Elizabeth Stoffels

St George, Utah - Our beautiful, kind, generous, gracious, gentle, cribbage playing and winning, silly joke loving mom Elizabeth Seals Lindhe Watts Stoffels, 87, passed away Saturday, September, 23, 2017.

She was born August 9, 1930 in Jerome, Arizona to Irvin and John Elizabeth (Hughes) Seals and was later adopted by Charles and Ina Catherine (Hughes) Lindhe. She married Allan Scott Watts, Jr. on March 19, 1955, in Salt Lake City, Utah. They celebrated 30 happy years of marriage until Scott succumbed to cancer. Elizabeth then married Stan Stoffels and after 10 years divorced.

John Elizabeth Seals died from childbirth complications and Elizabeth was raised by her grandmother, Lizzie Johns Hughes. At Irvin’s remarriage, Lizzie took Elizabeth to Oklahoma where they lived until 1934. Lizzie’s health failed and they went to live with Ina and Charlie in Salt Lake City, Utah. Elizabeth attended Uinta Elementary, Roosevelt and Irving Junior Highs, and graduated from East High School in 1946. Elizabeth loved skating and was a roller-skating champion in the mid-forties. She attended Stevens’ Women’s College in Columbia, Missouri, where she was a member of the Tri-Delta sorority. After earning an associate's degree, she went to the University of Utah where she studied nutrition, graduating in 1951. Elizabeth then moved to Oakland, California where she interned as a Registered Dietician at Highland Hospital.

After their marriage, Scott and Elizabeth lived in Hayward, California where they had their children and built a home. Elizabeth worked as a dietitian at Laurel Grove Hospital in Castro Valley. After Scott was born and she broke her ankle, she quit working for several years.

Elizabeth was active in PTA, the Police Wives’ Association, and the YMCA. She then worked at Shriners’ Hospital in San Francisco for many years. Elizabeth was a wonderful cook, seamstress, and enjoyed yarn work, too. Mom was a ‘Soccer Mom’ before it was a ‘thing’. She drove us to dance and gymnastics lessons, music lessons, Scouts, Little League, she took us on field trips so our dad could sleep, and taught us to sew and cook.

After Scott’s death, her personal journey began. Elizabeth became a certified grief counselor and volunteered at Hospices for most of the rest of her life. She was named Vista Care of Utah’s volunteer of the year in 2005. She was involved in Al-Anon and found spirituality attending the Science of Mind Organization, where she became a licensed minister.

When Elizabeth married Stan, they lived in Mariposa County, about half an hour from Yosemite, near the town of Bootjack. She enjoyed country living - the deer and peacocks, and gardening.

Elizabeth is survived by Susan Vierheller (Todd), Arizona, Sharon Harris (Larry), Utah, Sarah Dorff (Michael), Utah, and Scott Watts (Teresa Vera), California; sisters in law Tori Watts Legro (John) California, and Zora Watts (Utah), 14 grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews as well as three “bonus” children from her second marriage.

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, November 25, 2017 at Thanksgiving Point in the Garden Room. A brunch will be held at 10:00 a.m. with a short program at 11:15 a.m. Reception and visiting until 1:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the charity of your choice in Elizabeth’s name.