- Janette Hales Beckham
Janette Callister Hales Beckham (commonly known as Janette C. Hales and Janette Hales Beckham) (b.
7 June 1933 ) was the tenth general president of theYoung Women Organization ofThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1992 to 1997. She was also a member of theUtah State Legislature from 1988 to 1991.Janette Callister was born in
Springville, Utah and raised inSpanish Fork, Utah . She attendedBrigham Young University on scholarship and graduated in 1969. While at BYU, she met her husband, Robert H. Hales. They were married in 1955 in theSalt Lake Temple . The couple lived inSan Antonio, Texas ,New York City , andSan Francisco and raised five children. Robert Hales died in March 1988.Shortly after her husband's death, Hales was appointed by Utah Governor
Norman H. Bangerter to fill a vacancy in theUtah House of Representatives . In the November 1988 election, Hales was elected to the House as a Republican. Hales served in the 48th Utah State Legislature. She decided not to run for re-election in 1990 and stepped down after one term in January 1991.In March 1990, when
Elaine L. Jack was released as a counselor in the general presidency of theYoung Women Organization of the LDS Church in order for her to become the new president of theRelief Society , Young Women presidentArdeth G. Kapp selected Hales as her new counselor. Hales served in this capacity until 1992, when Kapp was released and Hales was selected as her successor.During her tenure as general president of the Young Women, Hales was assisted by four counselors:
Virginia H. Pearce ,Patricia P. Pinegar ,Bonnie D. Parkin , andCarol B. Thomas . Pinegar went on to serve as the general president of the LDS Church's Primary and Parkin went on to serve as the general president of the Relief Society. Hales was released in 1997 and was succeeded byMargaret D. Nadauld .In 1995, while she was general president of the Young Women Organization, Hales married Raymond E. Beckham and changed her surname to Beckham.
Beckham was a member of the LDS Church's Olympic Coordinating Committee for the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics from 1998 to 2002. In 2004, Beckham became a member of the
Utah Valley State College Board of Trustees, and in 2008 was serving as the chair of that board. [ [http://www.uvsc.edu/visitors/boardoftrustees/membership.html Utah Valley State College: Board of Trustees] , uvsc.edu, accessed2008-08-13 .] She and her husband live inProvo, Utah .Notes
References
* Janet Peterson and LaRene Gaunt (1993). "Keepers of the Flame: Presidents of the Young Women" (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book)
* [http://www.lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.b12f9d18fae655bb69095bd3e44916a0/?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=ce3394bf3938b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1 “New Young Women General Presidency Called,”] "Ensign", May 1992, 106–107
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