Theresa Eckenbrecht Allred

HYDE PARK, UTAH: Theresa Katherine Eckenbrecht Allred, 86, returned to her Heavenly Father Monday , November 19,2012.
She was born January 25, 1926, in Ogden, Utah, to Albert Clarence and Katherine W.
deMik Eckenbrecht. Theresa, her brother Henry and sister Louise were reared by their widowed
mother and loving grandmother deMik after their father died when Theresa was only seven years
old
She spent her early schooling years in Ogden with brief periods in California schools
while her mother attended UCLA. Theresa graduated from Weber College (now Weber State
University) in 1946 and Utah State Agricultural College (now Utah State University) awarded
her a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education in 1948. She later did graduate work in that
field and received a master's from USU in 1981.
She married J R Allred December 27, 1950, in the Logan LDS Temple. Theresa and J R
raised four sons while living in Alaska, Ogden, Colorado, Logan, Maryland and Hyde Park, Utah.
It was in Hyde Park that they settled for the remainder of her life. Theresa enjoyed and
encouraged support of their sons in academic school, Scouting, Church work, 4-H, sports and
music and art activities. With this ever-sustaining interest in the children and her family, she
served not only her own family but also others through church and civic responsibility.
In 1967 she started teaching Kindergarten in the public schools of Cache County. It was
to become a source of great joy to her, and a blessing to hundreds of children, as she served in the
North Park School in North Logan, River Heights Elementary, Park School in Richmond and
Sunrise School in Smithfield. She used to say that it was a humbling position to have the trust
and care of Heavenly Father's young children. She was grateful for the opportunity to relate to
young children and their parents and to continue to have the experience of seeing young people
grow from 5 and 6 year olds into maturing adults.
Twenty-one grandchildren and 28 great-grandchildren blessed the lives of Theresa and J
R. "Being a grandmother is the best job I ever had."
After she retired from Kindergarten teaching in 1992 she spent even more time enjoying
these grand-children and serving in church responsibilities. She also enjoyed working as a
volunteer docent for children at the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art. Theresa really
believed in life-long learning, and this helped her pursue an interest in art. For her community
efforts in education and other causes, she received a "Women of Achievement over 65 Award"
from the USU Women's Center. In 2005, the College of Education and Human Services at Utah
State honored her by naming a room in the Edith Bowen Laboratory School the Theresa K.
Eckenbrecht Allred Reading Theater, in recognition to her contributions to education and reading
for young children and those who teach them.
Her many callings in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints included Junior
Sunday School coordinator, ward Relief Society president and a member of the stake Relief
Society presidency, YWMIA president, and a teacher in Relief Society, Primary and Sunday
School Besides the work with children there's probably nothing she felt more privileged to do
than the call she had to work as an officiator in the Logan LDS Temple.
Theresa's family includes:
Her husband, J R; sons Mark (Karen), Kirk (Leslie), Alan (Challi), and Brian (Cindy)
21 grandchildren, 28 great grandchildren, sister-in-law, Joyce Eckenbrecht ,and
sister Louise (Jonathan) Fairbanks. She was preceded in death by her daughter-in-law, Wanda (wife of Brian), a brother, Henry.
Funeral services will be held Saturday at 11:30 am in the Hyde Park Stake Center. There will be a viewing on Friday evening at the Allen Mortuary of North Logan from 6-8 pm and at the church on Saturday from 9:30 – 11:00 am. Interment will follow in the Hyde Park Cemetery.







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