Sylvia Claire Haws Farmer

Sylvia Claire Haws Farmer, 76, wonderful wife, mother, and grandmother passed away oh so very peacefully in her home of 36 years in Sandy, Utah on October 11, 2022. Sylvia was born on October 5, 1946, in Salt Lake City, Utah to Roy Kimball and Zilpha Cameron Haws. She was the last child of four born to the Haws family. Sylvia started her life living in Garfield, UT. Within a couple of years, the family moved to Magna, UT where Sylvia graduated from Cyprus High School in 1964.

She attended Brigham Young University in the fall of 1964 with a declared major in Elementary Education with a minor in Child Development and Family Relations. All of which helped her become a great teacher and mother. During her freshmen year, she met the love of her life, Fred Conway Farmer, from Daingerfield, Texas. She tells the story of going to a “Y” group orientation of about 35 incoming freshmen and there noticed Fred. She told her roommate Caroline how cute he was. Well after a whole series of, we believe, directed & non-coincidental events (whole other story) she went on her first date with Fred, Nov. 14, 1964, to a BYU football game. She has been a fan ever since. She dated Fred until the end of spring semester and Fred returned to Texas, then left in October 1965 to serve the Spanish speaking people living in California and Arizona as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Upon return to BYU, January 1968, Fred knew Sylvia was the one he should marry. They were married, Sylvia graduated, and started teaching 3rd grade in Riverton, UT., all in the month of August. She declared how extremely difficult it was to cram everything into one month.

Sylvia loved teaching! While teaching, she received her PHT (put hubby thru) degree. Sylvia was pregnant with her 1st child, Cameron (18Dec1971) and because she was “showing”, Jordan School District forced her to resign, cutting off the couple’s income. Thus, early 1972 was very difficult for her new family until Fred graduated and started earning an income. Sylvia loved to play the piano, teaching school, teaching in church, teaching her children or tutoring other children. She loved to be with family anywhere and anytime. Loved genealogy, scrapbooking, & weeding? and she loved to serve in church with numerous leadership position.

The family moved to West Jordan in ‘72, then to a work assignment in Minnesota for 2 years with Cam and Ryan in ‘74. While there, Sylvia had complications with her 3rd son Chet. She and her 2 boys flew back to Utah to live with her parents. Chet was born in Nov. 1975, prematurely and died 6 months later. This event and many more to follow, were great trials for Sylvia. Her greatest trial was loss of vision due to glaucoma. Her most recent trial was more that she could endure.

Sylvia is survived by Fred, brother Chad K. Haws, brother-in-law Larry Reid, her children, Cameron (Kristen Barson), Ryan (Jenni Nielson), Lindsay Moore (Kevin), and Jami Martin (Damon), 11 grandchildren all in the Salt Lake County. She was preceded in death by her parents, sisters Shanna Haws & Helena Reid, sister-in-law Judy Haws, and son Chet Daniel.

Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, October 19th at 11:00 A.M with viewings on the 18th from 6:00 - 8:00 P.M. & 10:00 A.M on the 19th. All events are at the LDS chapel located at 2400 East Alta Canyon Drive (8600 S.) Sandy, UT. Interment – Provo City Cemetery 610 S. State Street Provo, UT. For those unable to join the service in person, the family invites you to join via Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86954012966. A free Zoom account is required, and you will need to sign in to join the service.

In lieu of flowers, Sylvia asks that you donate to the Moran Eye Center https://ugive.app.utah.edu/designation/177

Online condolences may be offered to the family at larkincares.com