Connie Summerill Greener Obituary 1931-2023

Connie Summerill Greener was born May 13, 1931 in Ogden, Utah, to Joseph Fay and Marcella Polson Summerill, the fifth of six children. Joseph died when Connie was four years old and she was raised by her maternal grandparents in Brigham City. Times were hard during those Depression years, and the grandparents taught Connie and the other children to work hard, raising chickens, picking fruit in nearby orchards, cooking and doing housework. Connie had a strong work ethic her entire life.

Connie was a life-long member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She graduated from Box Elder High School in 1949, the only one of her siblings to graduate. She graduated from seminary in the historic Brigham City Tabernacle.

She married Nephi Grasteit in 1949 and together they operated a commercial fishing business, seining fish from lakes in Idaho and Utah and trucking them to California markets, accompanied by their cat, Rags. Connie did her share of work, including pulling net and driving truck. They moved to Nampa to fish Lake Lowell and their daughter, Mellodee, was born in Nampa in 1955. They later divorced.

Connie worked at the lunch counter in Cliff's Drugstore and later as a cashier at M&W Market for 27 years. She married John Greener in 1960. John worked as a carpenter for the "Bridge and Building" department of the Union Pacific Railroad. Their son, John, was born in 1961 and another daughter, Patti Jo, was born in 1966.

Family was very important to Connie despite her busy involvement in work and volunteer activities. When it was her turn to choose the family vacation she always chose visiting family. Connie was a loving mother, spending time playing with and teaching her children. She taught Mellodee and Patti the skills to play baseball, jump rope, play jacks, hopscotch and even broke her elbow showing Mellodee how to ride a skateboard. Her hobbies included embroidery, travel, camping, fishing, rockhounding with John, gardening, and baking. When she worked at M&W, she hurried home mid-shift to fix dinner for her family. Later, she helped to raise her grandchildren as John, her son, was required to travel for business.

Connie made many friends through her friendliness as a cashier and as a good neighbor. Her children say she ran into people she knew everywhere, including Disneyland and Mount Rushmore. She was always willing to serve others by walking dogs, taking people to appointments, checking in and sitting with ill neighbors, babysitting, changing bandages, and making meals. She served on the Canyon County Election Board for many years.

A doctor told Connie that walking was the best way to help a back problem, so she walked—often walking eleven blocks to and from M & W twice a day. Later she and John obtained Charter Passes to the Nampa Recreation Center and Connie took water aerobics classes. For many years, Connie walked five miles a day around the track at the Rec Center. She made many friends and offered encouragement to everyone at the Center.

She served her fellow members of the Nampa Second Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by serving as Sunday School secretary for many years and by being an ever-helpful member of the Relief Society. At the time of her death, she was the ward member who had lived in the Second Ward boundaries for the most years.

Connie passed away peacefully on December 17, 2023 at her home. She is survived by her daughters, Mellodee Grasteit Springer (Bud) and Patti Jo Greener Stringham, her son, John Greener (Carolyn), nine grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren, with one on the way. Connie was preceded in death by her husband, John, in 2006; by her parents; and by her siblings: Nila Fay Summerill, Sherma Ann Ballreich (Pete); Joane Hanson (Lou); Jack Wayne Summerill (Alice); James Dee Summerill, and two half-brothers, Clarkie Hartle and George Tampa Jr.

Services will be held Thursday Dec. 28, 2023, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Second Ward, 2212 East Amity Avenue in Nampa. A viewing will be held at 10:00 a.m. to 10:45 with services at 11:00 a.m. Burial will be at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens in Caldwell, under the direction of Zeyer Funeral Chapel.

The family requests that consideration be given to donating to a favorite charity or doing a kind deed for someone in need in lieu of sending flowers.

Click this link to view additional details about Constance's Services, including any available live streams: https://my.gather.app/remember/constance-greener

Click this link to view additional details about Constance's Services, including any available live streams: https://my.gather.app/remember/constance-greener