Rulon Dee Aufdemorte

Rulon Aufdemorte went home to be with his Lord on Saturday May 23, 2026. He passed away at his home in Gig Harbor, Washington on November 6, 1939.

Rulon was born in Stockton, Utah and lived there for most of his life, with the exception of living in Eureka, Utah for two years in early childhood. He moved to Washington in 2019 to be near his daughter, son-in-law and granddaughters.

He had many happy memories growing up in Stockton, and felt blessed to have had “the best mother in the world” and such happy memories of the adventures of staying with his father and big brothers for a few weeks in the summers at the mines in Dry Canyon where his dad worked. They stayed in the boarding cook shack and he had vivid memories of being a small child, sitting on dad’s lap on the ride up to Dry Canyon and feeling like he was in an airplane as he looked out over the valley.

He married Claudia Gayle Johnson on October 5, 1959, and although they later divorced, they remained on good terms to support and raise their daughter.

He was proud to serve the community in Stockton as a volunteer fireman and he operated heavy equipment for the Town of Stockton in Soldier Canyon to help save the water line during the big flood in the springtime of 1984. He was very honored to work on the historical committee for Stockton’s 150th anniversary in 2013. Stockton history was a passion and he wrote a two-part Stockton history report.

Tooele Transcript Bulletin readers may be familiar with his name as he wrote many letters to the editor that were published in the paper, as well as being included in a few articles. He was always unafraid to voice his opinions and concerns.

He began his work career in the Tooele Smelter, then worked in the Uranium Mines in the Henry Mountains. In 1964 he was hired at Bauer and worked in the resin and steam plants. He was very happy working at Bauer and it was a loss when the facility burned down in October 1980 and it was decided that it would not be rebuilt. He then went to work with his brothers, Frank and Bob Aufdemorte at the Mineral Equipment Company, and later worked at Dugway Proving Grounds and finished the last years of his work life as a boiler plant operator at the South Area of Tooele Army Depot. He retired in 2004.

He had many interests and hobbies. He enjoyed genealogy research on our family, and even traveled to Steinfeld, Germany to do research, which led him to a church where he found that the Priest there knew the family and helped him meet his cousins that day. His cousins later came to visit him in America and meet the rest of the family. He also wrote a history of his grandparents who immigrated from Germany and hosted a family reunion in Evanson, Wyoming to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of their wedding.

He loved Stockton and Utah State history. He took up watercolors in order to paint historical items, such as the charcoal kilns in Soldier Canyon as he didn’t want that history to be lost.

He enjoyed restoring classic cars and wood working and had built his own home in Stockton with plenty of room for his hobbies.

He enjoyed travel, nature and spending time with family, as well. He was delighted to spend the last few years living in Washington and going out exploring and to dinner with his daughter, son-in-law, granddaughters and great-grandson. He actively participated in the many activities and events offered at the community in Gig Harbor, Washington where he lived. While he loved going on scenic drives in the beautiful Puget Sound area, he maintained a strong love for his lifelong home in Stockton. He became a great fan of YouTube channel Offroad801 which gave him the ability to “visit” his old stomping grounds and explore the old mines and ghost towns he so loved, including Dry Canyon, Ophir and Soldier Canyon.

Rulon Aufdemorte was a good and decent man. He was hardworking, responsible and a good father, father-in-law, grandfather, uncle and friend. He was my dad and I could always count on him; we were able to express how we felt about each other a few weeks before he passed and I am so thankful for that conversation.

He is preceded in death by parents, Frank and Gladys (Bowers) Aufdemorte, and sisters Zelma Bowers Ahlberg, Gladys Louella Webb-Donaldson, Arlene Hore, Margaret Meli and brothers Robert Aufdemorte and Frank Aufdemorte.

He is survived by daughter Sheril Walters and son-in-law Bobby Walters, granddaughters Valerie Walters and Christina Cullen and their husbands, and great-grandson Bobby Cullen.

According to my dad’s wishes, he will be buried next to his grandparents Frank Arnold and Margaret Mary, (formerly known as Gretchen) (Schwalbe) Aufdemorte in the Eureka, Utah cemetery. Graveside services will be held June 9, 2026 at 11:00 am.