Carol England Skeen

Our angel mother, Carol England Skeen, passed peacefully from a life abundant with love on March 31, 2022. She was born in Ogden, Utah, and as her brother, Gene, said “A light went on in Plain City on January 5, 1932, and it’s never gone out.”

She was the youngest of four children of Chester Rodney and Maude Vivian Knight England and grew up in Plain City, Utah. She graduated from Weber High School where she was editor of the school newspaper and was crowned the Plain City Potato Day queen. She attended Brigham Young University and roomed with 3 other Carols. She married John Lamar Skeen on May 15, 1952, in the Salt Lake Temple. They raised five children—Randall, Sheri, Kelly, Holli, and Heidi—in their beautiful home on Mount Olympus. Carol loved her home and made it full of love and warm cookies. She was always home waiting for us when we returned from school. We had wonderful trips to Disneyland every year, and she made every holiday a grand celebration. Her greatest love was sewing and baking and she spent many hours, from 4 a.m. until late at night, doing both. She shared her homemade “love gifts” with so many over the years, even people that she hardly knew or didn’t know at all. She would instantly bond with waiters, salespeople in stores, the mail lady, neighbors, and anyone who crossed her path. Mom was a loyal friend and confidante to so many. She had dear friends in her sewing group who met monthly for over 60 years.

Mom and Dad loved to travel together and went on trips several times a year, mostly to Palm Springs, Aspen, and wherever they had kids and grandkids. Both were faithful members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and made Christ the center of our home. Mom loved to pray and started each prayer thanking the Lord for her membership in His church.

Carol began teaching Primary when she was in her twenties and continued teaching until she was 87 years old. She touched the lives of hundreds of young girls with her lessons about loving everyone, being special and unique, and treating everyone as Jesus Christ would. She spent countless hours preparing lessons, sewing take-home gifts, and decorating her Primary room.

Mom loved walking the hills of Mount Olympus and walked every morning for three to four miles. None of us were invited to go with her because we couldn’t keep up. She loved the people she saw out on the road and waving or visiting for a short time with them. When she was 80, Randy asked her if she would like to do the 10K on Pioneer Day in Salt Lake City, which was a challenge she took on. That year, thirty members of our family participated in the 5K or 10K, and a few in the marathon. She ended up doing that 10K five years in a row and was so proud of the medals she earned.

Mom earned nicknames because of her spunky personality and kind and caring soul. She was called Grandma Buffy (for her little dog), Fairy Godmother, and Mother Goose, which got shortened to Goosey or Grandma Goosey. Goosey is how she has been known for the past many years.

Mom’s talents were many. She wore out sewing machines and irons, and we called her a factory because of the hundreds of aprons, bags, and pillows she created yearly. Growing up, she made all of our dresses and knit matching sweaters to go with them. She had an incredible talent and gift for creating beautiful works of art, including a ruffled dress that hung in the Nauvoo Visitors’ Center for several years and dresses that were purchased by Alice Cooper and President Gerald Ford.

Mom cherished her 19 grandchildren and 33 great-grandchildren. Each grandchild knew they were her favorite and that they “gave the best hugs.” Mom and Dad were so proud of their posterity and loved spending time with the family. We would gather every Sunday evening at their home for cookies and fun conversation. She never just made one kind of cookie, there was always an assortment of deliciousness, another expression of love. The grandkids loved being together and became close.

Fortunately, Mom was healthy and active until the last few months when her health declined. She knew the time had come when she would have to leave her beloved home, yet she went forth with grace, a good attitude, and never a complaint. This move gave her the opportunity to be a blessing in the lives of

her caring Suncrest Hospice team as well as the many caregivers at Wentworth Coventry, and she showered them with praise, kisses, and hugs, telling each one “I love you forever!” and she meant it. This was the final act of her mission on earth.

Goosey is survived by her children: Randy & Deb Skeen, Sheri & Wade Palmer, Kelly & Delee Skeen, Holli & Dave Gisseman, Heidi & Curtis Bay, 19 grandchildren and 33 ½ great-grandchildren, 102-year-old brother Gene England (wife Donna), sister-in-law Fern England, brother-in-law Robert Montgomery, and many nieces, nephews, friends, and those who weren’t related but whom she called her own.

Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, April 16, 2022, at 11:00 am at the Fortuna Ward chapel, 4407 South Fortuna Way, Salt Lake City, Utah 84124. There will be a viewing the night before, Friday, April 15, 2022, at the same location from 6:00 – 8:00 pm and prior to the services on Saturday morning from

9:30 – 10:30 am.

The funeral will be streamed live. Details to follow.