Colleen Stewart

Colleen Peterson Stewart 91, beloved mother, grandmother, sister and friend passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Friday, November 28, 2025.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Harold "Scott" Peterson and Leah Chloe Peterson; her husband, James Edmund "Ed" Stewart; and her son-in-law, Clay Anderson. Colleen is survived by her children: Julie Anderson, Shari Cheney (Robert), Cindy Smith (Lorin), and Ron Stewart (Becky); her 17 grandchildren and 32 great-grandchildren; her brother Jack Peterson (Linda); her cousin David Peterson (Jan); and her sister-in-law Renee Sanders (Robert).

Colleen was born on December 20, 1933, in Star Valley (Smoot), Wyoming, in the first frame house ever built in the town - the same house where her father had been born. When she was three, her family moved to Provo, Utah, where she grew up near the BYU football stadium. For ten years she was an only child until the arrival of her brother Jack in 1943.

She graduated from Lincoln High School in 1952 and later earned a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Brigham Young University. Shortly after graduation, she began her teaching career with the Alpine School District where her love for teaching blossomed. She had a gift for helping children learn, and she cherished her students.

Colleen later met her sweetheart James Edmund Stewart whom she affectionately called Eddie. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple on her birthday, December 20, 1957 – a date that became doubly special for the rest of her life. Colleen and Eddie welcomed four children between 1958 and 1970. They built their home in Orem, Utah, where they lived throughout their lives.

After beginning her career in the classroom, Colleen stepped away from teaching to raise and care for her growing family. Once her children were grown, she returned to the work she loved and taught first grade at Cherry Hill Elementary School for most of her career, retiring in 2003. It became common for adults she met to ask if she remembered having them as a Kindergarten or First Grade student – and she always did.

As a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Colleen served faithfully in every calling she received. She supported Eddie and managed many aspects of their home life while he served in various priesthood callings for many years. She had an enduring faith and love for the gospel and Church leaders. The gospel was not just something she believed in - it shaped all her choices and was the foundation of her daily life.

Colleen will be remembered for her many gifts - her devotion to family, her strong work ethic, her love of reading and history, and her joy in taking long car trips to visit places she studied. She had a natural talent for gardening and flower arranging, filling her home with beauty, love and holiday decorations. Her gift for playing the piano brought warmth and music into her home. Her homemade bread, her special treats for the grandchildren, and her childlike delight in simple joys - especially birthdays and holidays - created cherished family traditions that will continue for generations.

Colleen leaves behind a legacy of love, creativity, learning and faith. She will be dearly missed.

A viewing will be held on Thursday December 4, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Nelson Family Mortuary, 4780 N. University Ave, Provo, Utah. Funeral services will take place on Friday, December 5, at 11:00 a.m. at the Hillcrest 6th Ward Chapel 1035 S. 800 E., Orem, Utah. A prior viewing will be held at the chapel from 9:30 to 10:45 the same morning. Interment will be at the Orem City Cemetery.