Cynthia Porter Buer July 7, 1949–June 28, 2026

To those who loved her, Cynthia Porter Buer was many things — wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, writer, homemaker, teacher, peacemaker, and faithful disciple of Jesus Christ.
She passed away peacefully on June 28, 2026, leaving behind the family that was both the joy and great work of her life.
Cindy always believed every life is a story. Her story began on the morning side of the mountain in Monticello, UT, where she was born on July 7, 1949, the second child and first daughter of Eugene Warriner Porter and Anne Barton Porter.
The peacemaker and "talker" in her family, Cindy was beautifully described years ago by her mother: "Cynthia was the peace-maker in our home. She has always been a happy person who stood up for those in need.
“She always accepted the foster children we had and tried to make them feel welcome in our home. At dinner she entertained all of us with her lively chatter."
Those who knew Cindy throughout her life would recognize those same qualities in the wife, mother, grandmother, sister, neighbor, and friend she became.
Cindy attended schools in California, Arizona, and Utah before graduating from Monticello High School. She married after graduation and welcomed Kirk and Kimberli into her heart and family.
Following divorce, Cindy made the courageous decision to move her little family to Salt Lake City for education and job training.
Years later, while reflecting on that difficult season with her father, he told her, "Cindy, what you did was very brave."
She often said those words meant the world to her because, "He was there and he knew."
There she met Gary Buer, a Minnesota farm boy and young Army veteran, recently returned from Vietnam and stationed at the United States Army Recruiting Main Station.
Cindy often said she had 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 were married on March 3, 1972, at the home of her parents in Monticello, UT, beginning a true partnership that would bless them and their family for more than 54 years.
On December 19, 1975, they were sealed in the Mesa Arizona Temple, together with their young family.
Together they built a life marked by faith, kindness, laughter, and shared purpose. They welcomed seven beloved children into their family — Kirk (Becky), Kimberli, Shane (Janet), Troy (Courtney), Corey (Leslie), David (Jessica), and Rhett — and were later blessed with 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.
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 said of those years: “Busy, busy, busy was the word.” 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.
Looking back, Cindy came to understand that one of the greatest works of her life was creating an environment of belonging, security, and love — a home where family, friends, and guests felt wanted, where kindness was practiced, faith was lived, and both her family and the Holy Spirit felt at home.
Her example, influence, and the home she created made it easier for those she loved to become who they were meant to be. She considered that one of life's greatest blessings.
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.
Cindy is preceded in death by her parents Eugene Warriner Porter and Anne Barton, brother Scott Porter, and sister-in-law Arlie Porter. She is survived by her beloved husband Gary, seven children, 30 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, siblings Alan, DeeAnne, Sandy (Deanna), and Matthew (Lenay), Scott's wife Garla, and many cherished nieces, nephews, extended family members, and dear friends.
Among Cindy's favorite words were these: "There's something delicious about writing those first few words of a story. You can never quite tell where they will take you. Mine took me here, where I belong."
Her family finds comfort in knowing that she has indeed gone home, and they look forward with faith to the joyful reunion she so often anticipated.
Funeral services will be held on Monday, July 6 at 11 a.m. at Monticello North Chapel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 347 N. 200 W. The family will visit with loved ones from 10 to 10:45 a.m. prior to the service.
Interment and a graveside service will immediately follow at the Monticello City Cemetery. For family and friends who are unable to attend in person, the funeral service will be livestreamed at https://streamutah.live/funerals.
The family gratefully acknowledges the physicians, nurses, and staff at Banner Estrella Medical Center in Phoenix, AZ, for the skilled, compassionate care they extended to Cindy.
Funeral services were July 6, 2026 in Monticello, UT.