Oscar Russell Semadeni

Oscar Russell Semadeni, 90, of Cedar Point, UT, passed away on July 21, 2018 while traveling to a grandchild’s missionary farewell.
Oscar was the third of eight children. He grew up doing hard, physical labor and loved to tell stories of working with teams of horses.
He had a creative mind and invented a variety of farm implements and many useful items that made life easier on the farm and at home. Oscar had been recognized as “farmer of the year” and was known for his experience, skill, and intuition for farming.
He recorded and reported the weather for nearly 69 years, receiving several service awards throughout the years.
Religion was important to Oscar and as a young man he longed to know the truth. His search guided him through a number of different faiths, but it was when he met the Mormon missionaries that he found the truth that he was searching for.
His testimony of the truthfulness of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has never wavered. He was a member of the Eastland Branch and served faithfully for over 67 years.
His service to the Lord included a mission to Northern California at the age of 28. This was the only time in his life that he lived away from the farm.
Though he did not have a formal education, Oscar enjoyed studying and learning. He loved the scriptures and told Bible stories while working with his children in the fields.
He loved to memorize and sing church hymns (even though it was difficult to recognize the tune).
Oscar had a gift for writing poetry and enjoyed sharing his inspiration with others.
Oscar was generous with his time and money. He loved to work on the church farm, would drive many miles to visit the elderly, and do his home teaching. Even at 90 he would take his turn to clean the chapel.
Oscar was very generous and never wanted to cheat anyone or be dishonest. He would give you the shirt off his back and never let you know it was his last one.
Oscar’s parents, Aldeberto and Margarita Compagnoni Semadeni; his brother, William; and his sister, Margaret (Fury) preceded him in death.
Oscar is survived by his wife of 55 years, Lila Marie Tilley. They were married in the Manti LDS Temple on April 10, 1963.
Together they had six children: Tim (Heidi), Andrew (Sharon), Joseph (Gaylyn), Helen (Bryan), Michael (Trinity), and Ben (Amanda).
Oscar’s greatest desire was to have a righteous posterity. He and Lila have 37 grandchildren and one great-granddaughter (so far). All of his sons served honorable missions, became Eagle Scouts, and were married in the temple.
At the time of his death, Oscar had already supported eight grandsons and one granddaughter on missions and was sending out three more grandsons and a granddaughter this summer.
Five siblings also survive him: Emily (Garcher), Dahlia (Dutson), Dora (Sorenson), Lorenzo Semadeni, and Irene (Larson).
Funeral services were held at the Eastland LDS Chapel on July 27, 2018. Interment took place at the Cedar Point Cemetery.