Martha Jane Harrison

Martha Harrison, 74, of Salt Lake City, Utah, passed away February 14, 2023. She was born in Salt Lake City, Utah to Vernon Oliver and Thelma Jane (Terry) Harrison on May 18, 1948. She attended Granite High School.

She worked for the Bureau of Land Management for over 35 years and among other positions while there, she pioneered website design for the Utah offices. She loved designing sites for Utah’s natural beauty and wrote vivid description and found beautiful pictures to showcase its natural resources and recreation. She was smart, funny, and loved by her colleagues.

Martha loved to read, Agatha Christie being her favorite author. She could often be found reading day and night, multiple books per week. Because of this she was a wealth of knowledge on many different subjects. She coined herself the “Queen of Useless Facts,” and never found a book she didn’t want to read. She was also a gifted seamstress, teaching sewing out of her living room on the weekends to the young women’s groups from the local wards. She also created costumes for local plays and haunted houses and made custom dresses for wedding lines. She loved sewing and did it so often growing up that her father gave her a second allowance so she could buy fabric. She loved her shoes, often having multiple pairs of her favorite styles in different colors and backups for when they were worn out. Her grandchildren called her the “Shoe Fairy” because she was always buying them shoes. She was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She loved her church, taught primary to all ages, and played the piano and organ for primary and sacrament meeting. Her love for reading didn’t stop at mysteries and would read scripture and other LDS texts often.
Martha was a devoted mother, grandmother, sister, and friend. She was very proud of all of her family and loved spending time them. She was always willing to lend and ear when someone needed to talk and eagerly give advice.

She is survived by her children: James (Francis) Stahle and Jennifer (Michael) Leatham, grandchildren: Albanie, Alec, Andrew, Mhia and Lauren, great grandchildren: Bentleigh and Cruz, siblings: Peter (Marianne) Harrison, MaryAnn (Mark) Odle, Linda Moffitt, Heidi (Craig) Dolan and Jim (Amy) Harrison, as well as several nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Preceded in death by parents: Vernon and Thelma Harrison and her older brother Terry Harrison.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, February 24, 2023 from 6:00 – 8:00 PM at Starks Funeral Parlor, 3651 South 900 East. Guests are encouraged to use the parking and entrance on the north side of the building.