Emmaree Eltinge Josephson

Our beloved mother, Emmaree Eltinge Josephson, slipped beneath waves of consciousness and into our collective memories on Thursday, November 5, 2026 from the effects of dementia and heart complications. She was 80 years old.

A loving grandmother, aunt, stepmother, neighbor, and friend. Churchgoer, civically engaged, fierce advocate, and quick witted. So gregarious making friends in every walk, job, visit, and volunteer effort. As a venerated matriarch to families beyond her own, she may be absent but always a dear memory.

She was born January 29, 1946, in San Francisco, California, to Harry Marshall Eltinge and Ruth Kennard Eltinge. Raised in the Sugar House neighborhood of Salt Lake City in the same house her great-grandfather helped build, she attended Forest Elementary, Irving Junior High, and South High School (class of 1964). Her childhood years were lean, being raised by a single mom on a school teacher’s salary.

She was active in her church youth group, roadtripping to Palmyra, New York; traveling through Mexico to Guatemala; and rafting on the Colorado, Yampa, and San Juan rivers.

While attending the University of Utah (B.S., 1968) and working at Ballif Hall, she met and married Francis William “Frank” Nelson, Jr., in 1969. They welcomed a son, Cabot William, lived in the Glendale neighborhood, and later divorced. She met Elwood Wallace Ravnikar whom she married in 1976 and raised a happy family in Granger of West Valley City, welcoming her daughters, Holly Maree and Heather Ann. These were her salad days, raising three kids, hosting neighbors, and helping her stepchildren Kellie and Craig; her niece, Kathy, and nephew, David; despite her suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. Elwood tragically died in 1989 after 13 years of marriage. Thereafter, she became an even stronger woman as she continued raising her children as a single mother, always willing to go the extra mile to make sure her children were provided for and loved. She multiplied her love rather than dividing it.

Emmaree worked for over 20 years at the original Valley Bank until 1991. In her brief time as a substitute teacher in the Granite School District, she relished her time connecting with students. She went on to work at the State of Utah in provider payroll, then at American Stores in accounts payable, a job she loved. She met friends with whom she kept in close contact in every job she filled. She later served a stint at Intel.

Emmaree was quite proud of her time serving on the arts councils of West Valley City and later, Cottonwood Heights. She advocated―and fought―for funding and support for cultural amenities and organizations for music and live theater. She was healthily engaged in politics, serving as a party delegate, and as a key advocate for improving the schools of her children.

In 2002, she married John Josephson, an acquaintance from 40 years prior. Emmaree welcomed her four step-daughters’ families as her own. John & Emmaree served missions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints teaching English in Monterey, Mexico, from 2003-2004 and SLC inner-city missions thenceforth. They enjoyed each other's companionship for 18 years, living in Cottonwood Heights and beating her aggressive breast cancer. John passed away in 2020.

Emmaree is survived by her children: Cabot Nelson, (Jennifer Nelson, Clark, Holt), Holly Leany (Delbert Leany, Jordan, Megan) and Heather Hendriksen (Darrell Hendriksen, Salem, Oaklen, Ezril, Sicily, Daisy) and her step-children: Kristie Remington (Jessica, Summer, Jasmine), Jill Stidham-Cunningham, (Nate Cunningham, Max, Zack, Tyson), Holly Moursal (Issa Moursal, Savanna, Quentin), Amy Valentine (Tim Valentine, Cyan, Maya) and Kellie Mullan (Tim Mullan, Zachary); her brother, Kennard; nieces and nephews of the Ravnikar / Wilcock family; and her little canine companion now in foster care, Emmy.

She is preceded in death by her parents; husband, Elwood Ravnikar; husband, John Josephson; step son-in-law John Stidham; step-son Craig Ravnikar; and infant brother, Stanton Gaston Eltinge.

We express our gratitude to the staff of BeeHive Homes of Salt Lake and Quality Home Health and Hospice for their kind and dignified care during her final weeks.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, November 13, 2026, at the historic Forest Dale Chapel at 739 E Ashton Ave in Salt Lake City at 11:00am with a viewing an hour prior. A viewing will also be held Thursday, November 12 from 6:00pm - 8:00pm at the Cannon Mortuary, 2460 Bengal Boulevard, Cottonwood Heights, Utah.

Interment in Farmington Cemetery, 500 S 200 E, in Farmington, Utah, next to her eternal companion, Elwood.

Services will be streamed and can be access the day of the service at 10:45am by clicking on the following link - https://zoom.us/j/91498439542