Sue Ford Caldwell

Sue Ford Caldwell was born in Houston, Harris County, Texas on July 16, 1937, ten minutes after her twin sister.  She was the third daughter of Wilbert Reno Ford and Devena Lorene Willis.  The twins were given names that rhymed – Sue and Lou, but Sue came to be known affectionately by close friends and immediate family as “Susie”.  Her older sister, Jacquelyne (deceased), was born in 1933 and younger sister, Cheryl, joined the family in 1945.  
When she was four years old, LDS missionaries were invited into their home and her mother and older sister, Jackie, were baptized.  Many cottage meetings were held in their home and discussions of the gospel of Jesus Christ became a frequent event.  Missionaries frequented the home and created fond memories for Susie and her sisters.   Because there was no temple in the Texas area, the family had to travel to Salt Lake City to do temple work (baptisms for the dead), to receive Patriarchal Blessings and to mingle with the saints as well as the missionaries who converted them.  Mrs. Ford had an unfailing faith and a strong testimony of the gospel and she made many trips to Utah during the ensuing years, taking her children with her. Susie’s father never joined the church in his lifetime, but expressed a desire for baptism before he died, at which time he was very ill. Since that time, his temple work has been done.
The family moved to Bellaire, a suburb of Houston, when Susie was seven years old.  She attended Condit Elementary School, Pershing Jr. High, Lamar High, San Jacinto High and Bellaire High Schools.  She was a member of the first graduating class of  Bellaire High School in 1956, where she served as President of the FHA, President of the Celebs (a choral group),  was a Physical Education team leader and a member of the Student Council.  She was voted “Most Friendly” in her high school Senior graduating class and featured in a full page photo display in the school's Year book.  
In 1955, she married Franklin J. Gajewsky (now deceased) and bore him five children:  Landon Kyle, Melanie Laine, Diana Lou, Kenneth Lyle and Karen Lenore.  They made their home in Braeburn Valley (Houston) from 1963 until 1972, after having traveled with the military.  In 1978, she married Rulon L. Montague (now deceased) adding another daughter, Vicki, to her family.  During the time period of 1978 to 1993, the family resided in Texas, Arizona and Massachusetts.  In 1994, she married a long-time close personal friend, C. Lee Caldwell, having first met him when he served as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Texas in 1960.  This marriage brought together a new family unit of 10 adult children.  Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell have made their home in Bountiful, UT since 1996.  
Throughout her life, Susie was a lover of the Ballet and taught classical ballet during and after her high school years.  She loved the sport of tennis and competed with her teenage children on the courts.  She had a love of music and the arts, including drama, literature, poetry and prose, having written a little for personal pleasure.  She was friendly, outgoing and tenacious.   She had a nice singing voice and loved to sing harmony.  She and her twin sister often sang together for family and friends and at local functions.  She was a member of a quartet during high school and sang duets with a friend at the University of Houston’s famed Frontier Fiesta.  Later in life, she fulfilled the life-long desire of completing her college education.  She was accepted as a Davis Scholar at Wellesley College for Women in Wellesley, Massachusetts, earning a BA degree in Psychology and graduating magna cum laude in 1993.   She had many opportunities to serve meaningfully as a member of the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, both in leadership and teaching positions. She had a strong testimony of her Savior and demonstrated a desire to put herself in His ample hands and always do His will.  She looks forward to the day when she will be reunited with her beloved husband, Lee.  They sealed their marriage bonds in the Jordan River Temple.Above all, Mrs. Caldwell was devoted to her children and dedicated to preparing them for life in every practical, emotional and spiritual way.  Nothing brought her more joy than associating with her children.  She realized how important a ready laugh was and often remarked that she wanted her epitaph to read “She Had a Sense of Humor”.   She recognized the importance of looking on the bright side of life in spite of its invariable setbacks and tragedies.  A favorite motto in trying circumstances was “things could always be worse”. She had a firm testimony regarding the purpose of life and learned early that life is not meant to be fair, but that we learn much from our experiences and in the end they become very valuable to us.
Mrs. Caldwell was preceded in death by her parents, her older sister, Jacquelyne Ford MacCabe and her daughter, Melanie Gajewsky Burrow.  She is survived by her husband, C. Lee Caldwell, her sisters, Lou Ford Nitkin of Austin, TX and Cheryl Ford Filipiec of Sacramento, CA, her sons Landon Kyle Gajewsky of Houston, TX, Kenneth Lyle Gajewsky of Lindon, UT, stepsons Conrad Roberts Caldwell of Layton, UT,  David Roberts Caldwell of Austin, TX,  daughters Diana Lou Nitsch of Hallettsville, TX,  Karen Lenore Leonhardt of Shelby, OH,  Vicki Montague Bishop of Gilbert AZ,  Stepdaughters Janet Caldwell Brown and Shirley Caldwell Casey of Bountiful, UT,  as well as 31 grandchildren and five great grandchildren.
A public viewing will be held at Russon Brothers Mortuary at 295 North Main, Bountiful, Utah on Friday, July 24, 2015 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.  Funeral services will be held at the Bountiful 11th Ward LDS Chapel, 115 E. Wicker Lane in Bountiful, Utah on Saturday, July 25, 2015 at 11:00 am.  Burial will take place at the Bountiful City Cemetery in Bountiful, Utah.