Sonia Ruth Eddington Jividen was born on February 28, 1943 in Murray, UT to Reed and Nora Eddington, and died at home surrounded by loved ones on November 13, 2019.

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Sonia contracted the dreaded disease Polio when she was 3 years old. Her parents were devastated when the doctors told them that she wouldn't live and to prepare for her death. Reed and Nora wouldn't accept that diagnosis however and continued to do everything they could to save their young child. Although the disease left her with a crippled right hand, Sonia defied the doctors prognosis and made a complete recovery. She then went on to spend the rest of her life proving the doctors wrong.

When it was clear that Sonia would recover the doctors told her parents that she would not be able to enjoy a normal childhood and would probably die young, and if by some miracle she beat the odds and survived into adulthood, she would never be able to bear children.

Sonia enjoyed a happy childhood with her siblings Robert (deceased), JoAnn, Linda, and Doug. She attended Murray High school in Murray, UT, graduating in 1961. Sonia loved sports, especially softball. She also loved music, singing with her family, and participating in school and church choirs. She learned to play the guitar saying she chose the guitar because she could play the chords with her good left hand and strum with her crippled right. Although her hand was crippled, none of her children ever thought of her as having a disability. It never seemed to prevent her from doing anything that she wanted to do.

On September 15, 1961, Sonia and LaVelle Luke Morris were married and sealed in the Salt Lake Temple, and about 9 months later they defied the doctors prognosis again and had the first of their seven children. Shortly after that Sonia and the young baby Kurt joined LaVelle in Okinawa, Japan, where LaVelle was stationed with the Army. While in Japan their second child Brad was born. Sonia loved living in Okinawa and the people there, and even though she moved there as a 19 year old young woman who had never traveled far, she fondly referred to it as the happiest time of their marriage.

Following their three year stint in the Army, they moved back to Murray, UT, where they spent the following seven years and had four more children, Neil, Perry, Teresa, and Tanya. By this time their expanding family had outgrown their small Murray home and moved to Salt Lake City where they lived for about five years and had their final daughter Nora. LaVelle and Sonia's last move as a family was in the summer of 1976 to Sandy, UT. During this time in Sandy, Sonia and LaVelle sang together in the Utah Chorale, which turned into one of their favorite activities.

Sonia's work career included positions as Executive Assistant at Morris Travel and the law firm of Ballard Sparr. As an executive Assistant Sonia became an excellent typist, typing at 88 wpm despite her withered right hand. Sonia also worked as a real estate agent during a period when women were often discouraged from working as agents in the industry.

After 25 years of marriage and raising seven children, Sonia and LaVelle divorced. Over the next couple of years Sonia began dating a man that she had crossed paths with as 19 year old young mother. A friendly and loving man by the name of Pat Jividen whose sister was good friends of Sonia's sister JoAnn. The relationship progressed and Pat and Sonia married on September 9, 1988, and began their new lives together. Pat and Sonia loved spending time together at their cabin in Tabiona, which became their place of refuge and peace. They probably would have lived there year round if it had been practical.

Some of the things that Sonia enjoyed most in life were her family, spending as much time as possible at their cabin in the hills above Tabiona, UT, and singing with the family, especially at Christmas time. This eventually transitioned from caroling to friends and family, to putting together and performing the annual Morris Family Christmas Program. This program ran for ten fun years and grew to a large group as grandchildren became old enough to join the performances. Eventually the growing and changing family dynamics made continuing the program impractical and the annual event came to an end.

Although Sonia won the initial battle with Polio as a toddler, she eventually lost the war. Pain and health problems forced her into an early retirement, a wheelchair, and for the last few weeks, a hospital bed. During that long decline, her faithful and loving husband Pat stayed by her side and cared for her. Sonia's children will be forever grateful to Pat for his patience, love, and dedication to mom through these difficult times. We would also like to recognize Nora and Tanya, along with Pat, for taking the brunt of the caregiver responsibilities during Sonia's final years of life.

Sonia Jividen passed away at home on November 13, 2019 following a long and painful struggle with her body, and has now happily been reunited with loved ones who preceded her in death, including her parents Reed and Nora, her oldest brother Robert, and her stepdaughter Kim.

Sonia is survived by her siblings JoAnn, Linda, and Doug, and her loving and devoted husband Pat Jividen, her children Kurt, Brad (Karcie), Neil (Kyra), Perry (Maria), Teresa (Russell), Tanya (Brent), and Nora, step children Aimee and Bruce, as well as 29 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren.