Leah May Walker Tanner November 9, 1935 - October 25, 2020

Leah May Walker Tanner, 84, passed away Sunday, October 25 at Elk Ridge Assisted Living Center, Elk Ridge, Utah.

Leah May was born November 9, 1935, in Pleasant Grove, Utah to Reed O. and Mildred C. Christiansen Walker.  She was the eldest of four and grew up helping on the family farm in Pleasant Grove, picking raspberries, strawberries, corn and peas and then canning them with her mother for the family.  When she was 17, she met Alma Bert Tanner from West Mountain and married him on October 13, 1953 in the Salt Lake Temple before he was sent to Korea to fight in the Korean Conflict.

She stayed at home with her parents while he was overseas, graduating from high school and then working as a nanny in Salt Lake City until her sweetheart returned home.  When Bert returned from the war, they made their home in Payson until they could buy a small farm in West Mountain.  They lived in the small community of West Mountain for many years and loved their country life.  In their later years, Leah May and Bert purchased a home in Payson and found many lifelong friends in their new neighborhood.

Leah May loved being a farm wife.  Bert raised English White purebred cattle and she delighted along with him as they watched the cattle flourish.  They loved to travel together and not only traveled for enjoyment, but also to find suitable stock for their herd.  When they traveled to Chester, Utah to buy a bull, she named the young bull “Chester”, and she loved seeing her friend Chester in the pasture grow and become strong.

Leah May loved animals.  She had a dog with her in her late life that was her dearest companion.  When Cookie went over the Rainbow Bridge, Leah May mourned for her beloved friend.

Leah May was active in her local community.  She was a member of The American Legion Auxiliary and served as both president and vice president.

She was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in the various capacities in her ward, especially in the Primary organization.  She worked with various presidencies as secretary for over 15 years, in addition to leading as Primary President. As a member of the church, she was involved in Family History, collecting precious records, and performing many hours of indexing.

Leah May was a member of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers for many years and took great pride in her pioneer ancestry.  As a part of the DUP, she made lifetime friends with those in the West Mountain Camp.

She loved doing handwork and spent many hours making gifts of her beautiful creations for her friends and family.

She and Bert were the parents of four boys, Martin (Carol) of Payson, David (Penny) of Santaquin, Keith (Tammy) of Payson and Michael (Leslie) of West Mountain.  She has 13 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren that she is leaving as her legacy.

Also surviving Leah May are her siblings, brother Verdon (Laurene) Walker, Midvale; sisters, Veloy (Dennis) Smith, Alpine, and Ardith Walker, Provo.

Leah May’s family would like to extend their sincere love and appreciation to the angels who cared for her at Elk Ridge Assisted Living, bringing kindness and comfort to their mother’s last days.

Graveside services will be held November 2, 2020 at 2:00 pm at Payson Cemetery. Due to COVID, the family requests that everyone attending please wear face masks and bring a lawn chair for social distancing.  Services will be live streamed for a safe viewing experience.

Graveside services will be live streamed at Walker Funeral Home Facebook page.