At home on September 23, 2017, our adored mother, beautiful grandmother, proud great-grandmother, sister, aunt and loving friend slipped into the waiting arms of her husband Dan and son Chris. She waited 19 months to reunite with Dan and 9 years for Chris. Through our tears comes incredible joy as we envision her reunion with loved ones. Sarah Christine Easler, 92, was born on July 20, 1925, in Columbia, South Carolina and grew up in the countryside near Ridgeway, South Carolina. She was the third of six children born to Bennie Lorin and Lucile Lee Hughes Easler. At the age of 7, shortly after the birth of her youngest sister, Sarah's mother passed away. Her father needed help raising six young children and so his mother "mama" took on the responsibility. She reared the children to have strong testimonies of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Sarah shared many highlights from her childhood, most of which involved working the land and gathering food for meals and preserving. She remembered killing the chicken for Sunday dinner, going for water from the spring, tapping trees for syrup and digging their own well. Sarah enjoyed picking cotton, blackberries and peaches, gathering hickory nuts, making sauerkraut and canning vegetable soup. The family harvested corn and sweet potatoes. Sarah and her siblings loved wading and playing in Sawney's Creek, which ran through their property. Little did they know they were playing in GOLD. Today, their former property is part of the Ridgeway Gold Mine. Although the family lived in humble circumstances, the children never felt they were poor. Sarah remembered milking the cow and then carrying a half gallon of milk to grammar school each day, so everyone could have a drink. Lunch at school was a combination of what each child or family could contribute. She surprised her grandchildren by reciting poems and singing songs she memorized at a young age. At the age of 15, Sarah had her first job. She helped with the war effort by working in the Winsboro Cotton Mill. She made cones of thread and had to measure to make sure they were just right. She also worked for the State Highway Department. When Sarah was 20 she accepted a call to serve an LDS mission in the Southern States. One night, she and her companion were awakened by a police officer knocking on their door. There was a phone call for her companion at the police station. The two sister missionaries traveled in their pajamas in the "paddy wagon" to take the call. After all that, the call was from her companion's boyfriend and he did not know how to reach her, except by calling the police! In the meantime, a young veteran by the name of Dan Fernsten was also serving a Southern States mission. He was Sarah's District Leader. She completed her mission and returned home. Once, she attended a church dance held nearby. Elder Fernsten was seated on the stage next to the Mission President. Sarah danced the night away under the watchful eye of Elder Fernsten. He asked her to wait for him, which she did faithfully. They never went on a date, but courted and planned their marriage through letters while Dan completed his mission! Sarah was a beautiful southern belle from South Carolina and Dan a handsome man from California. They traveled from opposite sides of the country to meet and be married in Utah! Dan and Sarah were married on April 21, 1948 in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. The bride was 22 years of age and the groom 27. Sarah recalled that her new mother-in-law thought she was going on their honeymoon! The newlyweds had the car and would eventually end in California, so the idea made sense to her. Needless to say, Dan purchased a bus ticket for his mother! The new couple made their first home in Oakland, CA having rented the basement apartment of her mother-in-law. Then they rented a cottage in San Lorenzo, CA. Their next move was to a home down the street and Sarah remembered moving most of the household goods by putting them in a little red wagon and pulling it to their new home. Together, they had three sons; Chris Daniel (Donna) Fernsten, Eric Robert (Kathleen) Fernsten and Rhett Easler (Loralee) Fernsten. The young family moved to the Oakland Hills where they purchased a beautiful home with a huge backyard. Dan worked as a sheet metal installer and fabricated all kinds of useful things. The family dug out the basement under their home by using a hand-made conveyor belt to remove the dirt. They took the dirt, one wheelbarrow full at a time, and filled in a large area in the backyard for a full-size basketball court! They taught their sons how to work, repair things, be frugal, handy and to be of service. Sarah enjoyed her huge garden which provided much of the fresh fruit and vegetables for the family. She was a fabulous cook and always offered her southern hospitality and charm. Her door was always open and she welcomed many visitors to her home. They made friends wherever they went, driving from coast to coast with their truck and trailer. Being avid fishermen, they stopped often and enjoyed drowning a worm! They loved their trip to the Holy Land, Petra and Egypt. They went to Japan to visit relatives. And, they were touched when they joined Dan's Army group for a reunion in Italy. He was a bomber pilot during World War II. On the occasion of their 60th Wedding Anniversary, the family took them on a trip to Alaska! They loved seeing the glaciers, touring Denali National Park, riding the Alaska Train, deep sea fishing for halibut and playing with great-grandchildren. Sarah worked for nine years with the Oakland School District. She was an aide in the special needs class and really enjoyed the opportunity to work with such special children. Upon retirement, they sold their home and moved to Paradise, California. Sarah's passions in life were her faith, family, friends and fishing! Sarah was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Her faith never wavered and she bore strong testimony of the Gospel and was a stalwart example of righteous living. She served faithfully in many callings. She loved genealogy and family history. The Fernsten Family learned to work, play and laugh together. Sarah was very thrifty and resourceful. Dan and Sarah built a family cabin on the shores of Clear Lake, California. They worked so hard to build the cabin that they did not realize it was built on the wrong property! They had to borrow $300 to buy the parcel from the other owner and subsequently, many family memories revolved around time spent at the cabin. If you knew Sarah Fernsten, you knew you had a friend forever. She genuinely cared about each person she met. Dan and Sarah cultivated those friendships through the years and were blessed from those associations. From dancing to the big bands, to game nights, to supporting the local arts, their friendships were an integral part of their lives. Thank you to so many friends... you feel like family! Sarah was an avid fisherman(woman). She and Dan loved fishing together. It was a hobby for which they were each passionate. Sarah always told great stories about fishing and the one that got away! After 68 years of marriage, Dan passed away at the age of 95. Sarah moved to Summerfield Retirement in Orem, Utah, to be near family. Sarah is survived by her sons, Eric and Rhett; daughters-in-law, Donna, Kathleen and Loralee Fernsten; sister-in-law, Dorothy Goesch; 10 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her loving husband, son Chris, parents, brother Johnny Lee Easler, sisters Lorine Parrish, Ada Webber, Betty Branham, and Mildred (Millie) Ellenburg. Funeral services will be held Saturday, October 7, 2017 at 11 am in the Aspen 9th Ward, 828 West 1600 North, Orem. Friends and family please join us at a visitation/brunch to be held from 9:30-10:30 Saturday morning, prior to services. Burial will be in the Spanish Fork, Utah cemetery located at 420 South 400 East.