Sondra Olsen Alvis

Sondra’s story began on October 28th, 1939, in Logan, Utah where she was lucky enough to be the first of her 11 siblings to be born in a hospital. Her father Fred Hilary Olsen and her mom Ruby Cecelia took her home to their little farm and their small, white-framed house in Hyrum, which overlooked the dam, and this is where Sondra lived out her childhood.

She remembered her childhood as loving and peaceful and said she would come home from school to the aroma of homemade bread and cookies. Her mom would always want her and her younger brother Paul to hurry with their homework so they could play cards together. She helped her dad a little bit around the farm and would bottle-feed baby piglets on occasion. Summers were spent swimming at the dam and winters meant sledding and ice skating. She loved her family and neighborhood and had many great friends and memories of her time in Hyrum.

At age 16, Sondra went to work as a waitress at The Beanery in Cache Junction. There she met a “terribly handsome and very tall” dishwasher and fry cook named Boyd. Over the next few years, and over countless batches of cinnamon rolls and deep-fried shrimp, they fell in love and became engaged on Christmas Eve, 1959.

Because money was scarce, Boyd and Sondra paid for their own wedding at The Elite Hall in Hyrum and were later sealed for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake LDS temple. They moved to Ogden so Sondra could attend Steven-Henager College. Over the next few years, three beautiful red-headed girls would soon join Boyd and Sondra as they settled down in Pleasant View and decided that it would be a great place to raise their little family.

Over the ensuing 34 years, she worked for the government by working at the JAG office at HAFB, Thiokol, DDO and the US Forest Service. She enjoyed her time at all these jobs and still had many life-long friends and memories.

Sondra loved puzzles, word games and playing cards. Scrooge was her favorite. She loved to watch football and constantly questioned the coaches play-calling abilities. She especially enjoyed BYU games and any team with former BYU players. She loved her home in Washington, Utah, where she and Boyd spent many winters.

She was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints her entire life and had a strong love of her Savior. She served in many callings and even in her last few months, when her body was filled with cancer and she could barely walk, she was still serving others.

Sondra was once asked for her philosophy of life, and she said “Cherish each day and be happy. Why mess up every new day with yesterday’s failures and pollute a potentially great day?” We will miss her positive attitude and spunky personality.

Sondra is survived by her three daughters – Christy Wall (Steve), Terri Hinckley (Alan), Janis Stenquist (Allen) along with 12 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren. She is also survived by her little brother, Emil Paul Olsen.

She was preceded in death by her parents and 10 siblings -­ Wayne, Merle, Afton, Vern, Eileen, Iris, Marian, Marva, Gaylon and Violet Faye.

Funeral services will be held Monday, October 30, 2023, at 11:00 am at the Pleasant View 17th Ward Chapel. 900 West Pleasant View Drive, Pleasant View, Utah. Viewings will be held on Sunday, October 29th from 6:00 -­ 8:00 pm at the church in Pleasant View and from 9:30 -­ 10:30 am the day of the service. Interment will be in Ben Lomond Cemetery, North Ogden, Utah.

Service will be live streamed and can be watched on her obituary page at www.myers-mortuary.com. Arrangements entrusted to Myers Mortuary, 845 Washington.