Donor Biography
Elizabeth Shurtz Baker and Edward Lester Baker had a daughter, Bessie,
who was born on February 6, 1012 in Escalante, UT. However, 11 days after
Bessie's birth, her mother, Elizabeth died. Bessie's grandparents, (Mary Alice
and Don Shurtz) raised her.
Bessie's Dad married Maggie May Meachan, and they had nine children. The
Bakers had a great relationship with Bessie, but she remained with her
grandparents, graduating from Provo High School in 1930.
Bessie met Alex Oblad, a musician who also held a Masters degree in
Chemistry, and married in 1933. They traveled east, where Alex earned a
Ph.D. in chemistry at Purdue University. In his work, Alex developed a
process called Catalytic Cracking which allowed high octane gasoline to be
produced very economically.
Bessie and Alex had six children while living in several eastern states. They
returned to Utah in 1969 where Alex became a distinguished professor at the
University of Utah.
Bessie's passion was her family. She took her role as a mother very seriously,
teaching her children the value of hard work, loyalty, honesty and fairness.
Bessie and Alex were very active in their church. Alex passed in 2000, aged
91. Bessie passed away in 2010, aged 98.
The Elizabeth Bessie Shurtz Memorial Endowment was established and
funded by Dr. Alex and Bessie Oblad in memory of Mrs. Oblad's mother.
Scholarship Criteria
Will be awarded to a junior, sophomore or senior student from a Southern Utah Community with no other financial or scholarship assistance, and who show a strong desire to complete a degree.