Our beloved mother, Barbara Jeanne Merrill Veteto, age 89, passed away on June 10, 2025, in American Fork, UT at home surrounded by her loving daughters. She will be greatly missed by so many here on earth but embraced by even more in her Heavenly home. She was born on January 25, 1936, in Bisbee, Arizona to DeMar Weaver Merrill and Vivienne Bertha Pomeroy. Growing up her family moved several times, to Long Beach, CA, St. David, AZ, Longview, WA, Corbett, and Gresham, OR. She dearly loved her sister Sharon who was born when she was four years old.
Mother attended high school in Gresham, Oregon where she met and fell in love with our dad, Andrew LaVell Veteto. After HS graduation they were married June 26, 1954, in Gresham, then travelled to Utah to be sealed for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake Temple June 28, 1954. Dad attended BYU in Provo, Utah as mom worked as a cashier at the corner grocery store. In 1956, their first daughter Kimberly was born, and they soon moved back to Oregon where they lived in Portland and Cynthia was born, Eugene was next where Julia, Kari, & Beci joined the family, & then Beaverton until 1964 when dad was transferred to Yakima WA, where Melyssa, & Andrew rounded out our family, until 1975, and then Kennewick WA for 27 years.
Mom and dad served an LDS mission in Nauvoo, IL from 2003-2005 & 2009-2010 which she dearly loved! She had many opportunities to serve, including managing the sewing room, working in Tours & Tickets, working the Sites, participating in Sunset at the Mississippi and Rendezvous, and being secretary to the Mission President. After their first mission, they relocated to American Fork, UT where she cherished hosting hundreds of family gatherings with dad; family home evenings, potlucks, Halloween parties, wedding luncheons, and swimming parties at their Condo’s clubhouse and pool for 18 years. Family meant everything to our mom!
How do you sum up such an amazing wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend’s life in a few paragraphs? She was very happy being a stay-at-home mom, loved raising six daughters and finally a son! She enjoyed working for Amera corporation for many years, in which she organized corporate conventions and worked with their marketers. She had a great work ethic and was extremely talented at many things; cooking great meals, baking all things delicious, sewing for six daughters, tailoring without a pattern, arranging flowers beautifully, playing the piano, riding horses bareback as a child, doing artistic projects with friends, painting with oils, teaching classes on dipping chocolates, making fondant & divinity at Christmas, decorating for weddings, receptions, and conventions, and keeping our extended family close and together, all 114 of us! We all love her and will miss her dearly.
Our mom had great faith and a very strong testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ which carried her through many trials, challenges, and tragic loss. She was our rock and exemplar. She served faithfully in many callings, lovingly ministered to many, and was a true friend to all who knew her. She found much joy serving with dad in the Mount Timpanogos temple for many years and always cherished every opportunity she had to be in the temple. She loved doing genealogy work and helping her family on the other side of the veil, there will be many who will be waiting to welcome her. Mom especially loved Christmas and made it very special for all of us growing up.
Mother is survived by four of her daughters; Kimberly (Doug) Button of Yakima, WA, Cynthia (Jerry) Harper of American Fork, UT, Beci Hunting of Orem, UT, and Melyssa (Matt) Riggs of Spanish Fork, UT, 25 grandchildren, 63 great-grandchildren, and 1 great-great-granddaughter, sisters-in-law Edith Veteto of Sandy, UT and Patti Veteto of Salem, OR, and many wonderful cousins, nieces and nephews. Her family brought her great joy, and her love for them knew no bounds.
She is preceded in death by her parents, DeMar and Vivienne Merrill; her sister Sharon Lee Lahman; her beloved husband Andrew LaVell Veteto; her daughters, Julia Leigh Hardinger and Kari Lynn Green; her son Andrew Merrill Veteto; her sons-in-law, Wayne Hardinger and Brad Green, and her grandson Bridger McKay Riggs.
A celebration of mom’s life will be held on June 14, 2025, at 11am with a viewing from 9:30 – 10:30 at the LDS Church at 949 North 540 West, in American Fork, with her burial following at Pleasant Grove Cemetery.
Our family extends many heartfelt thanks to the compassionate team at Dignity Home, Health & Hospice for the loving care shown to our mother. Wing Mortuary in Lehi is entrusted with her care.
Our mother’s legacy of faith, devotion, humor, music, heritage, service, and quiet strength will live on in all who knew her. We are the blessed ones.
Thank you to all the wonderful visits to our mother before she passed, it meant the world to her, and to us.
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