Martha Beatrice Kooyman Hampton was born March 1, 1927, in Salt Lake City, UT, to Magdalena Vander Does and William Daniel Kooyman. She passed away at her home in Draper, UT, on March 17, 2023, shortly after her 96th birthday. She loved her family and loved the Lord.
Martha grew up in Salt Lake City, the youngest in her family, with four older sisters and one older brother. Even though she grew up during the depression, there were fun times playing with dolls, going to school, attending church, and holidays with family, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins. When she was a Beehive, she had the privilege of participating in the Beehive Silver Jubilee at the Salt Lake Tabernacle. At times, things were hard for her parents.
When she was 13, her father passed away in January, which was a very sad time. Times were unsettled for the family that was left at home. When summer arrived, Martha took the bus to San Antonio, Texas, and spent a wonderful summer with her oldest sister Nellie and her family. She returned to Salt Lake to attend school and lived with her Aunt Mary. When school let out, Martha went to stay with her sister Norma and her family on a lake in Idaho near Spokane, Washington and had a wonderful summer with them. When it was time for school to start, she returned to Salt Lake and she and her sister June went to stay with their sister Wilma and her husband Don. She was so thankful when her mother purchased another home, and they were able to live together again.
World War II had begun and after she graduated from high school, Martha got a job at Hill Field Air Service Command as a clerk typist. After the war, she was transferred to Salt Lake to work at the Army Recruiting Service.
In June of 1947 she met Loring M. Hampton. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple on April 9, 1948. At the time of her death, they were about to celebrate their 75th anniversary. Over the years, they lived in Colorado Springs, CO, North Platte, NE, Albuquerque, NM, Salt Lake City, UT, Riverton, UT and Draper, UT. They were blessed with 6 daughters.
When Martha was 9 years old, President Heber J. Grant came and dedicated The Wells Ward Chapel. When he entered, everyone stood up and sang, We Thank Thee, Oh God, For a Prophet. It was then that Martha knew he was a prophet of God. Martha had a strong testimony with years of service in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She was called as Relief Society President at 24 and again later in life. She loved Relief Society and served in many ward and stake callings. She enjoyed volunteering at the Relief Society Building with her sister Wilma. She also served in the Sunday School, Primary, and Young Women’s organizations. She transcribed hundreds of patriarchal blessings given by her husband. In 1993 they were called on a mission to serve in the Philippines. Martha served in the office as her husband was executive secretary to the Area Presidency. From 1999-2002 she served as Jordan River Temple Matron with her husband as Temple President. She loved to serve.
Martha loved music, cooking, sewing, toll painting, needle work, embroidering, crocheting and taking care of her family. She loved her family and her extended family, her nieces, and nephews. She loved family outings, being part of their lives, and watching them grow.
Martha is preceded in death by her parents, her brother, her sisters, and one son-in-law, David Lynn Jones. She is survived by her husband Loring M. Hampton and their six daughters and five son-in laws, Nancy and Terry Smith, Peggy and Roger Hepworth, Connie and Gregory Pitt, Jan and Ron Caplin, Marsha and Kevin Olsen, and Lora Hampton, 24 grandchildren, 78 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be Saturday, March 25, 2023, at 11:00 AM in the Riverton Copperview Stake Center at 12154 So. 3600 West, Riverton, UT. Burial will be at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park, 3401 S. Highland Drive, Millcreek, UT. Viewings will be held on Friday, March 24, 2023, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM, at Jenkins-Soffe Funeral Home, 1007 West South Jordan Parkway, South Jordan, UT and before the funeral services at the Riverton Copperview Stake Center from 10:00 – 10:45 AM on March 25, 2023.
The family would like to thank the kind, caring staff at Ashford Assisted Living Center and the nurses from Active Home Health, Hospice & Personal Care, and all her other care givers, over the past few years, who loved and cared for her. She loved them, too.