Ardell Palmer (Black) Ostergaard

September 21, 1912 ~ June 9, 2010
Ardell Palmer (Black) Ostergaard, age 97, of Blanding Utah, died June 9, 2010 due to age related, natural causes.
She was valiant in her final struggle and remained an example of faith, patience, endurance, love and gratitude.
She maintained her sense of humor and keen mind up to the end. She will be greatly missed.
Ardell was born September 21, 1912 in a frame, tent-home, in Grayson (Blanding) UT. Her parents were Edson Palmer and Lelia (Kartchner) Palmer. Both of her parents were born in Pacheco, Chihuahua, Mexico. Her parents were married in Pacheco, prior to migrating to Grayson (Blanding) UT, following a period of unrest in Mexico.
In Mexico her oldest sister, Verda, died and was buried in Pacheco. Other siblings included LaVell, Lela (Black), Silas, Gwenevere (Tooley), Fern and Eve Lynn (Perkins). They were a close family and spent many hours working and playing together.
Ardell is survived by her loving youngest sister, Eve Lynn Perkins (Richard) and sister-in-law Ida Mae (Palmer) Hurst (Lavell). She is also survived by her children: Lyle Palmer Black (Cynthia), Naida Lela Black (Clisbee), Timothy Jacques (Gail), Edson (Ted) James, and daughter-in-law Jeri Black (Jeffery Mark).
She is also survived by 24 grand children, 82 great-grand children and 22 great-great- grandchildren and two on the way. There are also many dear nieces and nephews.
Ardell had a large extended family and grandchildren from Ed’s first family. They affectionately called Ardell, “Grandma Ardy.”
She is preceded in death by her parents, her siblings Verda, LaVell, Lela, Silas, Gwenevere and Fern, her husband Ed, her husband Robert Ostergaard, her children Nancy Ardith, Edlenna , Jeffery Mark and a grandson, Trevor Roy Taylor.
Ardell married Edwin Zemira (Ed) Black on 10 August 1934 in Aztec, NM. Their marriage was later solemnized in the Manti Temple. Ed died in October, 1971.
Born to Ardell and Ed were seven children, Nancy Ardith, Lyle Palmer, Edlenna, Naida Lela, Timothy Jacques, Edson James, and Jeffery Mark.
Ed’s first wife, Chloe Allen, died leaving three children at home, Ardell (Jimmy) who soon married Harvey John Kartchner, Zelma (Acton) and Gregory. Ardell helped raise these children and loved them.
Other children from Ed’s first marriage included Allen, Dixie (Carothers) (Sobers), and Thell had already moved from home at the time of Ed and Ardell’s marriage.
Ed worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and was assigned duties helping Ute Indians in Blanding, Alan Canyon, UT, and Towaoc, CO.
Upon Ed’s retirement from the BIA, the family moved home to Blanding. They later moved to Monticello, where Ed was employed at the uranium mill.
They bought a dry farm east of Monticello where they raised wheat and potatoes. They enjoyed their gardens and orchard in Blanding and spent their energy providing for and loving their family.
Ardell loved her LDS religion. She was a true Christian and taught her children from the cradle. She had many callings in the church and enjoyed teaching children in Primary. She also was active in her Relief Society callings. She loved being a visiting teacher.
In June 4, 1977 she married Robert (Bob) Ostergaard. Several years later on December 20, 1979, she fulfilled a lifelong dream of serving a mission. Ardell and Bob were called and served 18 happy months in the Hawaiian Mission, teaching the Gospel, enjoying the people, and the Hawaiian culture and food.
Ardell was blessed with a phenomenal memory and knew people and plants. She often was called on to provide information about different generations of Blanding families. She knew who they belonged to, who they married and their children’s names.
Her children recall how she tried to teach them the names of all the flowers and plants but they decided, “Why should we learn when we had her to ask?”
After marrying Bob Ostergaard, Ardell made her home with him in Lindon, UT. She made many lifelong friends there. Bob died August 17, 1981. In 1988, Ardell moved back to Blanding and happily resided there until her death.
While in her eighties, she still thought it wonderful to have someone pull her little trailer up to the Blue Mountain, where she would camp much of the summer. Often she was joined by her sister, Lela and Lela’s husband, Burnhard. Sister Eve Lynn and Richard Perkins would join them for games of Rook and cookouts. All the children and grandchildren loved to join in her camping adventures.
Ardell counted among her blessings many close friends. She loved everyone and delighted in their successes and mourned with them in their losses.
Her children wish to thank those loyal friends for their kind visits, treats and assistance while she was ailing during the last year and a half of her life.
After funeral services on June 12, 2010 Ardell was interred in the Blanding Cemetery.