muriel elaine mann obituary

M​uriel Elaine Mann, age 91, died Friday, February 2, 2018 at the home of her daughter in American Fork from causes incident to age. She was with family at the time of her passing. In hospice care for just two weeks prior to her death, Elaine passed away peacefully in her sleep.

She is survived by her daughter, Linda Stucki and husband Mathew, granddaughter Camilla Hansen and husband Nick, grandson Steven Stucki and wife Carly, granddaughter Alyssa Lamb and husband Jerimiah, and granddaughters Amy, Melanie, and Emily, and two great-grandchildren, Mervin and Ozzy.
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Born 20 June 1926 in Denver, Colorado where her father worked in construction building the homes where they lived, Elaine spent her early years enjoying the Rocky Mountains.  She was married in 1952 and later settled in Ventura, California when her husband accepted a position at Point Mugu Naval Base. Elaine was a California resident and worked as a dietician for the Camarillo State Hospital for most of her life before moving in 1996 to Orem, Utah to be near her family.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Gayward Neal Mann, in 1972 and her sister, Thelma, in 1948 and brother, Elwood, in 2008.

​Surrounded by family, Elaine slipped from this life into the arms of her friends and family who preceded her in death. After more than 46 years, she has been reunited with her sweetheart Gayward. They spent many happy years together and are now finally back with each other. Certainly their reunion was sweet. Elaine spent nearly 20 years serving in the temple and was an avid genealogist. We expect that she has helped dozens perhaps hundreds of people on both sides of the veil. Now that her ill health is no longer a barrier, she will no doubt continue her service.
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She loved square dancing and participated in square dance clubs faithfully since she was a young woman at the University of Denver, where she danced in exhibitions at Red Rocks Amphitheater and Estes Park Barn in town and liked it very much.  She tells the story that when she and her husband lived in Denver, that’s where she persuaded Gay to learn how to Square Dance.  She convinced him to go to a Pot Luck Square Dance activity at the church where they were married.  He went even though he said square dancing didn’t interest him and only attended to satisfy her.  She promised Gay that they would go home after the potluck, but once the caller got them all into a large circle and taught some basic steps then put them in squares, Gay had the time of his life and could hardly wait until the following September to take lessons. They danced weekly or more and were favorites in their square dance clubs. They enjoyed square dancing all over California.  Some of the clubs were the Barn Burners in Camarillo, the Bachelors ‘n Bachelorettes in Ventura, Grand Squares and the Outpost in Denver, Pi R Squares in Thousand Oaks, Jubileers, Alta Loma, The Mobile 8’s, Happy Squares in Semi Valley, Dudes ‘n’ Darlings in ​Ojai, Starliters in Point Hueneme, Marry Twirlers in Glendora, Ripsnorters in Camarillo, Trail Dusters in Woodland Hills, Road Runners in Santa Paula, T-Cup Chains and Square Hoppers  in La Crescenta to name just a few.  She also Round Danced with the club called Mission Rounds in Ventura and went to the International Dance Festival in Las Vegas and Dance-a-Rama in Salt Lake City. She earned the Crack Pot Badge, Rover Badge and the Sons of the Beaches for dancing on the beach or sand and many others. 
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They joined a square dance club in Oxnard called the Romping Stompers and held all the offices in the club as Secretary, Treasurer, Vice President and President two times. They went to many parties and picnics in Ojai, had fun visiting other clubs stealing their banner so they would come visit their club to retrieve the banner, and many other activities.  The couple always attended New Year’s Eve and Christmas parties with their square dance friends. Following Gay’s death, Elaine continued to dance faithfully in various square dance groups in California and later with the Mavericks in Utah. Elaine square danced for nearly 68 years.

Elaine joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1980 and was sealed to her husband in 1985 in the Los Angeles temple. Family was always of upmost importance to Elaine, and all this she and Gay did with their daughter Linda, who continues to carry on the tradition of square dancing in her family today.

Many knew and loved Elaine and a few were lucky enough to take a turn on the dance floor with her.
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We, her family, consider ourselves some of the most fortunate.