Coralee Elizabeth Brown Oakden
July 11, 1953 — April 15, 2022

Heaven came calling on April 14, 2022, and Cori passed away at home from natural causes.

Born July 11, 1953, to Gail Guyon (G.G.) and Mary Ann Brown in Salt Lake City Utah. Cori has two sisters, Judy and Robin, and a brother, Rusty. Growing up in Salt Lake City, she had a fun and adventurous childhood. She was fortunate to travel all over the country on trains, planes, and automobiles with her parents and sister. Her childhood days were carefree, spent playing with friends and cousins. Kaycee McGinley was a special childhood friend who loved our mom dearly throughout her lifetime.

Cori’s education consisted of attending Rowland Hall, Beacon Heights, St. Mary’s of the Wasatch, and she graduated from East High School with the Class of 1971. Such a solid education made her extremely intelligent. She was well educated, and this made her very articulate and at times argumentative. When she was passionate on an issue she could debate until the other person was exhausted. She possessed skills at using correct grammar, correct spelling, and good manners; all were required in her presence.

Cori worked hard and was dedicated in whatever she carried out. She was never too proud to work, and no job was beneath her. Her occupations consisted of various restaurants, Sears’s department store, Comfort Inn, Renegade Lounge, Beaver Trap, Beaver Valley Hospital, Shriners Hospital, University of Utah Hospital, long-term care centers, and home health care.

On November 25, 1972, Cori married Michael Lynn Oakden at St. Mark’s Cathedral in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was her dream wedding and Mike was the love of her life. They were only 19 years old when they started out together; they have spent 50 years together: growing, learning, and loving one another.

The early years were spent traveling and moving around. Mike was in the U.S. Air Force and started out in Rantoul, Illinois at Chanute Air Force Base. From there, they moved to Vacaville, California at Travis Air Force Base; there they had their first daughter, Crystal Lynn Oaken, in 1973. They moved to Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, and then onto Dyess Air Force Base and resided in Albany, Texas. After an Honorable Discharge from the service, Cory and Mike relocated to Sandy, Utah. Then their second daughter, Heather Elizabeth Oakden, was born in 1978. Mike was hired on with the Union Pacific Railroad and they decided to move their family to Beaver, Utah in 1981. Many happy and fun times took place in those years. Cori met many new people and had numerous friends. Two great friends during that time were Naomi Lamb and Rosalie Williams, both who were outstanding friends to her.

At that point in life, she had a strong desire to go back and get a college education. She attended S.U.U. and took part in the Weber State Nursing program. She graduated and became an LPN and then a RN. She was a passionate and loving nurse; she sacrificed many personal relationships for her love of nursing. Cori joined the Naval Reserve and was put on active duty during Desert Storm. She was stationed at Oak Knoll Naval Hospital, in the maternity ward in Oakland, California. After serving, she returned to Beaver and worked. As her daughters married and moved out, she became restless and ready for change, so she moved to Bountiful, Utah. Mike soon followed. Cori and Mike built their dream home in Syracuse, Utah where they have resided for the last 20 years.