On May 18, 2018 our beautiful and talented Mother, Helen Lovene Mickelson Bitton, 82, passed away in Soda Springs, Idaho.

Lovene is the oldest child of Clark and Helen I. Nichols Mickelson. She was born 6 Jan 1936 in Preston, Idaho. The first four years of her life she and her parents lived with Grandpa & Grandma Mickelson in Lago. Then they moved to the farm over the hill. She started her education in the old Lago Elementary and then to Thatcher when they consolidated the schools. She graduated from Grace High School in 1954. She married her high school sweetheart, Duane Jay Bitton, on January 8, 1954, in the Logan LDS temple. While Dad was in the army they lived in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. After Dad's military service they returned home to Lago and lived there for 62 years.

She was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. and held many callings and served willingly in ward and stake positions. Later, mom and dad served as temple officiators.

She thought that having a good imagination was very important and told us stories of when she was young how she used her imagination to entertain herself.

Mom designed their home in Lago and did all the painting and varnishing. She also made the drapes and curtains for her home. Mom was confident and loved to design and build. She also enjoyed working in her yard. She also liked to do handwork, cross stitch, embroidery, crocheting and quilting. She crocheted afghans and made lots of quilts for her family. Mom was very pleasant and kind and supportive of her family. She and Dad loved to have the family around and they prepared many family dinners and parties. We also had great Christmas parties and they always had to be at their home. She loved to be involved in the lives and activities of the kids and grandkids. She helped all of us in our moves and painting houses. She would keep us kids involved in genealogy and family reunions and brought us family history records to keep us close to our heritage, which she thought was very important. She also loved books and always had 4 or 5 that she was reading by her chair in the family room. She traveled around the country to visit relatives and her and dad seldom missed a wedding reception or funeral in the valley.

Mom loved fabrics and textures and clothes and jewelry. She would have made a great fashion Designer. We also took many trips to the huckleberry patch or picked chokecherries and also canned lots of fruits and vegetables. Mom liked to travel and her and dad traveled the country on business trips. Mom was Dad's navigator for those road trips. Mom was devoted to serving Dad, her parents and Dad's parents, her children, the church, and community.

Lovene is survived by 5 children, Lianne (Van Johnson), Tetonia, ID, Louis Bitton (Delilah), Lago. Kathryn McBride, Smithfield, Utah, Eva Jean (Eric Simonson), Grace and Clark (Tina) Bitton, Lago, Idaho. Twenty grandchildren and 36 great-grandchildren. Also, a brother Roger Mickelson (Bev), sisters Joan Meacham, (Arlen) and Ethel Brough, (Clayton)and a brother in law Keith Bitton (Judy). She was preceded in death by her husband, Duane Bitton, her parents, a brother Willard Mickelson, Dad's parents, Lou & and Eva Bitton. and brother and sister in law, Lavora White, Junior White, and Junior Bitton, and two great-grandsons.

Services will be held on Tuesday, May 22, 2018 at Noon at the Thatcher-Williams Ward Chapel in Niter. The family will visit with friends on Monday 6-8 p.m. at the Church and Tuesday 10:00-11:30 a.m. prior to services. Burial will be in the Lago Cemetery.





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