Kearns, Utah -

Elsie Petrea Andersen Howard, one of our Heavenly Father’s choicest, Christlike children has joyously returned home following complications from surgery. She is the youngest of 7 children born on March 26, 1935, to Viggo Lund Andersen and Myrle Cleaver Drakeford Andersen.

Our hearts are broken but filled with deep gratitude for having been blessed with the most wonderful mother anyone could ever ask for. Her example of love and service is unsurpassed. From her we learned to never be judgmental of others and to love everyone unconditionally. Her entire life consisted of worrying about and serving others, and never thinking of herself.

She married Keith Stott Howard on July 21, 1952. They later divorced but became good friends prior to his death in 2000. She became a single mother of 8 children at the age of 35 and sacrificed relentlessly for each one of them. She never missed her son’s baseball games, as she was so proud of them and their incredible gift of playing baseball. Because of her love of family, she created a strong bond of unity, love, and respect between all her posterity as they shared beautiful memories together throughout the years.

She was a very dedicated and hard worker for Kmart and retired after over 25 years. Later, she enjoyed working at Piece Goods. She made lifelong friends with co-workers and customers and enjoyed years of lunch dates with these special friends throughout her life.

Mom made friends everywhere she went, and if you were a friend of one of her children you became her dear friend as well and she loved you for life. She never struggled to strike up a conversation with total strangers, nor with sharing her testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ to anyone she could. She was a missionary in her own special way and loved her years serving in the Jordan River Temple. She loved her neighbors and ward members like family. She was always keenly interested in everyone and how they were doing. She loved her Savior, Jesus Christ, and her Father in Heaven, and was looking forward to a joyous reunion with all her loved ones.

She would spend hours every month writing out birthday cards to mail to her huge posterity and her dear friends. She always looked forward to blessings, baptisms, and weddings of her beautiful posterity. We know she will continue to be a part of these special events from the other side. She loved crafts and crocheting and has blessed many friends and family members with handmade quilts, afghans, ceramics and other treasured items, including giving each of her grandchildren a treasured white afghan for their firstborn child.

Mom is the last of an incredible generation who have left beautiful footprints on all our hearts. What a joyous reunion she is having! Mom and Grandma, your beauty, example, love and goodness will be so missed, until we meet again!

Sweet Mom is survived by her children, Trudy Foster, Leslie (Craig) Marsing, Patricia Aitken, Jeff (Shelly) Howard, Teresa (Jeff) Atkinson, son-in-law Jerry Royer, daughter-in-law Lisa Howard; 30 grandchildren, 85 great-grandchildren, 7 great-great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her ex-husband Keith S. Howard, her children Trixie Royer, Keith Howard Jr., Kevin Howard, her grandson, Lucas Aitken, great-grandsons William Marsing and Anthony Brimhall, daughter-in-law Debbie Howard, sons-in-law Glen Aitken and Dale Foster. Also, preceded in death by her parents, 6 siblings and their spouses.

Funeral services will be held at 1:00 PM on Thursday, December 21, 2023, at the Kearns 14th Ward located at 4232 West 5015 South, Kearns Utah. A viewing will be held beginning at 11:00 AM prior to services. Interment; Memorial Redwood Cemetery, 6500 South Redwood Road, West Jordan, Utah.

For those unable to be in attendance please reach out to the family for the live streaming link.