Wilma Jean Dickerson Upchurch

Wilma Jean Dickerson Upchurch, 93, passed away peacefully on September 16, 2025. Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, to Charles Darwin Dickerson and Margaret Susan (Wilson) Dickerson, she was the youngest of five children.

Wilma grew up on the family farm. She had fond memories running around with her brother Hank, eating dandelions and fresh picked tomatoes.

Around 1950, Wilma moved from Indiana to Los Angeles, California, where she built a life filled with hard work and dedication. She worked for Hughes Aircraft in California and later for North American Aircraft in Palmdale. While working in aircraft she was personally requested to solder the Thunderbirds planes.

In 1967, she met and married the love of her life, John Upchurch Sr. They raised their children in California, and while living in Wrightwood they opened a restaurant named Little John’s, a gift shop / candy store and an arcade. All of the kids worked for the businesses in some capacity.

She owned and worked for eight different businesses in all. She and John then moved to Washington to work in real estate and ultimately onto Utah where she retired. She then began to donate her time to a charity called Christmas Morning, where she put a lot of love and care into making Christmas morning magical for children and families in need. Wilma had five children. She filled her life with her family and her hobbies. She loved to write poetry and ultimately wrote a book of her works. She loved her yard and would spend time talking and reminiscing with her flowers and over the fence to her neighbors.

She was a wonderful cook and could whip up a meal in a flash. Her spaghetti and deviled eggs were a family favorite. Wilma was always a constant and comforting presence in the lives of her family and friends. She loved to spend time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and they loved her equally. She was a true matriarch that was beloved and will be so very missed.

Wilma is survived by her children, Carl (Carrie) Batchelor, John (Jinny) Upchurch, Susan (Phil) McRae, Randy Redwen, and Barbara Redwen Hefner; 8 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her the love of her life, John Upchurch Sr.; her oldest son, Larry Batchelor; her parents, Charles Darwin Dickerson and Margaret Susan Dickerson; and her siblings, Edward Dickerson, Lillian Brossart, Doris Weaver, and Hank Dickerson.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, September 26, 2025, at 11 a.m.. at Lindquist’s Ogden Mortuary, 3408 Washington Blvd. Friends may visit with family on Friday from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. at the mortuary. Interment, Lindquist’s Memorial Gardens of the Wasatch, 1718 Combe Rd.