Karla Ann White, 91, quietly returned home to be with her Savior, her sweetheart, and other family members who went before her on January 21, 2026. She fought the fight, kept her faith, and endured to the end. She will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.
Karla was born on February 28, 1934, in her family home in Levan, Juab County, Utah, to Joseph Maurice and Emma Christensen Jensen. After several moves the family settled in Clearfield, Utah where her father could have land for his beloved garden. It was here that Karla developed a lifelong love for orchards, flowers, and gardening while working alongside her father.
She graduated from Davis High School in 1952 and went to work at Hill Air Force Base as an aircraft mechanic—one of the “Rosie the Riveters.” She said the work was loud, but she was grateful she avoided assignment to the hydraulics department draining grease from airplanes.
Following workforce layoffs, Karla moved to California with a friend, where she continued working as a riveter and later as a secretary for North American Aviation. She took great pride in her shorthand skills, testing at over 100 words per minute. During this time, she met her future husband, Charles Max White, while attending a Sunday School class in Inglewood, California. Though they had both lived near one another in Clearfield, Utah, it was there that their love story began.
Karla and Max dated briefly, became engaged, and were married on June 15, 1956, in Los Angeles, California. Their marriage was later sealed for time and all eternity on May 2, 1958, in the Los Angeles Temple. After Max graduated from Northrup Aeronautical University, the couple moved to Brigham City, Utah, where he worked for Thiokol Corporation and Karla devoted herself to raising their family.
Together they raised six children, including a foster daughter, three daughters from the Indian Reservation who lived with them while attending school, and many others who needed a helping hand and a temporary place to land.
Karla and Max purchased a 40-acre farm across from their home in Brigham City. While it taught their children the value of hard work, it also brought challenges. After disease and poisonous weeds devastated nearly their entire sheep herd, Karla returned to work as a lunch aide at Central Elementary School—a job she dearly loved—until two herniated discs confined her to bed for several months. Choosing rest over surgery, she later resumed work as a secretary for Bear River Mental Health, where she remained until retirement.
Karla was a meticulous homemaker with a creative spirit. She was a gifted seamstress and made many clothes for herself and her children. Her yard was filled with beautiful flowers, and she found great joy in gardening, cooking, and creating a warm home. Her children fondly remember pulling taffy and making homemade chocolate-covered toffee after Family Home Evening. Karla had a gift for decorating and interior design, loved to sing at home, church, and in the car, and enjoyed reading to her children while nurturing their individual talents and interests.
She actively served her community through the Women’s Community Club in Brigham City and as a voting judge. Though she narrowly missed being elected club president by one vote—a vote she herself had cast for the other candidate—she happily supported the new president and continued serving with enthusiasm.
Karla had a deep love for her Savior and faithfully served in many Church callings, including Primary, Young Women, Relief Society, and Ward and Stake Relief Society presidencies. Her desire for lifelong learning led her to attend Weber State College, where she eventually enrolled full-time and graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and a minor in Gerontology, earning a 3.94 GPA. She was nominated for Outstanding Student of the Year and received an award for outstanding academic achievement.
Following retirement, Karla and Max devoted their lives to serving the Lord, completing four missions together. In 2001, Max was called to serve as a Stake Patriarch, and Karla faithfully served by his side, supporting him until his passing in 2019. She will be remembered as a devoted wife, loving mother, diligent servant, and faithful daughter of God.
Karla is survived by her sister, Janice Pierce (Ken, deceased) of Syracuse, Utah; brother, Wayne Merrill Jensen of Salt Lake City, Utah; children:
Cindi Lyn (Ty) Ellis of Elk Ridge, Utah, Scott Cameron (Juleen) White of Kaysville, Utah, Lynette Karla (David) Kern of Orem, Utah, Kevin Charles (Angela) White of Pleasant Grove, Utah, Darin Michael (Jennifer) White of Auburn, Alabama; beloved foster daughter Lorene (Corbet) Austin of North Ogden, Utah; 22 grandchildren, 45 Great-grandchildren, and 2 Great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents Joseph Maurice and Emma Jensen, her brothers, Gerald Marlin Jensen and Stanley Maurice Jensen, and her eternal companion, Charles Max White.
We wish to express our deepest gratitude to Maple Creek Hospice and Covington Senior Living of Orem for their incredible compassionate care and kindness during Karla’s final year.
A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 29, 2026, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located at 259 East Alpine Drive in Elk Ridge, Utah. Visitation will be prior from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the church. Interment will be in Levan Cemetery, 400 South 600 East, Levan, Utah.
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