"My teacher smells like TicTacs," a seven-year-old wrote of our mother. He was correct, but minty-fresh breath was only the beginning of her perfection. From crown to heel, she dressed and looked like a movie star. Despite her luxurious looks, our mother was thrifty. None of her clothing was couture; her jewelry? Costume. She had a vision for fashion.

Perfection was not limited to attire. Every occasion was completed with flair. Flaming pudding for Christmas. A classroom birthday treat? How about cream puffs, from scratch?

Our mom was a seeker of all things lovely. If nature couldn't come through, she willed it into her life. Some may have noted the blooms on her rose bush. Well, the truth is, that bush only produced thorns. Ann to the rescue! A little floral tape and Dollar Store roses did the trick! Perfection was everything…

But what our mother didn't realize was that her imperfections made us love her even more. She was prone to embarrassment, and accounts of her follies made us laugh so hard we wanted to share them with the world. Her humor was unmatched.

Our mother was a dancer. She taught dance when we were young, credited her lower body strength to the art, and occasionally boasted, "When I was in college, I beat the football players at leg wrestling."

With all that going for her, certainly there must have been romance? Why, yes, there was. She was a young college girl. He was a handsome farm boy from Mesquite, Nevada. He drove a pink Cadillac, but it wasn't the car with which she fell in love. While sparks were still flying, he served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She missed him. He missed her, and his heart filled with concern: "What if she doesn't wait?" He hatched a plan and bought a ring. Was it he on bended knee? No—it was his father! Her true love sent his own father to make the proposal on his behalf.

Ann and Clayton married in the St. George LDS Temple on November 17, 1961. Their union produced two daughters, then two sons. They lived in Logan, Utah; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Cedar City, Utah.

Ann and Clayton's marriage played out like a "Movie of the Week." There was love, drama, and exotic adventure to faraway places. Remember the part where she was known for her style? She may have been one of the few to climb the steps of an Egyptian pyramid in high heels.

And now, for the good stuff. Our mom believed. She believed in a Savior and knew her prayers would be answered. She believed in waiting for answers. She knew they would come—and waited twenty years for one in particular. She did not surrender her mind to doubt.

She believed in the language of music. She believed the singing voice is more powerful than the speaking voice. She once said, "I know I'm the loudest singer in the church congregation, and what others think is not my concern." It was her way of praising the Lord, and nothing could get in the way.

Where did this beautiful life begin? In Cedar City, Utah, on August 17, 1941. Her parents adored her, as did her older brother. She was raised with treasured love in the same neighborhood as grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins who were as close as siblings.

Anna Evon Sherratt Frehner is survived by her children, Natalie Waters (John), Michele Bryant (Steve), and Cary Frehner; and her grandchildren, Courtney Squires, Mackenzie Ayers, Spencer Waters, Parker Waters, Chelsea Bryant, Jacquelyn Bryant, Garret Bryant, Olivia Knight, Hannah Dumeyer, Lauren Frehner, Kaylee Frehner, and Jade Frehner; as well as 14 great-grandchildren

She was preceded in death by her mother, Ila Gurr Sherratt Corry; her father, Burns King Sherratt; her stepfather, Durrell W. Corry; her husband, Clayton Frehner; her son, Gregory S. Frehner; her brother and sister-in-law, Lee and Joyce Sherratt; and her lifelong friend and confidant, LeeAnn Gentry.

Now, as the credits roll across the screen of this magical life, here are some random facts—in no particular order:

Age 3: fell in a manhole—"...dark and scary."

Teenage years: twirled a fire baton with fellow performer Billy Rice.

A beloved elementary school teacher.

Loved her LDS service: favorites included teaching inmates the Gospel of Jesus Christ and playing the organ in the Cedar LDS Temple.

Our favorite sayings: "Oh, Ann Frehner!" "Alright, troops!"

She played piano, organ, and flute—and had a gorgeous operatic voice.

And though the credits have rolled, her story plays on—in every note of music, every act of beauty, and in every life she touched.

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