Jennifer Vanschouwenburg

Jennifer Ann Pearson VanSchouwenburg, beloved daughter, sister, aunt, wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, returned to her Father in Heaven November 10, 2017, at the age of 46. Following the hemorrhaging of a brain aneurysm, Jenny spent the final 23 days of her life in the ICU amid the continuous company of her family and friends. Before succumbing to a coma in the last week of her life, Jenny shared her good humor, her love, and her spirit to all who came to visit, never mind the present peril of her situation. Those who arrived at her bedside in tears departed with hope and maybe even a funny story to tell. Jenny’s last words were about the welfare of others, not herself.

Jenny was born July 6, 1971, in Fort Carson, Colorado, where her father Delbert was serving as a physician and commissioned officer in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. As the fifth child of ten, Jenny probably didn’t need to go outside the family for playmates, but from an early age, Jenny made “best friends” with basically everyone, and most especially with those who needed a friend. In truth, Jenny spent her life the way our Savior did, loving the lost and the unlovable.

Jenny married Mark Urban, a Marine, in the Provo temple at the tender age of 17. Though Mark and Jenny divorced a few years later, Mark insists to this day, that Jenny is “the most loving, remarkable woman.” Jenny reared her two children, Dallas and Emalee, largely by herself. She worked tirelessly to support her family in various capacities at Ameritech College for 20 years. Ultimately, she became the registrar for that organization. After her position terminated earlier this year, Jenny regrouped with remarkable speed and chose to sell life insurance, working from home so she could better tend to her little grandson, Avett. Jenny was and is irreplaceable in her role as “Oma.” Her grandbabies brought her joy like nothing else in this world.

Jenny married Richard VanSchouwenburg July 14, 2012, and gave her all as a wife and mother in a new family. She will be greatly missed for her willing heart, hands and devotion.

Jenny was a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She had an unwavering faith in her Heavenly Father and in his Son, Jesus Christ. Jenny knew she was a daughter of God. While Jenny had a phenomenal work ethic and accomplished much during her mortal life, her greatest legacy is not found in what she did but in the divine attributes she embodied. No one can number how many lives Jenny touched during her short earthly probation. We only know, for sure, that every soul who knew Jenny was better off for the association. Jenny literally saved the life of a friend years ago when she donated one of her kidneys to her. Jenny’s final gift, not surprisingly, was to donate her organs with the hope of saving as many lives as possible.

Jenny is survived by her parents Delbert Perry Pearson and Dixie Lee Ecklund Pearson; her nine siblings: Gregory (Mary) Pearson, Nicole (Clair) Adams, Bryan (Corina) Pearson, David (Angelee) Pearson, Elizabeth (Brad) Thatcher, Melissa (Matt) Miller, Timothy (Kristine) Pearson, Amanda (Jason) Romney, and Benjamin (Melissa) Pearson; her husband, Richard VanSchouwenburg; her children, Dallas (Amber) Urban, Emalee Urban, Amanda Thompson, Tarah (Matt) Brandner-VanSchouwenburg, Chase VanSchouwenburg, and Holley VanSchouwenburg; her grandchildren, Avery Peterson, Abigail Winchester, Avett Urban, and Aemilia Urban; numerous nieces, nephews and friends. She is preceded in death by her grandparents, Frank Perry Pearson, Inez Thompson Pearson, Edward Ecklund and Vernita Williams.

Words cannot express how much our Jenny will be missed. We do trust in the blessing given to her parents before her passing, that even now she is paving the way into the eternities for her loved ones.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, November 18, 2017, at 11 a.m. in the LDS Chapel at 4220 Foothill Drive, Provo, Utah. Viewings will be held on Friday, November 17, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Sundberg-Olpin Mortuary, 495 South State Street, Orem, Utah, and Saturday, November 18 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. just prior to the service at the church. Burial will be in the Orem City Cemetery.

Condolences for the family may be left on this page.