Coleen Casper Sundstrom

Coleen Casper Sundstrom passed away in her home on October 27th , 2020 at the incredible age of 83. She was a loving wife, a devoted mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and a true and loyal friend.

She was born the eldest of 5 children to LeRoy and Elva Casper on April 19th, 1937 in Charleston Utah.

She had a testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and served faithfully in a variety of church callings.

Coleen suffered the effects of rheumatic heart disease as a child and teen, but through the efforts of skilled doctors and surgeons and two open heart surgeries, was blessed and able to experience an amazingly long, full, and rich life.

She married her forever sweetheart, Albert Sundstrom, in the Salt Lake City LDS temple on March 5th, 1959. Having met while dragging Main in Heber City, their remarkable relationship is a love and romance for the ages.

Coleen had many talents and enjoyments. She so loved to play the piano for her family and accompanied many vocalists. She had the pleasure of playing the Steinway piano for patrons in the lobby of McKay Dee Hospital, and being an organist in the Ogden temple. In order to have her Baby Grand, she taught piano lessons to many students for several years. A skilled seamstress, she spent hours at her sewing machine making school clothes, night gowns, robes, quilts, and doll clothes. She mastered the art of crocheting and created beautiful doilies, afghans, and baby blankets. She had a love of books and could often be found on her bed, in her chair, or in her trailer absorbed in words. She spent many hours volunteering at LDS and McKay Dee hospitals, and enjoyed participating with her friends from Daughters of the Utah Pioneers. She and Dad found great joy in hopping in the car and traveling across the countryside, or even just grabbing a Tab and dragging State. With trailer in tow, and children in the back seat, they experienced many adventures together, and later in life, Coleen and Albert became snowbirds enjoying the wintertime warmth of Arizona.

Coleen knew she was “living on borrowed time”. In 2019, she took a terrible fall setting her back in many ways. She set a profound example to her family when she stated, “this will not define me”, and set a course for recovery. In her last days of life, she was heard to say she was learning the meaning of enduring to the end. Perhaps she knew “enduring to the end” is what would ultimately define her.

Coleen leaves behind her dear husband, Albert Neils Sundstrom; daughters, Aleen (Chet) Cloward, Lauri (Ken) Butterfield, Julie (Ryan) McDermott, and Suzanne (Kurt) Miller; 12 grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren, and her German daughter, Claudia. She is preceded in death by her parents, sister Carol Muterspaugh, great granddaughter Hazel Butterfield, and her beloved pup, Penny.

We express our sincerest gratitude to Dr. Jeffery DeGrauw and his hospice team for their compassionate care.

Services will be held on Monday, November 2nd at the Barber Acres LDS chapel, 3024 S. 1200 W. Syracuse, Utah. The viewing will be held from 10:00 to 11:30 and is open for all who wish to attend. The funeral will begin at 12:00. Due to Covid restrictions, the family has been advised to invite immediate family and friends to personally attend the funeral. It is our desire that all who wish to take part in this service be able to do so. You may watch the funeral virtually on Zoom beginning at noon by using the code 435 654 8022 (no password).

Thank you to Probst Family Funerals for making this possible.

Internment services will be held at the Syracuse Cemetery 1044 W. 1290 S.