Rexine Anderson

It is with sadness that we have to report the passing of our beloved mother Rexine Anderson who passed on July 30th, 2025 due to complications caused by a stroke. The stroke impaired her abilities but did not impair her spirit and willingness to fight.

Rexine, Buffy, Aunt Buff, and Sexy Rexy or just plain old mom as she was referred to, was born in Vernal, UT on May 17th, 1936 to Jesse and Levonia Burke. She was the eleventh of twelve children, all raised in a two bedroom home on a one acre plot of land during the depression. From an early age she had health issues. Having suffered rheumatic fever at the age of seventeen. This damaged her heart but she grew an inner strength to cope with adversity. By my count she had 17 major surgeries in her life and multiple of those being heart surgeries.

Rexine met Ronald Anderson in Salt Lake City and soon married in 1958, making a family was what Rexine was all about. She was known to many as mom. Having four children of her own Tina, Tracy, Don, and Tara. She also helped raise nephew Kim, and niece Janay and family friend Shirlee as they were often at the home and were just part of the family. She truly enjoyed her nine grandchildren. They too were part of the brood that Rexine helped raise.

Rexine loved to gather gossip. She loved to learn about people and those around her whether they be friends, family or neighbors. She just liked to know how everyone was doing. This concern for those around her was a great part of her character. She could walk through the grocery store and make a quick friend. Trips to the store could take hours because she would get distracted talking. She really loved going to the hairdressers. She spent entire days getting her hair colored or permed. The nice hair was secondary to getting the gossip!

Mom secretly loved camping, fishing, hunting and snowmobiling. Why secretly? The Anderson’s were never home on the weekends; no matter what season they were out enjoying the outdoors of Utah. It was a complex relationship because she secretly loved the trips but really hated all of the work that those trips entailed. The setup and take down process of the trips wore on Mom. She often voiced it. If you do the math one day to get the boat or motorhome ready for a trip then one day to clean up after. It took up almost two days a week to sustain this lifestyle. But she wouldn’t have traded anything for the memories that they provided us as a family.

Mom was an avid reader; she consumed books like chocolate cake. She really loved a good romance novel. Trips to the bookstore were adventures in discovery. She maintained this up until the end, consuming books as fast we could bring them up from her paperback stash which she would restock every couple of months.

Mom lived a great life of eighty-nine years. She endured adversity with her health but was able to create a great family and friendships that will endure the test of time. The journey was sometimes difficult, sometimes easy, but the memories will continue to sustain us.

Rexine is survived by her sister Carol Clegg, daughter Tina Storey, daughter Tracy Knight, son Don Anderson (Gina), daughter Tara Schiff, nine grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren. She is preceded in death by Ronald Anderson, Jesse and Levonia Burke and eleven sisters and brothers.

A celebration of life will be held on August 9, 2025 at 11 am at the Memorial Estates in Murray, UT. Graveside is at Murray Cemetery at 1:30.