Gerald Lamar Byington

Gerald Lamar Byington, age 91, died on December 3, 2017 from injuries sustained in a vehicle
accident. He was the last member of his family. Born and raised in Lava Hot Springs, Gerald
later served in the Navy for 26 months. He graduated from Utah State University with a degree
in agriculture. While at USU, he met Beverly Atkinson. They were married on February 4,
1947. They had four children. A daughter, Sheila Dawn, was born later that year, and a son,
Brent, was born in 1949. Another son, David, was born in 1954 and passed away in 1989.
They had a stillborn daughter in 1953.
Gerald’s first job was a supervisor for the Germain Seed Company in Oxnard. He later took a
job with Farmers Home Administration which turned out to be his life career. He started out at
Red Bluff, California and then to Overton, Ely and Sparks, Nevada, then to Woodland,
California. Following his retirement, he and Beverly returned to Cache Valley and moved to
Wellsville, Utah.
Jerry and Bev have always had fun exploring each new place they lived, such as playing in the
hot springs at Alamo, rock hounding at Caliente, and Garnet Hill near Ely, all in Nevada. They
travelled in his retirement, taking a trip to Alaska, driving through Canada and to the East
Coast. They also drove across in the United states in their fifth wheel camper twice, visiting
Church sites such as the Sacred Grove, and many historical sites
Most of all he loved his family, along with the plants and flowers which were shared freely with
others. He said he always felt better working in the dirt.
Gerald held several callings in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, most recently as
chorister for the Wellsville Fifth Ward.
Gerald is survived by his wife of seventy years, Beverly, his daughter Sheila Byington and son
Brent Byington, nine grandchildren, 27 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.
Funeral services will be held at the chapel located at 660 South 100 West in Wellsville on
Saturday, December 9, beginning at 11:00 a.m.