Ruel Hendrickson

Hyrum Ruel Hendrickson, 84, of Snowflake, passed away Feb. 18, 2021, at his home surrounded by family.

Ruel was born June 22, 1936, in Snowflake, the eldest child of Hyrum Alma and Ida (Smith) Hendrickson. He attended Snowflake schools, where his father was an administrator. Ruel served in the Great Lakes Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 1956-58. He attended Eastern Arizona State College, Brigham Young University and Arizona State University.

After marrying in 1959 and starting a family, Ruel returned to live in Snowflake. Though an accountant for the past 50 years, he worked a variety of jobs during his life, including farm work, paper mill work, loan collections and long-distance trucking. For several years, he managed the Cedar Motel, which his parents had opened in the 1950s. He retired from his own company, Hendrickson Accounting, in 2020.

Ruel was a larger-than-life character with a million stories, some of them true. He loved the Lord, his family and friends, the state of Arizona, all modes of transportation (including mule trains), the great outdoors, music and green chile.

He is survived by his wife of 34 years, Diana; his children Ryan Ruel Hendrickson, Renee Hawkes, Romy (Frank) Boyce and Raquel Hendrickson; stepchildren Donna Barber and David Barber; siblings Carole Pavelin; Sharon (Terry) Cassady, Brian Wade (Debbie) Hendrickson, Lilly (Charles) Shults and Charles Nicholas (Cyndy) Hendrickson; sister-in-law JaeDee Chamberlain; eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

He is preceded in death by his parents, his twin brother Lars Alma Hendrickson, younger brother Anthony Lynn Hendrickson, son-in-law Bryant Neilsen and three grandchildren.

A visitation is planned March 5 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Owens Livingston Mortuary in Snowflake. Saturday, March 6, visitation is at 11 a.m. at the Main Street Chapel of the LDS Church in Snowflake. Funeral services begin at noon. The family requests all those attending to wear facemasks and social distance. Remote attendance is available via Zoom at http://bit.ly/ruelhendrickson. Call in for audio at 669-900-6833 (meeting ID 853 1516 6190; passcode 624060.