Mary Leta Coleman Oyler

Loa, Utah - Mary Leta or "Leta" as she is known by most people, was born on April 3, 1933 in Teasdale, Utah. Her parents were Eva Washburn and Evan Coleman. She was the youngest of three children having an older sister and brother.

She had many happy memories of growing up in Teasdale. In the summer months they lived on a ranch above Teasdale and in the winter months they moved back to town. She loved cats and would dress them up and take them for buggy rides. One morning when she was ready for school her dad, who was a tease, told her there was a new black cat outside. She picked up the cat and rubbed it against her face and cuddled it only to find that the black rubbed off the cat. Her dad had rubbed lamp black on a white cat. Her dad got a good laugh out of the situation but her mother was less than pleased for she only had three dresses and it was laundry day.

When her brother and his friends were driving to a dance she and her cousin would sneak into the back seat and hide. Once they got to the dance the guys had to let them stay.

She married Ernest Oyler in 1951. She was at a basketball game sitting in the balcony. She saw him standing in the doorway wearing a pair of dress slacks, sweater and loafers. She knew immediately that was the man she was going to marry. Together they raised seven children and two granddaughters.

Some fun memories of mom were wading in Spring Creek with all of us kids or grabbing a broom and saying "Here comes an old lady, a stick, and a staff, neither smile nor laugh" - which always brought uncontrolled laughter from all of us kids.

She was an immaculate housekeeper. She used to put paste wax on the floors and let us kids shine it up by sliding across the floor in our stocking feet which was great fun.

As a child a bolt of lightning struck not too far from her which left her with a healthy respect for thunder and lightning. When thunder started to rumble she would gather all of us kids around. She made us put on our socks and sit on the bed. We would say, "why do we have to put socks on? Why are we sitting in the middle of the bed?" Her reply was always "shush be quiet." With the younger kids she had them put on socks and sit in the hallway. If the kids were gone or not at home when a rain storm struck, Ernest knew if at all possible, he had better get home until the storm passed. Dad used to always tell us he raised seven kids and our mother too!

If music was playing in the house she and dad would start dancing in the middle of the living room floor. They were good dancers and loved dancing.

She always told us "if you can't say something nice about someone, don't say anything at all" or "give until it hurts - a giver never gives himself poor".

Leta was a wonderful cook. She has one lower cupboard that has always been for the grandchildren and now the great grandchildren. The cupboard always has cookies and every grand and great grandchild knows where it is. She loved to bake casseroles, yummy pies, cookies, hot rolls and bread. She made wonderful candy too, especially caramels.

She liked nice comfortable shoes, reading, and to be outside tending to her flower beds and garden. In the fall, she was busy canning, preserving, and drying fruits and vegetables.

She was always an excellent seamstress sewing formals, wedding dresses, and everything in between. If she didn't have a pattern, she made one. She made all of our school clothes and beautiful Sunday dresses. Until we were about eleven and twelve those nice dresses were made just alike making people think we were twins. A new dress was never hemmed until the length was approved by our dad. Mini skirts were the fashion when we were in high school, but our dresses were never more than two inches above our knees. Not too many days went by without hearing the hum of her sewing machine.

She was very ambitious and always working on something. She loved to do embroidery and hand work. Making quilt tops and quilting was a favorite hobby of hers. Every member of our extended family has a quilt with her small neat stitches.

We are blessed to call her our mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and best friend.

Leta is survived by her children: Eunice Oyler (Johnny Beard) of Loa, Ramona Peterson of Richfield, Douglas (Merlyn) Oyler of Loa, Roger (Luana) Oyler of Torrey, Rick (Melanie) Oyler of Loa, Mericha (David) Hafen of Bicknell, twenty grandchildren and twenty-seven great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; son-in-law Don Peterson; children: Dwight Oyler and Leisa Oyler; siblings: Rotas (Beth) Coleman, Juana (Orson) Adams.

Funeral services for Leta will be held at 1:00 P.M. on Friday, June 13, 2025 in the Fremont LDS Ward Chapel, 24 South 100 West, where friends may call for viewing from 11-12:30 P.M. prior to the services.

Livestreaming of the services can be found at springerturner.com underneath Leta's obituary about 15 minutes prior to the service.

Burial will be in the Loa Cemetery under the care of the Springer Turner Funeral Homes of Richfield and Salina, Utah.