Colleen M. Rasmussen

Farmington, New Mexico/Salina, Utah – Our kind and beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great-grandmother and sister, Colleen Mickelsen Rasmussen, age 90, passed away peacefully April 15, 2020 at her home in Farmington, New Mexico, surrounded by her family. She was born March 17, 1930, a St. Paddy’s Day Baby, in Salina, the 5th of 6 children born to Earl Andrew and Martha Myrl Curtis Mickelsen. She met her future husband, Roger William Rasmussen, in grade school, continued to be friends all through school, became high school sweethearts and married April 22, 1947. Their marriage was later solemnized in the Manti LDS Temple. They had been married 67 years at his passing on April 29, 2014. Colleen was an amazing wife and homemaker. She was a wonderful cook. She kept an immaculate home at all times and spent many enjoyable hours in her backyard in Provo, Utah creating a stunning flower garden. She and Roger spent a great deal of their married life in Provo. In 1972, Colleen and her husband, Roger purchased Alexander’s Fine Jewelry Store in Laramie, Wyoming. They went on to open jewelry stores in Greeley, Colorado; Salina, Utah; Gallup, New Mexico ; Phoenix, Arizona; and Farmington, New Mexico. They settled down in Farmington in 1976 and ran the other stores remotely. The Laramie and Farmington stores remain in the family to this day. Colleen loved to travel with Roger in their motor home, spending time in the winters in Quartzsite, Arizona. Their favorite place in the summer was Fish Lake, Utah. Colleen was a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Colleen is survived by her four children who knew they were blessed with the best Mother in the world: Linda (Paul, deceased 4-04-20) Meredith of Payson, Utah; Jim and Barbara Rasmussen of Laramie, Wyoming; Jill (Michael, deceased 6-01-19) Davis and Dave and Jan Rasmussen, all of Farmington, New Mexico; 12 grandchildren; 29 great-grandchildren; 5 great-great-grandchildren; a sister, Kaye Despain of Axtell; and 2 kitties, Mitzi and Pepper, who thought she was pretty cool. We would be remiss if we did not mention our Mom’s lifelong friend, Iris Morley. How many people can say they have been friends for over 80 years? Iris visited Mom last fall while Mom was in a care center. She stayed for many weeks and visited with Mom many hours every day. We will be forever grateful for her love for our Mom. She is preceded in death by her parents, Earl and Myrl Mickelsen; her husband, Roger Rasmussen; a granddaughter and her husband, Lexi and Trent Pabst; a grandson, Jim Hall; two sons-in-law: Michael Davis and Paul Meredith; siblings: Edward Mickelsen, Jenave M. Bastian, Twila M. Hanna and Mae Dawn Larson. Services will be held on Wednesday, April 22, 2020, which would have been her 73rd Wedding Anniversary. There will be a short viewing that morning at 11:00 A.M. at the Springer Turner Funeral Home in Salina, 150 East Main Street. Graveside services will be at 12:00 Noon in the Salina Pioneer Cemetery under the care of the Springer Turner Funeral Home of Richfield and Salina, Utah.