Sara Isabelle Merrill Tanner, wife of the late President N. Eldon Tanner who was a member of the First Presidency from 1963-1982, died in Bountiful, Utah, May 17 of natural causes. She was 93.
She was born Oct. 8, 1898, in Lehi, Utah, a daughter of John Booth and Isabelle Elizabeth Gibb Merrill. Shortly before his death, President Wilford Woodruff called her father to go to Canada to build houses for Church members who were settling there. Her family moved to Magrath, Alberta, when she was an infant, and then later to Hillspring, Alberta.Throughout her life, Sister Tanner reflected fondly on memories of Canada.
After completing her public school education, she attended a teacher's college. She then taught in a small school in Hillspring, where N. Eldon Tanner came to the district as a principal. There were only four teachers in the school; the new principal taught high school classes and young Sara Merrill taught grades 4 and 5. They married Dec. 20, 1919. They lived in Cardston, Alberta, where he was principal of an elementary school. In 1923, when the Alberta Temple was dedicated, their marriage was solemnized in the temple.
The Tanners' married life was filled with excitement and activity. In 1935 he was elected to the legislature and as House speaker, and from 1937-52 he served as a cabinet officer. Their lifestyle changed greatly when he became a leader in Canadian government, making it necessary for them to move from their small-town home in Cardston where there were many fellow Latter-day Saints and move to Edmonton, about 400 miles away where there were only 22 Church members in the entire city.
With her husband's governmental responsibilities, Sister Tanner attended many social events, occasions she once described as having given her an opportunity to help others learn about the Latter-day Saint lifestyle. "Never, in all the years that my husband was in government, did we have the least bit of pressure to take coffee, tea, or anything contrary to the Word of Wisdom," she said in a Church News interview in February 1974.
When President Tanner was called as an Assistant to the Twelve in 1960, Sister Tanner willingly left their new home to move to Salt Lake City. "We moved into it [their new homeT in June, and he was sustained as a General Authority in October," she reflected in the Church News interview. "My first thought was that the Lord can call my husband any place He wanted to. I don't regret having to give up our beautiful new home to move to Salt Lake City."
Sister Tanner traveled throughout the world with her husband after he was called as a General Authority.
In news interviews, she spoke of the important roles of wives and mothers, saying she believed homemaking was the most important job a young woman could look forward to. She also emphasized the importance of serving in the Church. "I have encouraged each one in the family to keep busy with Church assignments, however small, because we all need the growth and development afforded," she once said. "I have encouraged them to make family prayer a part of daily life. And to be sure to remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy."
Sister Tanner gave countless hours in service to the Church. When President Tanner was president of the West European Mission from 1961-62, she was appointed as special representative of the YWMIA general board in Europe. She supervised YWMIA work throughout Europe under direction of the general presidency and was the first in the organization's history to hold such an office.
She was a recipient of the Golden Gleaner Award, served as president of the Young Women's Mutual Improvement Association in the Cardston Ward and as president of the Relief Society in the Edmonton Branch. She was named Woman of the Year in 1970 by Ricks College, and also was named that year as Ideal Woman of the Year by the Utah State University chapter of Lambda Delta Sigma.
She also was active in community events. She was a provincial executive of the Girl Guides of Canada and president of a Canadian women's political organization. In 1968, she was elected to a two-year term to serve on the board of trustees of the Utah Civic Ballet.
President Tanner died Nov. 27, 1982. Sister Tanner's survivors include five daughters: Ruth T. Doxey and Isabelle T. Jensen, both of Salt Lake City; Zola T. Rhodes, Eden, Utah; Beth T. Spackman, who is serving a mission with her husband, Grant L. Spackman, in Iceland; and Helen T. Beaton, Ashland, Ore. She is survived also by 29 grandchildren, 90 great-grandchildren, and three sisters.
Her funeral was scheduled to be held May 22, in the Salt Lake Eagle Gate Stake Center.
