OBITUARY: Patricia Lee Edlefsen Reber

Patricia Reber

Patricia Lee Edlefsen Reber passed away November 1, 2021 in her home in Mesquite, NV surrounded by her family, after a hard-fought fight with cancer. She was born January 29, 1936 in Boise, Idaho to James Lauritz (Larry) Edlefsen and Agnes Bernice Noble.

Pat was the second child and first daughter of Larry and Agnes. She graduated from Boise High School in 1954, and started attending Boise Junior College, where she received an Associate’s Degree. While there she decided to pursue a career in P.E., which she completed at Brigham Young University. She earned a teaching degree in P.E. with an emphasis in dance, a love of which she passed on to three of her children. Pat’s first teaching position was in Mesquite, Nevada, where she taught P.E. and other subjects for over 25 years. She also cherished the time she spent teaching special education at Mary Lee Nickels School, in Sparks, Nevada.

While teaching in Mesquite, Pat met her husband Samuel Alvin Reber. They were sealed together in the St. George Utah Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on August 20, 1960. They have six children.

Not just a lover of being active and dancing, Pat directed or choreographed countless school and community musicals. She founded and coached the Virgin Valley High School drill team and coached Cheer, taught swim lessons at summer rec programs, life-guarded, and chaperoned school trips, dances and other activities. In 2019 she was selected as the Virgin Valley High School Homecoming Grand Marshal. She was also a devoted bowler, competing in national competitions.

Pat was always active in her faith, and over her lifetime she served in numerous callings. She served as the first Relief Society President of the Mesquite Nevada Stake. She particularly enjoyed her callings with the youth, in Blazer B’s, Achievement Days, and as a Sunday School teacher. She sent all six of her children on missions and then served two herself with Sam: to Cove Fort Utah in 2000 and Nauvoo Illinois in 2010. She said, “I loved serving with Sam and all of the forever friends we made.” Forever friends were easy for Pat to make – she seemed to have friends and loved ones all over the world. Pat and Sam worked in the St. George Temple for more than 12 years, again making friends wherever they served.

When asked to describe their mother/grandmother, her family talked about her examples of Christ-like service; her huge, loving heart that celebrated the good and mourned the bad in equal measure; and how she made everyone around her feel special, whether it was the high school graduation of one of her young women or the marriage of one of her grandchildren.

She traveled probably hundreds of thousands of miles over her lifetime to be a part of weddings, funerals, birthdays, concerts and recitals, parties, reunions, baptisms, mission farewells, graduations, baby births and blessings, and any other time her family needed her. She was always the first person her kids called when they had good news, and the first person they leaned on during hard times. Her daughter Elizabeth wrote, “You have been my best friend, biggest cheerleader, confidante, teacher and example. You showed me the way and expected me to do my best.” Everyone who knew and loved her feels exactly the same way.

She is survived by her eternal companion Sam; children: Keith (Rebecca) of Springville UT, Kaelyn (Dan) Spencer of Bloomington UT, Van Cluff (Melanie) of Panaca, NV, Larry (Jennifer) of Mesquite, Matt (Brandi) of Axtell UT, and Elizabeth (Aaron) Bleak of Riverton UT; 34 grandchildren; 28 great grandchildren; and her brother James Edlefsen of Ogden UT.

Pat was preceded in death by her parents and her baby sister Elizabeth Jean, and grandsons Dane Reber and Brett Cluff, as well as two great grandsons.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, November 6, 2021 at 11 am at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Mesquite Stake Center, 100 S. Arrowhead Lane. Visitation will be held Friday, November 5, 2021 from 6-8 pm and again from 9-10:30 am on Saturday, both at the Stake Center. Interment will follow at the Mesquite City Cemetery.

Services will be live streamed, and friends and family are invited to sign the online guest book, a link can be found at www.virginvalleymortuary.com.