Carl Oldaker, 84, passed away peacefully on Saturday Aug 14, 2010 after a short illness, with family members by his side.

Carl was born on March 10, 1926 in Kimball, NE, the son of Royal Charles Oldaker and Olive Mary Robinson. He married Shirley Ann Ruppe in the Salt Lake Temple on Aug 17, 1953. They are the parents of three sons and two daughters.

Carl first came to the Uinta Basin in the spring of 1951. In 1954, he started a propane business. Later he worked in both the Gilsonite mine and the phosphate mine. In 1956, Carl and Shirley will called  to serve an LDS mission in the Southern States Mission. In 1959, Carl and Shirley purchased their farm in Naples, and a year later Carl started a spraying business. This spraying business was very successful for over 40 years and Carl was a familiar site in and around the community spraying weeds, alfalfa, trees and yards. Many Vernal residents benefitted from Carl’s friendly and generous demeanor as he did many spraying jobs without cost to the elderly and to those in need. Carl loved to visit and he never met a stranger. He will be sorely missed.  Carl also loved to farm and ranch. He worked as a livestock dealer while farming land in the basin and ranching cattle on Diamond Mountain, spending many happy hours with his family at his cabin in Hatch Cove. In 2000, Carl and Shirley served a second LDS mission to Canada, where a grandson, Kinnon Oldaker, is currently serving, and served a third mission to Alaska in 2006. Carl loved the church and he and Shirley served as temple workers in Vernal.  Carl is survived by his wife of 56 years, Shirley; his sister, Phyllis Johnson of Longmont, CO.; his children, Hugh (Cleo) Oldaker, Ryan (Carleeta) Oldaker, Jim (Rhonda)‚ Oldaker, all of Vernal; Annette (Randy) Freston, of Kingman, Az.; and Dorothea  (Robert) Smith of Grand Junction, CO.; 16 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.  Carl was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Floyd, Gayle, Claud and Charles; and two sisters Elsie and Pat.  Funeral services will be held Thursday Aug. 19, 2010 at 11 a.m. at the Naples, 1st Ward Chapel, 2313 South 1500 East in Vernal. Friends and family were able to call on Wednesday from 6-8 p.m. and one hour prior to services. Interment will be in the Vernal Memorial Park under the direction of Blackburn Mortuary.