My Dear Aunt Nedra Passes Away

 How we loved Aunt Nedra.  She is my dad's youngest sibling and is the last of my aunt's and of that generation to pass away.  

Aunt Nedra was truly one of my heroes.  Soon after Ken and I were married, Aunt Nedra organized the first of the Lyman Conrad Gabrielsen Sr. family reunions- hosting us all at their home in Oakley, Idaho then at their ranch.  We arrived the night before it began and stayed in their beautiful Oakley home.  I will never forget sitting down to breakfast the next morning.  There was oatmeal with cream, bacon and eggs and toast and orange juice.  Everything was so delicious!  Aunt Nedra was a fabulous cook.

Aunt Nedra brought the family together.  After that reunion, we continued to hold them regularly.  Because of her, we got to know one another and enjoy one another's company.

If you never read the obituaries I post, I don't blame you.  But if you want to be inspired, you should read this one.  Aunt Nedra lived a long and very inspiring life.  She was an amazing individual.  

Nedra Gabrielsen Bedke

Born: Sunday Aug-07-1932
Died: Sunday Jan-18-2026
Funeral: Saturday Jan-24-2026

Morrison Funeral Home 
& Crematory
188 S. Hwy 24
Rupert, Idaho 83350
Contact and Directions

NEDRA GABRIELSEN BEDKE

OAKLEY -Nedra Pauline Gabrielsen Bedke was born on August 7, 1932, in Logan, Utah, the youngest of five children born to Lyman Conrad and Erma Deborah Adams Gabrielsen. She grew up in Logan, where her father worked as a building contractor, constructing more than 500 homes, along with churches and schools—many of which are not only still standing but remain in use today. Her dad always said that “anything worth doing was worth doing well”, a principle that seemed to become her life’s mantra.

Nedra attended high school in Logan and later attended Utah State University, where she met the love of her life, Ray C. Bedke. They were married on September 12, 1952, in the Logan Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Shortly after Ray graduated from Utah State, he was inducted into the military. He completed his service in 1955, and they returned to the family ranch.

The move from Logan to the Winecup Ranch was a significant adjustment for a city girl. Living in an old log cabin without indoor plumbing or electricity—and relying on an appropriately placed outhouse out back—she took on the demanding task of caring for a hay crew of more than a dozen men. Each day, she prepared three square meals and washed their laundry, learning the rhythms of ranch life along the way. In time, she became a master of the old wood-burning Majestic stove, approaching every task with the same care and attention to detail that would come to define all her work.

Nedra and Ray are the parents of six children. Their first son, Derek, passed away after just 12 days. Three anxious years later Scott (Sarah) was born, then Eric (Marcie), Alex (Kathy), Leslie (Will), and Brice (Camille). Raising five children while maintaining two households—one in Oakley and one up Goose Creek—kept Nedra busy, yet she somehow always found time for others, giving each person her full attention and love.

If life wasn’t busy enough, Nedra always made room for music. Beginning in 1956 to 2023 (67 years), Nedra taught organ and piano lessons, instructing literally hundreds of students, including her children, and many of her grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, usually with patience! Through music, she taught discipline, confidence, and skills that inspired her students long after the lessons ended.

Nedra generously shared her time, talents, and determination in service to her community. She served on the governing board of Cassia Memorial Hospital, was president of the PTA, and served as a member of the Oakley City Council and the Oakley Valley Arts Council board of directors. She also served faithfully in her church in many roles, including president of the Relief Society, Primary, and Young Women, and for many years as a ward organist or chorister.

After Ray’s passing in 1998, Nedra continued to play a vital role in the family business as the ranch bookkeeper—a responsibility she dutifully carried for more than 50 years. At 88 years young, she retired from keeping the ranch books in 2020 but remained president of Winecup, Inc. to the day of her death, last week. Meticulous in her work, her records left no doubt about what was what.

To her family, Nedra was especially known as a wonderful cook and gracious hostess. She hosted countless holiday gatherings, bringing family together year after year around grand meals prepared with great attention to detail. Eating with Nedra has always been an experience. Her home and yard reflected the same attention to detail, with well-kept grounds and flowers, especially her roses, she tended herself well into her 90s.

Nedra loved to quilt and over the years she made quilts for each of her children’s graduations, weddings and for her grandchildren’s graduations and weddings, not to mention the countless baby quilts. Each one was crafted with precision and care, over a hundred in total.

Above all else, Nedra’s greatest desire has always been that her family remains close and to be a source of strength to one another. She organized countless family gatherings and made every effort to be present for the important moments in the lives of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Whether mastering a wood stove, teaching a difficult piece of music, balancing ranch books, or piecing together a quilt, Nedra did everything with excellence and as an expression of devotion to those she loved. Her legacy is one of faithfulness, quiet leadership, steadfast service, and a love so deep it transformed everything and everyone it touched into something beautiful and enduring.

Nedra loved the community theater. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made on behalf of Nedra to Oakley Valley Arts Council.

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/donate-today-to-help-us-make-our-planned-upgrades-to-howells-opera-house-happen

 

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, January 24, 2026 at the Oakley Stake Center 355 North Center Street in Oakley.  Burial will follow in the Oakley Cemetery.  Family will greet friends on Friday evening, January 23, 2026 from 5:00 until 7:00 at the Oakley Stake Center and from 10:00 until 10:45 a.m. Saturday morning prior to the funeral. Arrangements are under the direction of Morrison Funeral Home, located on the Burley, Rupert Highway.  A live webcast of the services will be available and maintained on the Morrison Funeral Home Website

We left on Friday to drive to Burley where we spent the night.  The next morning, we drove by the recently opened Burley, Idaho temple.

Her funeral was wonderful and inspiring.  It was so wonderful to see and be with family.

Visiting with family

All of her great-grandchildren sang I Am a Child of God

At the cemetery

Nedra's kids and spouses.

Pam and Roger took the lead in getting a gift for the family.  We gave this little tree and boxes of Sees chocolates for each of Nedra's kids.  Aunt Nedra loved Sees chocolates.

As I saw Pam and Joan together, I was so impressed with how much they look alike that I had to take a picture.

There were SO many flower arrangements.  This picture shows about 1/2 of them.  Aunt Nedra was much loved, as are her offspring.

Brothers: Tom, Hal, Ken, and Roger

Sisters; Joan, Pam, Kay, and Patty 
(John and Cindy had to leave right after the funeral to make it to Rexburg in time to watch their daughter-in-law in a play that evening.

All of my cousins and spouses gathered for a picture.  I think it quite remarkable that every cousin was there except for two: Diane who lives in Missouri and Ellen who lives in Philadelphia. 

After the lovely luncheon provided by Nedra's ward, Ken and I drove to South Jordan to spend time with the Prince family.

Early on Sunday morning I could hear Ken and William out in the living room chatting while I got ready.  They sat there like that for 1 1/2 hours!  They had such a good visit.

William showed Ken a chart he made showing Grandpa Ken as one of his favorite people.

Kenny was asked to give a talk in Sacrament meeting.  It was his first ever as he just became a deacon.  Here he was practicing for us on Saturday evening.

He practiced again the next morning before we left for church.  Kenny did such a great job.  We were so proud of him.  Michelle and a group of sisters also sang in sacrament meeting.  Then William gave the scripture in Primary and we watched Michelle lead the singing in Primary.  It was a special day to be in their church.  We then hurried to their home, packed up, and left for home.
It was a beautiful weekend full of memories and family.

A Sweet Temple Experience

One evening, when we were serving our Tuesday shift at the temple, I noticed a name on the reservation sheet that was very unusual.  They didn't come in at the time for which they were signed up but were about 45 minutes late.  I actually started one session, and they came just as I was taking the next.  But it was too full to accommodate them in that one, so I asked them to wait for the next.  That gave us an opportunity to visit.  It was a man from India with his mother who was visiting for the holidays.  I asked him to tell me his conversion story.  His mother spoke no English.  He told me the most fascinating, faith promoting story.  I will tell it as best I can remember it:

When he was a teenager, his mother became interested in Christianity.  She joined a church and he would go with her.  The preacher was a charismatic man who preached with conviction.  Sometimes after late activities or meetings, this teenager would stay at the preacher's home.  He would overhear the preacher talking and laughing with friends.  He was disappointed that the preacher preached one thing but talked and lived another way.  He soon quit attending.

Later, when he was a young adult, he started attending another Christian church.  He believed in Jesus Christ.  His daily routine took him by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints building.  He was drawn to it.  It said on the sign "Visitors Welcome."  But he knew it as an English-speaking church, and he didn't speak English then (his English as he told the story was impeccable) so he didn't ever go there.  He worked at a local grocery store.  One morning, two Elders came in.  They were obviously looking for something, so he asked if he could be of assistance.  He took them to the desired item.  In return, they gave him a pass along card that had five questions on in:

Where did I come from?

Why am I here?

Where am I going?

Is there really a God?

And I don't remember the other one.

He looked  at the card and asked,"Do you know the answers to these questions?"  "Yes, we do." the Elders answered.  He couldn't believe it and asked again, "You know the answers?"   Yes!"  He couldn't believe it.  He just couldn't believe it.  Since he was a small boy, he would look up into the night sky and wonder about the answers to those very questions.  He had asked both Christian pastors, but neither knew the answers.

He was so excited to learn the answers and set an appointment with the Elders.  He soon began learning about the gospel from the Elders.  While he was learning, he went to the pastor of the church he was attending and asked him the questions again and told him he was meeting with the Elders.  The pastor couldn't answer the question, but told him to stay away from the Elders, telling him they were evil.  But he didn't obey and was soon baptized.  

He paused here to look me in the eyes and say to me,"I am so very grateful for you people from Utah who send your children on missions.  Two elders from Utah gave me the gospel."

He then went on to have his brothers, his cousins, and many friends learn from the Elders.  Soon his mother became interested, and she too was eventually baptized.  He was out to convert India!  He then served a mission as did his brother and cousins.  Can you even imagine the multitude converted from that one little pass along card?

That's about when I had to leave and do my work, so I didn't get to ask him more questions.  But I did learn that he lives in this area now and his mother came from India to stay with him for about a month and he was bringing her to the temple as often as he could while she was here.

As I left the room, I took his mother's hands (she was a beautiful woman with a ruby in her forehead) and told her what an honor it was to meet her and have her in the temple.

This was such a sweet experience that I had to share it here.

The Heart of Winter

 

Physical book   Fiction 5 stars

I loved this sweet story of an elderly couple.  The wife is diagnosed with cancer.  As she goes through that horrendous ordeal, there are flashbacks of their life together- the ups and downs of married life.  Is it action-packed?  No.  But it is exactly the kind of book I love, causing me to reflect on my own life and making me want to do better.  5 stars.

The Hypnotist's Love Story

 

The Hypnotist's Love Story by Liane Moriarty
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fiction Physical Book
This is my second Liane Moriarty and I think I’m a fan. I like her stories and her writing. This books gets you inside the head of a stalker. It’s way different in there than I thought from looking from the outside. It’s a good story that ends well. 4 stars from me.


View all my reviews

Camino Island

 

Camino Island by John Grisham
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Fiction Audiobook
Grisham knows how to write a story that captures you from the first page to the last. My husband and I listened to this on a recent road trip. We liked the characters and the plot. It was very entertaining. 3 ½ stars.


View all my reviews

Black Beauty The Autobiography of a Horse

 

Classic Literature    Physical book

I don’t know how I missed reading this in my youth because I was a horse lover.  But I am so glad I read it now.  Set in pre-car time when horses were an essential part of life, Black Beauty tells his life story beautifully this in book. His life starts in a very happy place, but as he is sold from owner to owner, he experiences ill treatment and pain.  Everyone should read this sweet classic.  5 stars

Mexican Cruise 2026

January 3-10 we enjoyed our usually annual Mexican Riviera Cruise on Princess Cruises.  It was an enjoyable, relaxing week.   We flew to Las Angeles on Friday, the 2nd and spent the night in a hotel before boarding the ship on Saturday.

Port in Las Angeles

Our first stop on Monday was Cabo San Lucas.  It is such a beautiful approach.  We saw whales as we approached.  That is always exciting.

It's hard to distinguish in this picture, but the boats are surrounding a whale.

Our steward created a dog out of washrags for us and I found a rubber duck in the library.  Duck hiding is a thing on cruises.

Our cabin was on the uppermost deck.  We so enjoyed our balcony and the beautiful views.

We spent a lot of time out there enjoying the views and reading.

Because the ship didn't leave Cabo until 8 pm, the dining room was not very busy that evening.  So, our waiter created a little Mexican man for us.  Both he and his assistant were from the Philipines.

Cabo at night.  So pretty.

On Tuesday we were in Mazatlan

I was on the deck when I saw this ship coming right at our ship.  They turned just in time.  They were just trying to get out of the harbor, and the pilot boat guided them out perfectly.  It sure looked like a crash was imminent.

Wednesday we were in Puerta Vallarta

Ken spent the morning at Area Natural Protegida Estero El Saledo- a local nature preserve.  He was so thrilled to add two new birds to his life list which now numbers 1,188 different species of bird.

Rufus- Bellied Chachalaca

Sinaloa Crow

The food, as always, was delicious and beautifully presented.

This was one of Ken's favorite dinners of the cruise.  Beef tenderloin.  He also loved the prime rib.

We know from doing this cruise so many times that the first day lunch serves this delicious lemon salmon.  We are always anxious to get on the ship and head to the dining room.  It is one of our two favorite meals.  So yummy!

This is my other favorite meal: Chioppino.  It is a delicious seafood soup.  It has a delicious tomato base and, as you can see, is full of seafood.

Oh, and the Beef Wellington is delicious.

One evening we went out on the main deck to watch the fountain show (and get some delicious ice cream.)

It was a lovely, relaxing cruise with lots of beautiful views, good food, reading, and sleeping.  We are already looking forward to next year.