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1927 Dorothy 2022

Dorothy Maples Schvaneveldt

July 30, 1927 — September 28, 2022

Dorothy Maples Schvaneveldt, age 95, passed away at Birch Creek Assisted Living in Smithfield, Utah on September 28, 2022. She was born in Pikeville, Wayne County, North Carolina, a daughter of Bertha Allah Aycock and Charlie Maples. She was the eighth of nine children (six sisters and two brothers) and was raised on a small family farm. Her life consisted of a loving extended family, hard work, and membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Early generations of family members received and embraced the gospel and this was the center of their lives.

Dorothy attended school in Nahunta, North Carolina and graduated at the age of 17. With the onset of World War II her older sisters and cousins sought employment at the Naval Air Station in Norfolk, Virginia as civilian defense employees. Dorothy desperately begged her mama to be allowed to go with them and finally received permission. In her words, "I would have died if I had to stay home without them."

Being members of the Church there were slim pickings in their little community in North Carolina for eligible bachelors, so the girls took advantage of the exciting opportunity of going to the little off base branch of the church in Norfolk to see what service men came along. They met a handsome sailor boy named Dale Schvaneveldt from Logan, Utah and it was all over except for the sisters' deciding which one got him. Dorothy won out but the other three sisters found their own Cache Valley boys in time. As the war ended a small migration began from North Carolina to Northern Utah.

Dorothy and Dale were married in the Salt Lake Temple on October 16, 1946 and the adventure began. They married, but did not settle down. Many, many moves were in her future as she followed Dale in pursuit of his dream. Their family grew, adding a daughter and three sons. They lived in many homes (about 27 moves), in Utah, Oregon and Northern California before finally returning to Utah to the safety of her family, especially her two sisters Shirley and Ruby. In 1963 they settled in Smithfield, Utah where Dale designed and oversaw the construction of the Summit Park Golf Course (now known as Birch Creek). They worked side by side as they brought the new public golf course into existence.

In October 1968 tragedy struck the family. Dorothy and Dale were involved in an airplane accident that took the life of Dale and family friends Marion and Velma Bell. Dorothy survived the accident. She was 41 years old, widowed and left to face life and finish raising her family alone. The newspaper article about the accident described her as "a plucky brunette." She didn't care much for the title. Dorothy had severe spinal cord injuries from the accident that caused her difficulties throughout the rest of her life. Despite her doctors' predictions she left the wheelchair and leg braces behind and walked on through life with the love and support of her children and her beloved sisters. During this time she worked various jobs to support her sons on their missions and during college.

Dorothy remained a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints all her life.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Dale Eugene Schvaneveldt, her parents, her sisters, Rachel Maples, Ollie Maples Jones, Bettie Maples Chesnutwood, Ruby Maples Haws, and Martha Maples Smith and her brothers Hyrum R. Maples and Henry T. Maples, a son-in-law, Allen M. Sorenson and an infant grandson. She is survived by her four children, Linda Schvaneveldt Sorenson, David Carl Schvaneveldt (Wendy), Rodney Dale Schvaneveldt (Linda), and Ned Maples Schvaneveldt. 17 grandchildren, 48 great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great grandchildren, her older sister Shirley Olsen (who is 100!), and a brother-in-law Jess Smith (Martha).

The family would like to thank the staff at Birch Creek Assisted Living and Atlas Hospice for the loving care of Dorothy during her final days.

Funeral services will be held at Nelson Funeral Home, 162 E 400 N, Logan, UT on Tuesday, October 4 at 12:00 PM and will be livestreamed (see link below). A visitation will be held from 10:30 to 11:30 prior to the services. Internment will be in the Logan City Cemetery.

The funeral will be livestreamed and can be accessed by clicking on the following link:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW LIVE FUNERAL
PASSWORD: Dorothy
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Tuesday, October 4, 2022

Nelson Funeral Home

162 E 400 N, Logan, UT 84321

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