Gwen Anderson

Gwen Mary Colton Anderson died peacefully in her sleep on December 30th due to causes incident to age. She was 96. She was preceded in death by her husband Joseph Moroni Anderson, and is survived by their three sons Richard Joseph Anderson (Becky), Russell Colton Anderson (Kari), Stanford Jay Anderson, one daughter Patricia Ann Anderson, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Gwen was born in Vernal, Utah to Don Byron and Grace Stringham Colton. When she was two years old her father was elected a U.S. Congressman from Utah. For the next twelve years Gwen and her family lived in Salt Lake City every other year. She didn’t go to the same school twice, which was difficult. One year after they returned to Utah, her father was called to be a mission president for the LDS Church. They lived in Brooklyn for one year and Manhattan for three years where she graduated from high school and then attended N.Y. University for one year. After returning to Utah she graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in speech and drama with an English minor together with a teaching certificate.

In 1941, Gwen visited a friend in Honolulu. She was scheduled to go home just before Christmas, but was delayed when Pearl Harbor was attacked. That was the most frightening day of her life. She was unable to return home until June 1942 when she was able to get passage to the mainland as a stewardess on a convoy of seven ships.

Gwen married her eternal companion, Joseph, February 21, 1946 in the Salt Lake Temple.

Gwen was an English teacher at Olympus High School for four years. She then became a counselor at the same school for 26 years where she influenced the lives of thousands of students for good.

While she was at Olympus High, she was called to serve on the Young Women’s General Board for three years and was in charge of the Laurel Program.

She was a dedicated volunteer at Primary Children’s Medical Center for almost 17 years. Gwen “truly loved volunteering for P.C.M.C!” She volunteered as an usher for the Tabernacle Choir broadcast as well as other evening performances. She was also an ordinance worker at the Jordan River Utah Temple and a docent to the Museum of Church History and Art.

She was a fun loving and vivacious lady. She loved people and knew how to have fun and make them laugh. She thought that the most important thing in life was to love her family and the Lord, as well as serving others.

A memorial service will be held at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Chapel (3401 S. Highland Drive, Salt Lake City, Utah) on January 6, 2016 at 11:00 am. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Primary Children’s Medical Center.