Arlette Hart Day, born of noble parents, returned to her Heavenly Father and family on February 17, 2015. She died after a six-month battle with cancer at age ninety-eight.

Arlette was born to Arthur William Hart and Evadyna Henderson Hart on August 31, 1916 in Preston, Idaho.

She attended grade school, junior high school, and high school in Logan. She also attended Utah State University, then known as the "Agricultural College."

Arlette served as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Western States Mission headquartered in Denver, Colorado. She served during the bottom of the "Great Depression" - 1937 to 1939 - for twenty-two months when funds were scarce.

She helped support her family when she returned home from her mission. The spirit of missionary work never left her. The Church News quoted her son, Klint Day, in November 3, 2013 as saying, "missionary work is her life." Her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren will all attest to that.

Arlette met John Millard Day at Sugarhouse Music in the spring of 1946. She married John on November 15, 1946 and they were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple.

One week prior to their marriage, they opened up their own Day Murray Music at 4914 South State Street in Murray. It has been in the same location for over sixty-eight years. Arlette worked at the store for fifty-three years, retiring at age eighty-three. Her sons and grandsons have carried on the tradition.

Arlette has been involved in Murray City from the very beginning. Participation in the Murray Chamber of Commerce was always important to her. She was the first woman to be President of the Murray Chamber of Commerce.

She served on the Library Board for eight years. She wrote much of a 486 page History of Murray. In 1976, she was chairman for the 4th of July Bi-centennial Parade.

Arlette was awarded "Woman of the Year" in 1984 by the Green Sheet Newspaper. She received a Lifetime membership in Utah PTA, Charter member of the Murray Education Foundation, and organized the Murray Teenage Record Hops.

She worked to obtain a building for Murray Senior Citizens, which produced the Heritage Center. She and John were in charge of the Santa Claus Program in Downtown Murray, (later re-named "Christmas Tree Lighting.") She played Mrs. Santa for twenty-four years.

Mother loved the arts. She was Executive Director of the Murray Symphony and Murray Symphonic Band and charter member of the Murray Arts Council.

She raised the last needed monies to fund the Murray Amphitheater. She sponsored the Arlette Day Piano Competition in 1986, which lasted for nine seasons.

She was given the Total Citizen Award from the Utah State Chamber of Commerce in 1981. She received the Hall of Fame award in 1992 by the Murray Chamber of Commerce.

In 1996, she was recognized by the National District of Who's Who as a Professional in Business. She was Grand Marshall for the 1997 Independence Day Parade. She co-founded the Murray Museum for Historic Preservation.

In 2001, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Murray Rotary Club. In 2003, she was awarded the Governor's award in the Humanities.

In May of 2003, Murray Mayor Dan Snarr inaugurated a ceremony for the induction of the Mayor's "Hall of Honor." Its first inductee was Arlette Hart Day.

She was honored for her contributions to the Murray community. She's a Murray Legend.

Mother was always a tireless worker in the Church. Besides her ongoing missionary activities, she worked diligently as a teacher in the auxiliaries.

As a young married women, she taught the MIA-Maids class. Then, for decades, she taught the older young groups in Sunday School and her last effort was with the Primary children, which she taught until she was almost ninety years old. She taught all of these groups every week with rarely a substitute teacher. Her calling was as a teacher and she affected lives,

Mother was a lifelong learner. She loved to read good books, usually between four to six thousand pages a year. She retained her excellent memory to the end.

Gospel learning and study was an important part of her life. Honoring her posterity on their birthdays and other important occasions was always a priority. You could not be in her presence without feeling of her great love.

She is survived by her children, J. Klint Day (Rosanne Breitling), Val H. Day (Christine West), and Connie Day (Dr. J. Mark Christensen). They have thirteen grandchildren (one deceased) and thirty-five great-grandchildren, with three on the way. She is survived by two brothers, Jed and Bret Hart (Rene); two sisters, Ada Shumway and Jocelyn Faux (Frank); and sister-in-law, Donna Mae Hart. She was preceded in death by her eternal companion, John Millard Day, who passed away on January 31, 2002.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, February 23, 2015 in the Murray Third Ward Chapel, 160 East Brown Street (4600 South). Friends may call on Sunday, February 22, 2015 from 5:00 until 8:00 p.m, at Jenkins-Soffe Mortuary, 4760 South State Street (100 East), and one hour prior to services at the church on Monday.
Interment will be in the Valley View Memorial Park.
Published in the Salt Lake Tribune from February 20 to February 22, 2015.