentina, serving for 27 months, a testament to her unwavering commitment to her beliefs, and the second, at the Nauvoo Illinois Temple. She dedicated 11 years doing family history indexing and extraction work for both English and Spanish records with an additional 11 years doing weekly service in the Manti Temple. She was actively involved in various church organizations, including Relief Society, Primary, and Young Women's, serving faithfully at both ward and stake levels.

 Following her graduation from Provo High School in 1962, training as a dental assistant from Utah Valley Trade Tech, and her mission to Argentina, Esther’s love story began at Snow College, where she met her eternal companion, Jerry Blackburn. Their engagement, fittingly, unfolded on stage during a musical performance of “She Loves Me” when, unknown to Esther, Jerry exchanged the stage prop for a real engagement ring. Jerry and Esther were married in the Salt Lake Temple May 24, 1968. After getting married, she continued her education at Brigham Young University. She had her first two children while completing her studies, and she loved sharing the story about how her professor had to babysit for her while she–eight and a half months pregnant with her third baby–finished her last final. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Family and Consumer Science, and together with Jerry, raised six kids. 

Throughout her life, Esther was known for her limitless creativity and numerous talents. Esther excelled in sewing, cake decorating, and floral arrangements, and she shared those talents generously in the service of others. She could take the most basic items—paper, wire, or rope—and turn them into the most beautiful things—flowers, parade floats, or costumes. She loved cooking and baking and was known for her divinity candy that she often shared at church and community events. Her creative spark is evidenced all throughout her home where she continually demonstrated the intention of creating a space that her family and loved ones would love being in. 

Esther’s truest testament of her love for Jesus Christ and her testimony of the gospel was manifest through her unconditional love given to her spouse, children, grandchildren, in-laws and extended family, church family, and community. Esther was always willing to go out of her way to care for people; always willing to prepare a meal or offer a place to sleep to anyone who may have needed it, willing to travel across the state to help her kids take care of their homes, and also willing to remove all the furniture from her dining room to make a space for a hospital bed for her mother-in-law after she had suffered an injury. She loved everyone unconditionally, never giving up on anyone, and always looking for ways to share her love. Esther’s love even extended to her husband’s farm animals, when on occasion she warmed cold baby piglets and calves in her bathroom and tended baby lambs and chicks in her kitchen. She also supported her husband’s beekeeping hobby by extracting numerous gallons of honey. There was no limit to her love, making her the kind of person that people were drawn to. 

She will be greatly missed, though her legacy lives on through those she loved. Her children recall that she never left on a trip without pausing to pray in the car and that she often reminded them to “remember who you are and what you represent.” As we remember her today, we too pray that we can live in such a way that truly represents her. 

She is preceded in death by her parents, Joseph Hafen and Mary Harris, her siblings Joe (Ethel) Hafen, Louise Hafen, Norma (Weston) Henrie, Irene (Edwin) Gibbs, Raymond Hafen, Carol (Cecil) Jones, Stephen Hafen, Mary (Eric) Tuttle, her brother-in-law Kay Blackburn, and her parents-in-law, Wayne and Ione Blackburn. 

She is survived by her siblings Margaret (Ralph) Rupp and Mark (Carma) Hafen, her brother-in-law Charles (Janee) Blackburn, sisters-in-law Ila (Shyrl) Brown and Candice Blackburn, her loving husband Jerry Leon Blackburn, children Paige (Kerry) Cook, Craig (Paula) Blackburn, Jennifer (Ronnie) Hunt, Steven (Trista) Blackburn, Celeste (Brett) Clark, and April (Tyler) Torgerson, 35 grandchildren, and 28 great-grandchildren, with two more great-grandbabies due later this year. 

The family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Teri, Connie, Julie, and Zach for their great compassion in helping us take care of our sweet Mother.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, May 18, 2024 at 1:00 pm in the Loa Stake Center, 20 South 100 West, viewings will be held Friday, May 17th from 6:00-8:00 pm at the Loa LDS Stake Center, and Saturday morning from 10:00-12:30 prior to service. 

Interment will be at the Loa Cemetery under the direction of Blackburn Vernal Mortuary.