Sture Englund

Sture E. Englund, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Monday night, April 22 while living with his son in Springville, Utah.



Sture was born in Stockholm, Sweden to Johan and Anna (Westlund) Englund in 1914 at the beginning of the first world war. These were very hard times for any one living in Europe. When he was 2 years old he was "given" to a widowed aunt who lived in the country where he could get fresh fruit and vegetables to counter the rickets he had contracted. Aunt Christina was instrumental in teaching Sture christian values and hard work, which he would be known for throughout his life.



Sture left school in the fifth grade to help on the farm and was never able to obtain additional education; although he was an avid reader and was well informed on current events up until the very end.



He married Marritt Olsson in 1938 and they had three children together in a very short time. Sture worked as a salesman pedaling his bicycle from farm to farm in order to make ends meet.



After World War II broke out he served in the Swedish army patrolling the border with Norway which had fallen to the Nazis. He told frightening stories of seeing and hearing the German soldiers just meters away and how he was constantly worried that he would not see his family again.



Shortly after the end of the second World War, Sture and Marritt were informed that their petition to emigrate to America was approved. They packed a few belongings in a borrowed steamer trunk and left Sweden with their three children; unsure if they would ever see their parents and relatives again. They landed in New York in January, 1949.



The new Americans settled in Illinois for a few years until work dried up due to labor strife so they once again loaded everything into an old Desoto and headed for California. There Sture found work as a laborer for a construction company. He soon had a reputation of working hard and fast and was seldom out of work again. A few years later he was admitted to the Carpenters Union which was a nice increase in wages. Sture was proud of the many bridges he helped build along the Los Angeles freeways.



After retirement, Sture and Marritt went back to Sweden for 12 years to care for Marritt's aging mother. When they returned to America they settled near family in Spanish Fork, Utah. Sture attended a local Baptist church on a regular basis and was active in the Spanish Fork Senior program.



Sture and Marritt were blessed with good health and traveled extensively throughout America and Europe. His favorite pastime was to be outside and work in his yard. During quiet moments he would read and study the Bible. He was a devout Christian and truly loved his savior, Jesus Christ. He taught by example that we should all love each other unconditionally.



He is survived by his children (3) and grandchildren (12) and numerous great-grandchildren. He was deeply loved and will be dearly missed.



Memorial services will be held at 5:00 pm on Saturday, May 18, 2013 at Legacy Funerals, 3595 N. Main St, Spanish Fork, UT. Interment will be at the Spanish Fork Cemetery.



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