Grace Emily Gilgen

Grace Emily Lay Gilgen 1939-2024 passed away peacefully at home on Nov. 28, 2024. Born April 21, 1939, at Cottonwood Maternity Home Murray, Salt Lake, Utah Parents Amos Earl "Doc" Lay and Jennie Estelle Walton Simkins. Grace married William Newton Walbom on April 25, 1958, in Salt Lake City, Utah.  They later divorced. She married the "love of her life," Jack Merrill Gilgen, on July 16, 1976, in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.

Grace attended many elementary schools as a child because of her father's occupation. Libby Edward, Central Jr High, and Olympus High, all in Salt Lake City. Living on a farm so different from the city. Life was wonderful. She and Jack have raised everything, including any stray children or adults. She loved to Hunt, fish, camp, and grow beautiful gardens. She loved everything about nature except snakes, spiders, and flies. Together, they worked seasonal jobs in the mink industry and sheared sheep in Cache, Box Elder, Weber, Davis, and Tooele Counties. Jack sheared, and Grace tied fleeces. She read fortunes for 35 years. She was a licensed professional reader in Utah. In 1977, she opened the Cauldron Costume Shoppe in Logan. She costumed for productions, Utah State University, other schools, church functions, parties, Centennial for Utah Senate, the Festival of American West, and Mrs. Utah Pagent, to name a few. Her favorite time in life was working with the Special Olympic group in Salt Lake as a host for families.  Her loves were her grandchildren, gardening, sewing, art, classical music, theater, and crafts with children. Genealogy, which she got carried away with (Over 60 years of research). Her favorite saying about genealogy is: "Don't believe everything you read; verify what you do. But don't throw the baby out with the bath water." 

She was preceded in death by her parents, Amos Earl "Doc" Lay and Jennie Estelle Walton Simkins, grandparents Ray Walton and Agnes Grace Taylor, a brother, Ronald E Lay, sisters-in-law Elizabeth Ann Morrow Lay, Jean Dennis Lay, RaNae Gilgen Rich, and Daughter-in-law Katheryn M. Hemmingway Walbom, one grandchild and two great-grandchildren.

She is survived by her children: William Kregg Walbom, Kathy Ann Walbom (Joe) Williams, Koddie Louise Walbom, Kurt Lee Walbom, Kandi Grace Roholt, and Kiley Ray (Jeff Witt) Walbom; a brother, Dale E. Lay; sister-in-law Jodi Lay; niece Kelly Lay; and Nephew Matthew (Rachel Nguyen) Lay. She has ten grandchildren and nineteen great-grandchildren. She is also survived by a special added grandson, Travis Gonzalez.

A special thank you to IHC Hospice and all the medical staff at Logan Regional Hospital, the Wilford Ward, and Todd Goodsell from Red Rose Funeral Home, Preston, Idaho. My very special caregiver, Kathy, is my daughter. There will be no formal viewing or funeral. A short dedication of the grave will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, December 7, 2024, at the  Logan City Cemetery.