Karl Farnsworth and family at the Dome of the Rock
Karl Smith Farsworth was born 23 August 1928 in Beaver, Utah, the fifth of seven children of Samuel Taylor and Kathleen Smith Farnsworth. He graduated from Beaver High School in 1946, where he was active in speech, drama, music and the FFA. He attended Brigham Young University for two years then served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Northern States and the Great Lakes Missions. Following his mission he met and married Joyce (Jackie) Johnson of Barnwell, Alberta, Canada 9 May 1951, in the Cardston Alberta Temple. They have six children: 35 grandchildren, 83 great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great-grandchildren.
Karl served two years in the US Army in California, Maryland and Germany during the Korean War. He was involved in the dairy business in Beaver with his father. While living in Beaver, Karl was a charter member of the Junior Chamber of Commerce, was active in the American Legion, and in the community. Karl returned to BYU where he obtained his Bachelors, Masters, and Doctor of Education degrees. He spent the remainder of his professional life working in the Church Education System (CES). Karl taught Seminary in Garland and Provo, Utah. He served as CES Coordinator in Southern California and in the Utah Provo Area. He also served in the Central Office Personnel Department, as the co-director of the BYU Jerusalem Center, and as the CES Area Director in the South East Asia Area where he and Jackie lived in Hong Kong for three years.
Karl served as Branch President in Jerusalem and in Hong Kong, as the Executive Secretary to the Area Presidency in Hong Kong, as the president of the California Los Angeles Mission and in the Presidency at the Provo, Utah Missionary Training Center. He and Jackie served a mission as the CES Missionary Coordinators in the Church Office Building in Salt Lake City. He taught in many different capacities throughout his life. Karl passed away on Thursday, 24 August 2023 in Orem, UT.
Source: Obituary https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/deseretnews/name/karl-farnsworth