Lynda Andersen

Lynda LaVee Stephens Andersen, beloved wife, mother, grandmother and friend, reunited with her eternal companion, Bill (“Red”) on March 16, 2020. She was born October 6, 1940 to Ted E. Stephens and LaVee Kenner Stephens. She was sister to Blair Stephens (Bonnie), Fay Hunt (David), Beverly Ford (Brian), Claudia Mecham (David) and Ted Stephens (Diane). She married her childhood sweetheart, William B. Andersen on July 26, 1957. Their marriage was solemnized later in the Salt Lake Temple. She was the proud mother of 7 daughters, Jodi Calacino (Pier), Julie Crockett (Alan), Kellie Webster (Mike), Susan Skillicorn (Richard), Sherri Wright (Michael), Teresa Burrell (Kent) and Darlene Platero-Enmman (Terry). She is Granny Red to 33 grandchildren and 54 plus great grandchildren.
Lynda’s greatest desire in life was to be a wife and mother, and a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ. She was a life-long member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She weaved her desires and created a rich tapestry of a faithful, happy, family who will continue to pass on her legacy of faith, love and beauty. Her family was her greatest treasure. Upon her death, we found she had saved hundreds of cards and notes her children and grandchildren had given her.
Lynda was a seeker of truth. She not only studied the gospel of Jesus Christ daily, but she was a voracious reader. She read hundreds of books. An Amazon gift card to reload her Kindle library was a favorite gift. Later when her sight started to fail, she listened to audio books. She loved history, and documentaries on foreign lands and the Animal Kingdom.
The Spanish word for beautiful is linda. She lived up to her name, beautiful inside and out. She made it a quest to create and beautify anything within her sphere of influence. Even when she was a young mother with 7 small children, she always rose before the children in order to prepare for the day, which included her hair done and make-up applied. She would say, “Putting your best foot forward prepares you for whatever the day brings.” Whether it was her own style, a table setting, a room, or a garden, Lynda made it beautiful. She believed in a woman’s individual beauty, so much that she went back to school and became an esthetician. She went on to create a successful business, “The Ladies Room,” helping women find their inner and outward beauty. “The Ladies Room” became a favorite stop at family gatherings where more than a dozen granddaughters at a time would line up for eyebrow waxes and listen to a dose of Granny Red’s counsel to “Act like a lady.”
Lynda had a beautiful singing voice. She performed as a young girl, and later with an adult performing group, Sing for Joy. She led the music in church for over 20 years. She passed her talent onto her daughters and grandchildren. She loved family gatherings where each family would perform. She loved attending their concerts and musicals. She also loved attending their sports events. She never missed a performance of her grandchildren if she could help it.
She met her husband, Bill, (Red), when she was 12, where he literally swept her off her feet and swung her over his shoulder during a church social. They spent the rest of their lives together. They were married for 58 years before Bill passed away. The last four years, she would often comment of how she looked forward to reuniting with her boyfriend. While her passing leaves us with an empty chair that can never be filled, we as her family rejoice in her reunion with her granddaughters, Jennifer, Karisa and Juliana; her grandsons, Zachary, Kyler and Jim; her parents and brother, Blair, and especially with her boyfriend, our dad. We love you, Mom and are so grateful for the life and lessons you have given us.
A memorial service will be held for Lynda later this summer to be announced.