July 2, 1938 ~ September 17, 2023 (age 85)
In the wee hours of Sunday morning, September 17, 2023, our sweet mother slipped the surly bands of earth and touched the face of God.
Verna Erlene Gordon Hedrick was born July 2, 1938, in Logan, Utah, the youngest of three girls born to William Earl Gordon and Pearl Marilda Peterson.
Mom lived an idyllic childhood in Smithfield, Utah. She attended Smithfield Elementary, North Cache Junior High, and graduated from North Cache High School in 1956. She went on to reign as Miss Cache Valley 1956 and enjoyed participating in the Miss Utah Pageant.
She loved Utah State University, participating in many organizations, including Kappa Delta sorority and ROTC Sponsor Corps, where she served as National Commander her Senior Year.
Erlene married Wilbur Bee Hedrick, from Ashton Idaho, on May 19, 1960, in the Logan LDS temple and together they graduated from Utah State two weeks later, with Bachelor’s degrees in Education.
Their family grew to include Teresa, born in January 1963, Gordon, born in December 1963, and Kirk, born in February 1968.
Erlene was preceded in death by her beloved eternal companion, Wil, in 2004, her parents, sister LaRee Gordon McMurdie, baby brother William Earl Gordon, Jr., and sister-in-law, Lois A. Hedrick Riley.
She is survived by her children, Teresa Hedrick Rogers, Gilbert, AZ; Gordon B. Hedrick (Paulette), South Jordan, UT; and Kirk A. Hedrick, Helena, MT, sister Janet Gordon Adams Wood (Smithfield, UT); and brother-in-law, Robert Riley (Boise, ID), twelve grandchildren and an ever-growing multitude of great-grandchildren.
The Family wishes to sincerely thank the staff of Sagewood Assisted Living and Canyon Home Health & Hospice for their genuinely loving care of our mother.
Visitation will be held at the Perry Chapel, 2415 S. Park Dr., Perry, UT, Friday, September 22, 2023, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm, and Saturday, September 23, 2023, 9:30-10:30 am, immediately prior to the Funeral Service at 11:00 am.
Interment in Smithfield, UT, cemetery Saturday afternoon at 2:00 pm.
Condolences to the family may be expressed at www.myers-mortuary.com.