Sydnee Sue Gardner
Sue is the 4th child of Sid and Deon Bastian. She was referred to as the “conference baby” because her father, a Bishop at the time, was attending general conference in SLC on the day of her birth, October 5, 1945. She looked so much like her father Sidney Bastian that even after three boys he named her “Sydnee” Sue. She was born in Salina, UT but her home was in a little small farming community called Vermillion.
The family moved to “Treasure Valley” in the Nampa/Boise, Idaho area in 1950 where Dad owned a Dairy farm. Sue recalls: "I did not care for the farming life. So, in high school I tried doing a little modeling, but quickly found it was far too “worldly” for me to continue doing.
Thereafter, I attended Steven Hengar Business School in SLC and then transferred to BYU. While in SLC I started dating Erv, who was 9 yrs older than me (a fact that horrorified my mother); nevertheless, after I moved to LA to work and joined the the LA singles scene, he finally saw the “light” and married me in the Salt Lake Temple on October 22, 1965. We immediately moved to his home town of Colo. Spgs., CO where we lived and worked for the next 32 years and where we had our seven children.
Those were wonderful years raising our family. When the first children started going to college and on missions I returned to work and for the last 20 years, I have worked as the manager of a dental office. This has been very fulfilling for me. Because of family and business conditions we picked up and moved to Provo, UT in 1997, where I have thoroughly enjoyed the educational and cultural opportunities of that area.
I have been blessed to serve as president as well as counselor and teacher in all of the church auxiliaries and as a stake missionary. My hobbies have been my church callings, but I also love to read, go for long walks and attend all the CES classes I can go to. My greatest joy is our family and our 21 grandchildren. This mission (St. George Visitor Center) is something we have looked forward to ever since we were married 45 years ago. We're thrilled to be able to give back to the Lord.
ERVIN GARDNER
I was born in Colorado Springs, Co. just after my father had moved to CO from UT to play “pro” basketball in 1936. Later, while visiting relatives in southern UT in 1953, I responded to a “dare” and registered for high school in Kanab, where I was elected student body president and “had” to stay for 2 yrs. Those were wonderful years for the “city boy” who loved hunting, riding horses and exploring.
After serving a mission in Uruguay/Paraguay for 2 ½ years I graduated from BYU with a BA in Pol Sci. in 1962. I worked the next 11 years as a Real Estate developer for a Colo. Spgs. home builder and in 1974 started my own RE brokerage firm, Gardner Realty Investment Co., which totally occupied me for the next 23 years. The family moved to Provo in 1997 where I again became involved in the Land Development business for a SLC home builder. I finally decided to “retire” at age 70.
My hobbies are (were) mountain climbing (hiking); I thoroughly enjoy climbing around in Colorado's “Fourteen-er” country. I also enjoy studying and writing about gospel subjects.
I have had various calling from Gospel Doctrine teacher to Scoutmaster, and Bishop's Councilor to the High Council. The most rewarding was in the Seventies as a Stake missionary. I, too, am excited to serve in the Lord's vineyard in the Utah St. George Visitor Center Mission.
Sydnee Sue at Sid's Funeral
Sue at Barry's Funeral
In 2007 Erv retired and Sue finished the remodeling of Grandma and Grandpa's Condo in Provo, UT. The baby of the family Sarah was married to Dr. Trevor Ellison in the Boston Temple. ALL of Sue and Erv's children were in the temple for this wedding.
Sue and Erv's posterity keeps growing. The Gardner family is a wonderful example of a family who lives the gospel and who find humor in the face of trials and joy in the journey.
