Ella May "Eeem" Sawyer, beloved mother, grandmother, aunt, sister, and friend, passed away peacefully in her sleep on April 11, 2023.

Born May 20, 1930, to Francis Edgar Hulet and Ella McEwen, she lived to see 92, just missing her 93rd birthday by a month. Her family is comforted by the certainty that she's having a grand time greeting all the family, friends, and pets that preceded her to her well-earned place in heaven.

She was the youngest of eight children. During her youth, she helped work the family farm and took care of the endless household chores, especially while her mother was ill. Ella May was family- and service-oriented and took pleasure in doing good works for those she knew well—and even those she didn't.

She was a devout member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, loved the Gospel, and treasured her spiritual relationship with the Savior. In her late 20s, she served a two-year church mission to the Netherlands. She made lifelong friends on her mission, as well as in every place she later lived, including Idaho, Utah, and California.

She married George Marshall Sawyer June 20, 1962, in the Salt Lake Temple. Although later divorced, together they shared a great love for the beautiful family they created together.

Music was her passion. When she left behind her long-time family homestead in Wendell, Idaho, she pursued—and earned—a bachelor's degree in Arts (1961) from Brigham Young University. She went on to earn her master's in Education (1994) from Idaho State University at the never-give-up age of 64. She taught piano lessons for many years, and her children grew up with the sound of her piano playing ever present in the background. She often held the church callings of ward organist and music director, and she played the organ and sang solos into her 80s.

She was, at her heart, a teacher. In addition to the piano lessons, she bravely taught band and choir at West Jefferson High School in Idaho, then transitioned to teaching typing and computer keyboarding, accounting, and shorthand before eventually teaching office practices at Eastern Idaho Technical College.

Her other passions included Gospel study, gardening, personal health, psychology, and food storage for emergencies.

Ella May is survived by her three children (Tom, Louise, and Mike), thirteen grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.

Services will be held at the Sharon Third Ward chapel, 730 E 400 S, Orem. Viewing is from 9:30 to 10:30, and services start at 11. Graveside service afterward at the SE corner of Provo Cemetery.