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Cynthia "Cindy" Porter Buer passed away peacefully on June 28, 2026. A devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, writer, homemaker, teacher, musician, peacemaker, and faithful disciple of Jesus Christ, she is survived by her husband of 54 years, Gary Buer; their seven children, Kirk (Becky), Kimberli, Shane (Janet), Troy (Courtney), Corey (Leslie), David (Jessica), and Rhett; 30 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren. Cindy often said that she and Gary did not deserve the remarkable family entrusted to them. They were, in her words, "choice souls," and she never ceased to thank God for them.
Cindy was born July 7, 1949, in Monticello, Utah, the second child and first daughter of Eugene Warriner Porter and Anne Barton Porter. Her mother once described her as "the peacemaker in our home...a happy girl who stood up for those in need." Those who knew Cindy throughout her life would recognize that same girl in the woman she became.
It was in Salt Lake City, Utah, at the Army recruiting station where she worked, that Cindy met Gary Buer, a Minnesota farm boy freshly home from Vietnam. She often said she'd been given the privilege of "looking on his heart," and what she saw there--kindness, integrity, humor, and love--grew into a lifelong devotion. They married March 3, 1972, in Monticello, Utah, and spent more than 54 years together.
Much of their married life was spent in Minnesota, where Gary pursued a career in education and coaching. Cindy embraced what she considered her life's work: creating a home. She often joked that she spent her years "saving money instead of earning money," stretching every dollar while filling their home with warmth, faith, laughter, music, and welcome. She worked to create beauty and order from everyday life, believing the Spirit belonged in both the home and the heart. Looking back, she realized she had spent a lifetime creating a place where people felt wanted, where kindness was practiced, and where everyone knew they were welcome.
As her children grew, Cindy shared her gifts in many ways--as a writer, volunteer, teacher, church leader, mentor, and faithful friend. She loved words, both spoken and written, and spent years researching and writing about faith, family, beauty, and the worth of every soul. Although much of her writing remained unpublished, those closest to her know the lives it quietly and powerfully influenced.
Nothing brought Cindy more joy than seeing her family in action. She spent countless hours in bleachers, auditoriums, chapels, and concert halls cheering on her family--and she was good at it! One of her favorite traditions was Gary meeting her at midfield after football games for a celebratory kiss, win or lose. She loved to joke that when she reached heaven, St. Peter would smile and say, "Oh, I remember you. We've got a place for you right over there in the bleachers!" Her family is quite certain it won't be just any seat--it will be a luxury skybox.
Near the end of her life she expressed her faith with characteristic simplicity: "I've learned two things in my life: I've learned I needed a Savior, and I've learned I have a Savior." That quiet testimony shaped every chapter of her life. Her family was blessed by that faith, and looks forward with hope to a joyful reunion.
Funeral services were held Monday, July 6, 2026, in Monticello, Utah, with a graveside service and interment immediately following at the Monticello City Cemetery. Arrangements entrusted to San Juan Mortuary, Blanding, Utah. https://www.sanjuanmortuary.com/