Anne Matthews

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    Sylvia Anne Strasburg Matthews, age 85, beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, aunt and friend, passed away peacefully of natural causes on August 20, 2022 in Sandy, Utah.
    Anne, as she was known throughout her life, was born on April 18, 1937 in Highland, Utah.  She was the first daughter, and third child born to her loving parents, David and Melba Strasburg.  Anne grew up on her family’s farm in Highland, helping her parents grow and harvest peas and tomatoes to sell to the cannery.  She learned how to work hard at an early age – a quality that lasted throughout her life.  She was a great help at home making bread, sewing clothes, gardening, canning foods and helping with her 8 younger siblings.  Anne was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints throughout her life.  Her strong faith was something she cherished and shared with others.  
    Anne began dating the love of her life, Cornelius “Neal” Matthews in high school, and just before her junior year, they were married in the Salt Lake Temple on August 24, 1953.  They were a very loving, affectionate and hardworking couple who cherished spending every minute they could together.  They treated each other with such kindness and tenderness.  They loved taking trips together, even if it was just taking a picnic and going for an afternoon drive.  
    Neal and Anne longed for a farm of their own, and decided to move to Roosevelt Utah in 1963.  They bought a large piece of property that they spent several years clearing, and developing into a beautiful farm.  They worked hard alongside one another growing alfalfa, corn, oats, wheat, barley, potatoes, beans as well as raising and selling cows, pigs and sheep commercially.   Most important to them was raising their 6 children and teaching them how to work, while they served faithfully in the Church in many various callings.   They especially enjoyed attending the temple as often as they could.  Anne worked in the Vernal and Draper Temples for several years following Neal’s death in 2002, and the subsequent sale of the farm in Roosevelt.  Anne lived in Vernal for 7 years before moving to her current home in Draper in 2009.  
    Anne had a loving heart and always enjoyed visiting with her friends, neighbors and many sweet sisters in her ward who came to her home. That meant so much to her.  She was always interested in what was going on with her ward family and her loved ones, and enjoyed being involved as much as she could; if you were interested in something, she was interested in it as well.  She had wonderful advice and counsel that she would share when others were going through challenges.  She tried to remain positive and would always say, “Things will work out, they always work out”.  She loved getting together with her siblings every year for the Strasburg family reunions, as well as reunions or visits with Neal’s family – whom she loved dearly. She was an excellent cook, and loved hosting large family meals and having her children and grandchildren come to visit.  Everyone knew they were always welcome. She enjoyed taking trips to visit her extended family and children, and loved seeing the beautiful scenery wherever she went - especially the ocean.  
    Anne loved a variety of music - Elvis to Andre Rieu. On her 78th birthday, she even attended a Bon Jovi concert.  She learned to play the piano at a young age, and sang beautifully as well. 
    During the last few years of her life, when she had a harder time getting out, Anne cherished phone calls with her family, read a lot, watched General Conference talks, shared her testimony with her grandchildren, family and friends.  She enjoyed watching PBR and cooking shows with Kathy.  She loved reading her scriptures, watching Music and the Spoken Word, and listening to uplifting music.  She remained faithful to the end, and was a wonderful example for the rest of her family.   
    Anne    is survived by her children:  Susan Tanner, Dennis (Karen) Matthews, RaNae (Karl) Powell, Sylvia (Brad) Palmer, Kathy Matthews and Debra (Darren) Jones.  Fourteen grandchildren, and 17 great-grandchildren.  
    She is preceded in death by her husband, Neal Matthews, her parents, David and Melba Strasburg, her son, Kenneth Gene Matthews, her two older brothers, Ronald and Gordon Strasburg and sister-in-law Carolyn Strasburg.  
    The family would like to thank the many wonderful friends and neighbors as well as the staff at Cedarwood at Sandy and Canyon Hospice for their care, kindness and compassion in the last weeks of Anne’s life.  It meant so much to her and her family.
          Funeral services will be held on Friday, August 26, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. at The Crescent 28th Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, located at 11626 S. 300 E., Draper, UT   Viewings will be held at the church on Thursday evening from 6:00-8:00 p.m., and Friday from 9:30 a.m-10:45 a.m. 
    Interment  will be on Saturday, August 27,, 2022 at 11:00 in Roosevelt Memorial Park, next to her beloved husband Neal.