Duchess Olofson Creger

Duchess Irene Smith Olofson Creger, 95, died peacefully on Tuesday, June 14, 2022 at the home of her daughter Sharlyn Olofson Parker in West Valley City, Utah after spending the previous few days with close friends and family.
Duchess was born on August 30, 1926 to James George and Ada Irene Smith and was raised in Logan, Utah.  She began playing piano at a very young age and pursued this talent her entire life.  When she graduated from Logan High School she moved to Salt Lake City during WWII and stayed at the Brigham Young Beehive House for a time.  This house was converted during the war for temporary housing of young single women as a protection from servicemen as the women had to obey a curfew, dress code, and other rules for staying there.  Duchess met Glen Charles Olofson while living there.  They married and had five children.  While pregnant with their fifth child Glen suddenly died.  As a result, she went to work sewing draperies at a business run out of a neighborhood house.  This was very hard work for very little pay.  A few years later she married Collin Jerry Creger and bore 2 more children.  Later, Duchess and Collin were divorced.  During the marriage and after the divorce Duchess worked for Z.C.M.I in the newly developed Valley Fair Mall in Granger, (now West Valley) Utah.
A few years later she decided to go back and finish a degree she had begun before leaving Logan.  She attended the University of Utah and graduated June of 1972 with a major in music and a minor in English.  Duchess then worked as a substitute teacher for the Granite school district as well as some other odd jobs.  She was then hired on with the State of Utah as a secretary in a state government department.  Soon after that, she was hired as a Hearings officer for the Utah State Division of Labor as a judge hearing civil disputes of employees against their employer for alleged wage disputes and/or unfair labor practices potentially in violation of State labor laws.  When working for the Labor Division, she received an award from the state of Utah for Distinguished Service as a Public Employee in 1991. When receiving that award, she was honored by the Utah Legislature as Employee of the Day at the capitol building during the legislative session.  She retired from the state on May 31, 1995 at the age of 69 after 16 ½ years of service.  After retirement, she moved to St. George where her Yorkie dogs Jazz, Sadie, and Zoe became her beloved companions.
While attending the University of Utah, Duchess also took a semester class in golf. This sparked a life-long love of the sport, and she became an avid golfer with an accurate swing and was a high scorer. After moving to St. George, Utah, she golfed weekly on two women’s golf leagues.  She was regularly mentioned in the St. George newspaper as the league’s high scorer or “closest to the hole” winner.  She quit one league when she turned 91 and the other at the age of 92 because she thought she was starting to slow others down on the course even though she was still beating them.
Duchess loved sports of all kinds. When streaming shows from around the world became popular she watched world tennis, golf, and baseball tournaments, Utah Jazz games, and college sports, especially University of Utah games.  If you could name the sport and it was televised in some manner, she was probably watching it.  She could even often be found watching various games on multiple TVs in the room at the same time.
Duchess attended the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints her entire life.  She held many music volunteer positions, including playing the piano and organ for weekly Sunday meetings, singing the choir, and conducting the choir.  She would also occasionally sing solos.  When she obtained her music degree she started writing her own piano compositions for her children and grandchildren and rearranging others’ compositions.
She was preceded in death by her first husband Glen Charles Olofson, her second husband Collin (Jerry) Creger, her daughter Irene Olofson, and her son Glen Charles Olofson Jr.  Duchess was solemnly sealed for Time and Eternity to Glen Charles Olofson in 2010 at the Oquirrh Hills Temple of the Church of Jesus Christs of Latter-day Saints.
She is survived by her sons Richard “Rick” (Virginia) Olofson, Craig (Joyce) Olofson, and Sean (Debi) Creger; her daughters Pamela (Curtis) Olofson, Sharlyn (Parker) Olofson, and Melva (Holmes) Creger; 27 grandchildren; and 34 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held on Friday, June 24 from 11:00 a.m.-noon at the Ridgeland Ward Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 4251 S. 4800 W., West Valley City, UT 84120 A viewing will be held at the church on Thursday, June 23 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. and again on Friday, June 24 from 10:00-10:45 a.m. Interment will be at the Logan City Cemetery at 2:30 p.m., 875 North 1200 East, Logan, Utah.
Service Information
Viewing June 23, 2022 at 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Ridgeland Ward Building 4251 S 4800 W





Viewing June 24, 2022 at 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM
Ridgeland Ward Building 4251 S 4800 W





Funeral Service
June 24, 2022 at 11:00 AM
Ridgeland Ward Building 4251 S 4800 W