Gay Sherrow

Our wonderful and much beloved mother, Gay Lundskog Sherrow, passed peacefully away Sunday evening, October 19, 2025, with her children around her. Her nearly 94-year-old body had fulfilled its earthly mission, and she passed on to meet her husband, John Sherrow, and her three children, Gayle, Jay, and Ruth who preceded her in death.

We're sure it was a wonderful reunion also with her son-in-law, Lester Fort, and four grandchildren, Miranda, Holly, Christian, and Katrina.

She is survived by daughters: Darlene Hansen (Jody), Jeannene Doxey, and Marcey Carson (Matthew), Shauna Sherrow and sons: Alan Sherrow (Carla), Russell Sherrow (Ginger), Jeffery Sherrow (Linda), and Ronald Mecham. Her posterity includes 52 grandchildren and 79 and ½ great-grandchildren.

She is lovingly remembered by her entire family as a great example of charity, love, nurturing and service to all she met. Everyone who visited her left with a tasty home cooked meal or treat.

Gay was born on November 20, 1931, to Gustave and Lillie Lundskog. A welcome addition to their growing family, she was their first daughter in the family home in Murray, built by her grandfather, Eric Gillen. Her two older brothers, Elry and Parley, adored her, and she was raised to help others on their farm and learned to work hard feeding chickens, gathering eggs, and making bread when she was only 5. By then her mom had two more daughters, Afton and Margie, who Gay mothered a lot. Later they were joined by sweet little Helen and feisty little brother Elmo. Their farm sustained them, and they all worked together to grow gardens and take care of the animals.

She attended Liberty Elementary School in Murray and went on to be an excellent student at Murray High School, graduating with honors.

One of her favorite activities was to celebrate her Swedish history with song and dance with her sisters. They performed at many activities in their Swedish costumes and enjoyed celebrating May Day, and Santa Lucia and Christmas smorgasbords at her aunt's and uncle's.

She worked at several jobs besides the farm after school. Her favorite was being a telephone operator.

She was very active in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, with the rest of her family. She enjoyed music very much and sang in choirs, with her beautiful soprano voice.

In 1951 at a M-Men and Gleaner activity (young single adults today), she met a handsome young man who had recently moved to Utah from Missouri after his military service in WWII. He was working, but we really think he was looking for a good LDS girl to marry, since there weren't many girls in his hometown. They quickly fell in love, and when he proposed to her one night after an activity, she said yes, and he put a ring on her finger, and she left him in the car while she ran in to tell her family.

They were married several months later in the Salt Lake Temple on her 20th birthday, November 20, 1951. They immediately started their family, and Darlene was born in September of 1952. She was followed by Ruth in July 1954, Gayle in February 1956, and Jay in September 1957, Alan in October 1959, Russell in June 1962, Jeffery in August 1963, Jeannie in January 1966, and sweet little Marcey in May 1971. Nine children in 20 years kept her very busy. She was a very good wife and mother, and we were kept helping her in the house with all the laundry, cooking and cleaning, and helping Dad in the yard and garden. Her goal was to always have a well-balanced home-cooked meal for dinner with the family every day.

As the family grew, and Dad was already working two jobs to support us, Mom took in children to care for in our new home in Murray, next to Grandma & Grandpa Lundskog. No one knows exactly how many children she cared for, some for as many as 12 years. We guess it may be over 100, and some days we would all have to pitch in after school, feeding, changing, and playing with children until their parents came. Mom was always fixing dinner. Her work started before 6 am every morning, receiving children and getting her own up and off to school. Days usually ended when the last child left about 7 pm.

Mom was a great seamstress, and she made many of our clothes in the early days, everything sewed with great love, and often until midnight when she had time. She made her own wedding dress and those of her sisters.

She was an amazing cook -- her variety and quality of meals on a budget was legendary. She could make a chicken or pound of hamburger into a wonderful meal for 11, along with all her fresh garden produce and home canned fruits. She was an excellent budgeter, kept meticulous records, and always paid her debts in timely fashion. Never a person who needed lots of fancy things, her joy was in her family and encouraging them to do their best in all things.

Somewhere during these early years of marriage and family she found she had a talent for cake decorating. Her cakes were not only delicious, but stunningly beautiful, and she loved doing that labor of love for friends and family. Everyone wanted her to make their wedding cakes.

Besides her food preservation, sewing, gardening, and cake creations, she was a very active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

She worked in Relief Society presidencies, was Primary President at least once, and was always teaching classes on how to make rugs, washcloths, canning, preserving, and sewing to others, including her family.

She attended the temple with our father at least twice a month, and started working with her mom on family history, so we were doing our family names.

Long after she was done raising children, making cakes ,and tending a huge garden, she continued her family history work. She also kept records/pictures of all her extended family, and became the family record keeper, so when anyone was born, married, died, or had children, they notified our mother, who faithfully kept records of her family.

Until the very last hour of her life she enjoyed good music, hymns, and Primary songs. We had a family reunion a few weeks ago and while she didn't talk much, she sang every song with her beautiful now alto voice, and she knew all the words.

We are so grateful to our family members who helped our mother in her last few years when she had many challenges with health and memory. Her desire to stay in her home, which she loved, was honored. Russell looked after her for many years after her husband died, and then Jeannie moved in when Russell married and moved to New Mexico. Marcey and Jeff took turns coming to keep her company and keep her yards up.

It is with much appreciation we acknowledge Jeannie's faithful service with getting her well-cared for, to appointments, well-nourished, and to church and temple. Mom adored the temple and always loved being there with her family. She and Dad were temple workers in the Jordan River Temple for nearly 40 years and attended other sessions whenever possible.

Her legacy is love and service to others, here and across the veil. Even when she had a hard time getting around, she had her daughter Ruth brought to her home for the last 4 months of her life, and Jeannie took marvelous care of both of them. Mother hovered over her ailing daughter like a mother hen, making sure she was drinking, was fed, and her needs were met.

We can't thank our dear Mom enough for her great example of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and her desire to be a good disciple of His love. We always knew of her unfailing love for each of us and hope to be good examples of her teachings and love.

After many ups and downs in the last few years, she was blessed to quickly leave us and return to the waiting arms of her husband, children, and other family members. How great must her joy be to be free to sing and move without difficulty. We give thanks and admiration to her for her love and service, and we're sure she is not resting on her laurels, but busy helping those on the other side.