Our parents are together again! Marian Bluhm Flandro is now reunited with her husband and love of her life, Paul Woods Flandro. Marian was born on August 16, 1922 in Salt Lake City, Utah and peacefully departed this life at 99 years of age on January 18, 2022, surrounded by her children. She was the oldest child of Emil F. and Elsa Lange Bluhm, who were optimistic, loving and hard-working people.
At age nine, Marian received a violin from her father and she learned to play it beautifully. After graduating from East High School, she attended the McCune School of Music and graduated from the University of Utah in 1943 with a degree in music education. She was active in Alpha Chi Omega, Spurs and Beta Delta Mu.
Beginning in 1940, Marian and Paul’s friendship developed as they participated in campus activities and danced to the music of the big bands at Saltair. They were married for eternity on September 17, 1943 in the Salt Lake Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Within weeks after their marriage, Paul left for combat in the Pacific and served in the US Marine Corps during WWII and the Korean War.
Marian loved the gospel of Jesus Christ, her husband, family and service to others. She was a devoted mother and homemaker. She created an organized, harmonious and welcoming environment filled with music where the couple enjoyed raising their children and entertaining friends. She was an accomplished seamstress and sewed matching outfits for the entire family as well as for her daughter’s dolls. Besides giving private violin and piano lessons, Marian taught instrumental music in the Salt Lake City Schools, retiring after 28 years. Many thousands of students benefitted from her kind instruction. As a violinist, she was a member of the Utah Symphony with conductor, Maurice Abravanel, and later with the Salt Lake Chamber Orchestra. She was a beautiful example of womanhood in many organizations like Delta Kappa Gamma. She served on the Sunday School General Board and the General Church Music Committee where she helped select the hymns for the 1985 edition of the Hymn Book and Children’s Songbook. Later in life, in their 80s, she and Paul served a full-time mission in the California San Bernardino Mission.
Dedicated to family history, Marian compiled stories of her parents in a leather bound book, “Born of Goodly Parents” honoring them and she faithfully kept a personal journal of photos and observations, usually attaching memorabilia on the blank pages only hours after an event. With over fifty bound volumes in her collection of Books of Remembrance, she made her last entries just days before her passing.
Marian will be remembered for the beauty of her life, radiant personality, lives touched through music, courage in facing difficulties, service to others and her great faith.
Paul and Marian Flandro are the parents of six children, 23 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren. Marian was preceded in death by her parents, her brother, Leonard, husband, Paul and two grandsons. She is survived by her sister, Darlene Bennett, and six children, Paulette Stevens, Claudia Howells (Jerry), Nancy McKay (Dave), Shannon Christiansen (Bob), Dave Flandro (Bonnie) and Brian Flandro. The family extends special thanks to all who tenderly loved and cared for her at Spring Gardens Holladay.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, January 28, 2022 at 1pm in the Salt Lake Olympus Stake Center, 2675 East 4430 South, Holladay, Utah, and may be seen via Zoom webinar https://zoom.us/j/94404562396. Friends and family may gather beginning at 11:30am. Interment is at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park, 3401 South Highland Drive, Salt Lake City, Utah.
