Our dear wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, and friend passed away on March 17, 2002 at St. Mark's Hospital from complications following a stroke.

She was born May 17, 1925 in Oakley, Idaho, the fourth child of Lewis R. and Zella Plant Critchfield.

She grew up on the family farm with ten other brothers and sisters. Although it was during the depression, her childhood was filled with wonderful memories and experiences.

She attended Utah State University and fulfilled a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Southern California.

She married her sweetheart, C. Edsel (Ed) Tholen, on March 16, 1950. They have been blessed with seven children, twenty-four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Her life has been spent serving her family, church, friends, neighbors, and any other in need.

Ed and Zetta have served two fulltime missions together. She has held many church callings and has been valiant to her testimony of the Savior. Her motto is, "If you want to win the prize, you must be willing to pay the price." She said, "To me, the greatest prize would be that our mother and father and all their posterity can be together for eternity."

She is survived by her husband, Ed; daughter, Allyson Clark; sons, Dwight (Joy), Sterling (Jennifer), Preston (Calee), and Anthony (Becky), all of Salt Lake City; seven siblings; and her grandchildren. Preceded in death by her daughter, Valerie; son, Edsel C. (Eddy); grandson, Preston Tholen; her parents; and four siblings.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, March 21, 2002 at 12:00 p.m. in the Holladay Third Ward Chapel, 4568 South Holladay Boulevard. Friends and family may call from 6:00-8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 20, 2002 at Wasatch Lawn Mortuary, 3401 South Highland Drive (1495 East), and Thursday from 10:45-11:45 a.m. at the church.
Interment will be in the Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park.
Published in the Deseret News on March 19, 2002.