Clydella “Della” Fern Larson Beals was born January 27, 1930 in Safford, Arizona. The seventh child of Lehi Larson, Jr. and Della McBride Larson. She grew up in Pima, Arizona. Her mother died when she was six days old. Her Aunt Zela McBride nursed her until Della’s older, married sisters took her and took turns rearing her. She was a cheerleader in high school. She had a beautiful voice and many times even as a teen she was asked to sing solos at special events. Her beautiful singing engendered a love of music in her children.
She met her sweetheart, Solon Beals, in fourth grade. They never had eyes for anyone else. She graduated from Pima High School. Later after she had children she went to Eastern Arizona Junior College to take accounting and secretarial classes. Della and Solon were sealed in the St. George Utah Temple on July 23, 1948.
She has always been an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She has held several positions in the Church, usually in music. She was Primary Chorister and Ward Chorister. Della and Solon were honored to serve as Temple Workers in the Mesa Arizona Temple for several years.
She worked for several years for Spencer Brinkerhoff which allowed her to work in the same office with her sweet, handsome husband. They never liked being far apart. Her passion was nutrition and health. She sold SunRider herbs for close to 40 years. She loved educating people on natural ways to care for their health. She was very knowledgeable and could talk for hours about what each person needed to prevent or cure what was ailing them. Her customers sing her praises for the help she has given them.
Della is preceded in death by her sweetheart, Solon Gale Beals; her parents, Lehi and Della Larson, and her stepmother Martha “Maddy”; her sisters and brothers, Donna Matthews (Ray), Ramona Ferrin (Ray), Voila Slade (Jimmy), Velma Allred (Earl), Bevan Larson (Delsa & Una Mae), Theo Larson (Nina), and Dorothy Howard (Gene); her grandchildren, Marco, Kristopher, and Nicholas; her great grandson, Trevor.
She is survived by her five children; Gail Curtis (Dennis), Mark Beals (Roxzanne), Brent Beals (Terri), Mitchell Beals (Cheri) and Dawn Mack (Richy). She has 25 grandchildren, 62 great grandchildren and 3 great great grandchildren.
The family will receive friends Monday evening, January 2, 2023, from 5:00 pm until 7:00 pm. at McDougal’s Funeral Home and Tuesday morning from 10:00 am to 10:45 am. at the Pima Stake Center Relief Society Room of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Funeral services will be conducted on Tuesday, January 3, 2023, at 11:00 am at the Pima Stake Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Bishop Paul Anger of Pima 2nd Ward. Concluding services will follow at the Pima Cemetery.
Click this link to view additional details about Clydella’s Services, including any available live streams: https://my.gather.app/remember/clydella-beals-2022
