Colleen Furgeson

Belva Colleen Furgeson, 92, died peacefully surrounded by her family on May 20, 2020 in Syracuse Utah. She was born on September 29, 1927 in Pocatello, Idaho, the eldest daughter of nine children to Delbert and Iva Lynn Buchanan. She is survived by her six children: Lynn (Dennis) Rantz, Middleton, ID; Michael (Inga), Kilauea, HI; Ginger Carter, Syracuse, UT; Pamela (Lowell) Larsen, West Haven, UT; Lew (Karen), Chandler, AZ; Kelly, (Cathy) Marshall Islands; and step-daughter Donna Greene, Kings Beach, NV. She has 21 grandchildren, 27 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her two sisters, Carma Owens and Pat Stevenson and her brothers Clell and Fred. She was preceded in death by her husband Raymond and her brothers, Dwight, Blaine, Vee and Kay.

Colleen was born, raised and attended schools in the Pocatello area. When she was in her late teens, the family relocated to Watsonville, CA. There, she met her eternal companion, Raymond Edward Furgeson. They were married December 1, 1945 and later sealed in the St. George LDS Temple. Ray passed away on March 16, 2009 after 64 years of marriage. They raised their six children in Southern California until 1973 when they moved to Utah.

Throughout the 60’s and 70’s, she happily and faithfully supported Ray in his calling as President of the Southern California LDS Institute affiliated Grand Land Singers musical group and then later, the Mormon Youth Symphony and Chorus in Salt Lake City.

She spent a lifetime of service in church and community. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she faithfully served in many callings. She had a strong testimony in the gospel and devoted many hours to temple work and the family’s genealogy research. In the early 90’s, along with her husband, she served in the California San Diego Mission as a public relations missionary.

Her family was her greatest joy and she treasured time spent with them. Her hands were never idle. When she wasn’t golfing or riding her bike, she was creating beautiful porcelain dolls, quilts, and needlepoint. She was a passionate collector of bells from all over the world that she acquired in her travels with her husband. She enjoyed traveling, but also, she loved to come home.

The family would like to thank the caregivers from Signature Home Health who lovingly cared for her during her final days.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, May 23, 2020 at 11 a.m. at Lindquist’s Layton Mortuary, 1867 No. Fairfield Road.  The service will be lived streamed please see link below.

Interment, Riverside National Cemetery, Riverside, CA at a later date.