Colleen Anne Boden

ELBA – Colleen Anne Boden, 83, a longtime resident of Elba, passed away, Monday, June 19, 2017, surrounded by her family at her home in Conner Creek.

Colleen was born December 3, 1933, to Charles Martin and Doris Evelyn Murray in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. She returned home to the family farm in Warner, Alberta that same week in the caboose of the train as the winter did not permit automobile travel. She enjoyed life on the farm with her siblings James Murray (Alice), Marion Cradduck (James) and Daphne Rogers (Mike), all of whom she loved dearly. She attended school in Warner where she made lifelong friends. Colleen always won the races at the school track meets with neighboring schools.

After graduating high school, Colleen attended the Holy Cross Hospital of Nursing in Calgary, Alberta where she became a registered nurse. She worked as a nurse for 20 years in Alberta, Colorado and California. She met David Wendell Boden as she was working as a nurse in Davis County, California. They married April 27, 1961, in Bloomington, Indiana while David was studying at Indiana University. The couple later moved to Burley, Idaho and then on to Almo, Idaho. While in Almo, David and Colleen were blessed with five children, Carl (Loralee) Boden of Elba, Emily (Kris) Searle of Nampa, Linda Boden of Blackfoot, Eric (Kathy) Boden of Elba, and Angela (Dean) Meier of Madeira Beach, Florida. The family was sealed together for time and all eternity in the Ogden Utah Temple in 1974. The young family moved to the family home in Conner Creek in 1980. David taught school in Malta and Colleen became the librarian at Raft River Elementary. She served in this capacity for 17 years. In 1983 Colleen lost her David to cancer. Colleen raised the children and made certain they honored the family name.

She taught us all by her kind and quiet example. She loved the beauty this earth had to offer and looked for the good in all people. A gracious neighbor and friend, Colleen’s legacy is her devotion to God and love for her family. She was the most revered grandma of 16 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. The grandchildren enjoyed long talks with grandma. Grandma provided kind words of encouragement laced with popsicles and hot chocolate. Colleen enjoyed her family most of all. She loved her own brother and sisters in Canada with whom she spoke weekly. Colleen and her brother Jim, her sisters Daphne and Marion loved discussing their children and grandchildren. Grandma was a preferred customer of the Schwan’s man.

An active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Colleen served in the Relief Society, Young Womens, Primary and as the Elba Ward Librarian.

Colleen was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, David; her brother, Jim; her sisters, Daphne and Marion; and a granddaughter, Whitney Searle.

The family would like to thank the wonderful service offered to Colleen by Hospice in the last few weeks of her life.

The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 24, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Elba Ward Church, with Brodee Boden officiating. Burial will follow at the Sunny Cedar Rest Cemetery, in Almo.

Viewing times will be held from 6 until 8 p.m. Friday, June 23, at Rasmussen Funeral Home, 1350 E. 16th St., in Burley, and on Saturday one hour prior to the funeral service at the church.