Afton Keetch Bunderson Farrow's Obituary
Afton Keetch Bunderson Farrow, 101, passed away peacefully on June 10, 2026, in Lehi, Utah. She was born April 5, 1925, in St. Charles, Bear Lake County, Idaho, to Nephi Bunderson and Iola Annie Keetch. Afton was the oldest of their four children and the eighth child in the larger Bunderson family, as seven children were previously born to Nephi and Annie Floyd, who passed away due to childbirth complications.
Afton grew up in the beautiful Bear Lake Valley, where her childhood was shaped by both the rugged climate and the warmth of family. As she often recalled, “Growing up in the ‘Bear Lake Blizzard’ days, I was taken to school by my dad on a horse.” On gentler days, she and her siblings rode to school on a sleigh pulled by a team of horses as the family went to feed cattle. She attended Wilson Elementary in St. Charles and later graduated from Fielding High School in Paris, Idaho.
Afton pursued higher education at Utah State Agricultural College in Logan, Utah. She graduated Phi Kappa Phi with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and double minors in English Literature and Secretarial Science. Her love of learning became a lifelong hallmark.
While at Utah State, Afton met Douglas Farrow of Summit, Utah, on a blind date. They were married on June 30, 1948, in the Logan Utah LDS Temple. After graduation, Afton taught at College Young School near Logan while Doug completed his own degree. Over the course of three summers, the young family would pack up and move to Moscow, Idaho, where Doug earned his Master’s Degree in Education — an adventure Afton fondly remembered.
Doug and Afton were later hired as a husband and wife teaching team at New Sweden School in Idaho Falls. Afton taught there for two years before moving to Riverside Elementary, and ultimately to Bush Elementary School, where she taught first grade. Over her 27 year teaching career, she often said that, “the children taught me just as much as I taught them.” Her gentle nature and love of learning shaped countless young lives.
After retiring, Doug and Afton traveled widely — to Alaska, Europe, Central America, and Asia. No matter where they went, they seemed to find someone they knew or a connection to home, even far beyond the United States.
Afton’s life was filled with creativity, curiosity, and joy. She loved hearing about the accomplishments of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren — musical numbers, artwork, dancing, and every talent they shared. She enjoyed embroidery, quilting, good literature, and especially music; classical radio played constantly in the background of her home. She also shared her musical gifts by playing the piano both in her grade school teaching work and in her church, blessing many with her talent and devotion.
Afton also had a deep love of flowers, and each spring she asked family members and friends to take her to the nursery so she could choose her pansies, marigolds, petunias, and geraniums for the season. She was equally devoted to chocolate; at one point, her diet was largely composed of it, from Nutella on chocolate muffins to mint truffles or Hershey’s Kisses for dessert.
Afton loved people, and people loved her. Her warmth, kindness, and genuine interest in others made her beloved by all who knew her.
Afton was a devoted member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She served faithfully in Relief Society, Sunday School, and Primary. She and Doug served a mission together in the Ocean Shores, Tacoma, Washington Mission from 1991–92, and they also served in the Idaho Falls Temple for 25 years. They volunteered at Columbia Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center for five years.
Afton is survived by her three children: Evan (Nancy), Ken (Sue), and Lora (Doug) Stewart; 11 grandchildren; and 42 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband Doug, her parents Nephi and Iola, and her siblings: Lester, Vidella, Hazel, Lee, Eva, Arden, Mark, Maralyn, Whitney, and Lyman.
The family expresses heartfelt thanks to the staff, nurses, aides, and therapists at Aspen Ridge Residences of Lehi, and to the residents who brightened Afton’s last year. Special thanks to the members of the Colonial Branch at the center for their thoughtful service.
Funeral services will be held Thursday, June 25, at 11:00 a.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints chapel in St. Charles, Idaho (75 N. Main Street). A viewing will be held prior to the service from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. Interment will follow at the St. Charles Cemetery.
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