Dorothy Sisneros

Our beautiful angel Mother and Nana, Dorothy M. Sisneros passed from the loving arms of her family into the loving arms of Jesus in the early morning hours on August 28, 2021.  She was born June 6, 1946, in Standardville, UT to Victor and Yvonne Sisneros.  She grew up in a one room home in Spring Canyon where her father worked as a coal miner and her mom was busy raising 5 kids under 5.  She was proud of being a “coal miner’s daughter”.   As the baby of the family, she was fiercely protected by her older brothers Victor, Eddie and Arthur.  She shared a special bond with her sister, Bertha, who taught her how to curl her hair and shave her legs.  When she was 10 her family moved to Provo where she attended school at Maesar Elementary, Farrer Junior High and Provo High School.  Dorothy cherished her years as a PHS Bulldog where she was a social butterfly in “B” wing, graduating from the Class of 1964.  She loved to dance and had many fond memories of going to record hops at the Union Hall and the Apollo.

In December 1965 she married Robert Boyd Christiansen.  They had 3 children together, Stacy, Lorie and Jon.  They were later divorced. She married Gary Nelson in the summer of 1979, also later divorced, but their love remained.

As a single mother Dorothy went to work at Wasatch Mental Health in 1974.  She enjoyed her association with her co-workers and made life-long friends there.  She retired after 30 years, but must have loved it so much she went back part time for another 10 years, retiring for a second time in 2014 with a total of 40 years of service.

Our little mother was a force to be reckoned with.  While small in stature, she was a no-nonsense lady who was independent, loyal and had more sass than any 100 people.  You always knew where you stood with her and if she was on your side, you knew she had your back.  She taught her children a strong work ethic, the value of a dollar and how to enjoy life.  Dorothy loved any event where family and friends would gather.  Even weddings and funerals were social events where she enjoyed visiting with all of her relatives.  And mom had a lot of relatives, because you know if you’re Hispanic you are all related, even if you’re not.  She also loved her travels to Mazatlan which allowed her to brush up on her Spanglish since she was a little disappointed that none of her kids ever learned how to speak Spanish.  We loved witnessing her in action bartering to buy something or serving others when she visited the orphanage.

Dorothy was most famous for her annual Wendover Fun Bus trips.  These were held once, sometimes twice a year where the rowdy crowd would get together for some crazy fun to raise money that was later donated to various charities.  She was also the ultimate Utah Jazz fan, with Stockton and Malone being her absolute favorites.

Dorothy was the Nana to 5 amazing grandchildren.  Dylan, Statler, Hunter, Kaylee and Makayla.  She loved these kids with all of her heart and they loved her too.  She was there to witness the birth of each one of them and while she wasn’t your typical doting grandmother, she had special moments with them. She also became a great nana this year to Oakley who put a smile on her face every time she saw her. The love she gave to her grandkids was returned to her tenfold in the end.

She had a loving relationship with her cousin Jane and her sister-in-law Dorene.  These two special ladies were more like sisters to her.  Anytime she hung out with either of them, you could rest assured that good times were to be had and likely there would be some shenanigans too.

While our mother suffered from the affects of Alzheimer’s the past 7 years, we don’t want this to define her life.  She was so much more. . .a daughter, sister, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, cousin, aunt and friend.  Although she sometimes forgot our names or that she belonged with us, she knew that we were special to her.    During the past few weeks her mind had more clarity than she has had in years and it was so tender and pure.  We find peace and comfort in the treasured moments we were able to spend with her.

Dorothy is survived by her children Stacy (Darryn) Lassen, Lorie (Joe) Pearson and Jon (Sandra) Christiansen.  Her brother Victor Sisneros and her grandchildren and great grandchild.  Bonus granddaughters Jessica and Ashley and bonus great grandsons, Ty, Trayson and Emery.  She was preceded in death by her parents, her sister and three of her four brothers.

Hey Mom . . .See you later alligator when your legs are a little straighter, after while crocodile.

Funeral services will be held Wednesday, September 1, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. at Sundberg-Olpin Mortuary, 495 South State Street, Orem, UT  84058.  A viewing for friends and family will be held at the same location from 9:30 to 10:30 am prior to the funeral service.  Interment will be in the Provo City Cemetery.

Our family would like to thank mom’s hospice team from Symbii who provided wonderful care to her over the past several months.

Condolences for family may be left on this page.

For those unable to attend, you may view the services HERE