Colen H. Sweeten Jr.
1/11/1919 ~ 8/15/2007
Colen H. Sweeten Jr., formerly of Malad Idaho, passed away from cancer on August 15, 2007 in his home in Springville, Utah.Colen was born January 11, 1919 in Lewisville, Idaho to Colen H. and Mary Ann Casper Sweeten of Holbrook, Idaho. He attended school in Holbrook and Malad and graduated from high school in 1938 in Malad, Idaho. From 1940-1942 he served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in southern California. There he met his future wife, Ruth Gerber, who was also serving a mission at the time. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple on June 29, 1944 while Colen was on furlough from the U.S. Army where he served as a radar operator in southern California during World War II.
Colen spent his early years farming in the Holbrook Valley and was also the Oneida County Clerk, Auditor and Recorder from November 1957 to January 1978. Colen and Ruth raised their family in Malad and then lived for nine years in Boise, Idaho where they both worked and retired. They moved to Springville in December of 2000.
Colen was a member of the L.D.S. Church and held many positions including that of Bishop of the Malad Fourth Ward.
Colen was a noted speaker and historian but the role closest to his heart was that of Cowboy Poet. He was a member of the Cowboy Poets of Idaho and Utah and has published five books of poetry. He received many awards for his work including the Idaho "Governor's Millennial Award for Excellence in the Arts," in the year 2000; the Idaho State
Historical Society's 2005 "Esto Perpetua Award" for outstanding accomplishments in preserving Idaho's heritage; the American West Heritage Foundation's 2004 "Pioneer Skill Preservation Award;" the Cowboy Poets of Utah 2006 "Pioneer Heritage Award" and has been nominated for the National Commission on the Arts "Award for Excellence in Literature."
Colen was preceded in death by his parents, three brothers: Owen, Lloyd and George; and three sisters; Mary, Nellie Christophersen and Florence Hubbard, his daughter, Jan Isom, her husband Charles, and their daughter, Jennifer. He is survived by his wife, Ruth Gerber Sweeten and their four children: Susan (Bill) Erickson, Pleasant Grove, Utah; Eileen Hess, Springville, Utah; Christine (Bryce) Goodwin, Orem, Utah; and Colen H. (Cindy) Sweeten III and one sister and three brothers: Fay (Steven) Cottle, Malad, Idaho; Elbert (Joyce) Malad, Idaho; Cecil (Gloria), Malad, Idaho; and Garth (Diane) Sweeten of Logan, Utah, 15 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
A viewing will be held Sunday, August 19 from 6-8 p.m. at the Heritage Church building, 1785 E. 400 S., Springville, UT and Monday, August 20 from 6-8 p.m. at the Horsley Funeral Home, 132 W. 300 N., Malad, ID. Funeral Services will be at 12 noon on Tuesday, August 21 at the Malad Stake Building, 1250 W. 1100 N. Burial will be in the Malad City Cemetery.