Shirley Andersen

Shirley Hoyt Andersen, our beautiful mother, passed away peacefully at her home on Thursday, August 23, 2018. She was the youngest and last surviving child of 11 children born to Eliza Ann Parry and Timothy Cook Hoyt.  She was born July 28, 1920 in her beloved Snowflake, Arizona.  She felt her childhood was idyllic and spoke of her happy memories all of her life.  She had a joyous reunion in heaven with all of her family of origin along with 4 of her children who preceded her in death: Ann, Tim, Shirley and Dale.

Shirley served as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the Eastern States before coming home to complete her Bachelor of Education at Arizona State University.  She was married on June 15, 1943 to Hans Verlan Andersen, “the best man I ever knew,” in the Salt Lake City Temple.  She created for her family a “heaven on earth” and “where’er she was, there was Eden.”  They became the parents of 12 children:  Hans (Melodee), Glen (Phyllis), Dale (Sue), LaDawn (James Jacob), Karen (Don Redd), Lynette (Corwin Lewis), Kathryn (Richard Kartchner), Shirley (Markham Miller), Elaine (Brian Andelin), Ann, Tim (Jana) and Dean (Colleen). At Shirley’s death, they had 501 direct descendants.  To have an eternal family was their greatest work and joy.

Along with others, Verlan and Shirley helped found American Heritage School where countless children have been taught a love for God, Family and Country. They served missions together in Argentina (twice), Peru and Mexico.  Including the time Elder Andersen served as a Seventy for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, they served as missionary companions for nearly nine years. During this time, Shirley created and taught a simplified hymn course in Spanish enabling many Latin-American Saints to accompany their congregations on the piano.

Shirley is remembered for her grateful heart, love for children, quick wit, cheery singing and being an inspiring and effective teacher.  She knew and loved the Savior, and her prayers to her Father in Heaven came as naturally as breathing.  She welcomed all who came to her door with a smile, fun conversation, homemade bread and yummy food.  Her children remember her for her limitless capacity for hard work, her constant nurturing and loving service, her belief that we were better than we are, her love and loyalty to our father and her faith in and love for her Savior.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday September 1, 2018 at the Latter Day Saint Lakeview Stake Center located at 400 West 1800 South, Orem, Utah. There will be 2 viewings, one will be held on Friday, August 31, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Sundberg-Olpin Mortuary, located at 495 South State Street, Orem, and the other will be held prior to the services on Saturday at the church from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.  Interment will be at the Orem City Cemetery.  Condolences may be sent to the family  on this page.

We feel assured that our mother and father will continue to serve and minister to their vast posterity here on earth as that was the great work of their lives.