Connie Paula Kvarfordt, 68, returned to Heaven on October 18, 2021.  She passed away peacefully, succumbing to natural causes after years of illness.  She returned to the loving arms of our Father and Savior with her sweetheart Mitch holding her hand while her children surrounded her.

Paula was the first child and only daughter of Gerald and Connie Connell, born in Idaho Falls, Idaho on June 15, 1953.  She was blessed with a beautiful childhood riding horses, playing with her brothers, Blake and Brad, and many cousins. Along with her parents, her doting grandmothers, aunts, and uncles played a significant role in raising her.

As she grew she also developed numerous faithful and lifelong friends. Her ability to attract the best kind of people stayed with her throughout her time on earth. She attended Bonneville High School in Ammon, Idaho. She was a very talented dancer and some of her fondest memories were from when she was a Honey Bee. She graduated with the class of 1971.  She then went to BYU- Provo and studied Home Economics.

While she was attending BYU, she met her sweetheart, Mitch Kvarfordt writing letters while he was a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  They were later married and sealed on June 1, 1974, in the Idaho Falls Temple.  Together they built a life and family where she mastered the balance of teaching devoted adherence to the commandments while also allowing her children (Mesha, Andrea, Jonathan, Kalea, and Shayla) to bloom.  She created a home where there was a love of God's creations, beautiful art, inspiring music, laughter and games, and where listening ears developed. She served in many callings, enjoying the Young Women Program, Relief Society, Preparedness, Primary, and Family History. Her favorite, however, was as a Ward Missionary and she looked forward to continuing missionary work upon Mitch's retirement.

Her favorite activities included watching Hallmark Christmas and John Wayne movies with Mitch, traveling and playing games with her family, creating backyard garden getaways, going on genealogical treasure hunts, decorating her home for holidays, making goodies with her grandkids, learning and teaching skills of self-sufficiency, planning memorable themed family parties, studying her scriptures, and deciphering the timeline of Last Days events.

She is an exemplar of Christlike selflessness in all she has done and said. Her devotion to the Savior sums up the focus of her life.  She loves Him and serves Him with her whole soul and every detail of her life has been evidence of her unbreakable trust in His hand over her. Her greatest desire is to pass on that love and dedication to her posterity.

She was preceded in death by her daughter, Shayla Merrell, and her parents, Gerald and Connie Connell.

She is survived by her husband Mitch Kvarfordt; her children: Mesha (Jeff) Robbins, Andrea (Brent) Palmer, Jonathan (Denise Fry) Kvarfordt, Kalea (Benjamin) Christman; son-in-law: Casey Merrell; and 19 darling grandchildren.

Her Celebration of Life will be held on at 11:00 a.m., Friday, October 22, 2021, in the Ammon 4 ^th Ward Building, 3000 Central Avenue. As a tribute to her, her family is asking that those who attend wear bright, happy colors. Interment will be at the Ammon Cemetery.

For those unable to attend, remote services will be available at the following links: https://zoom.us/j/92087945811 or https://fb.me/e/Fydizmjt

The family would like to thank Dr. Laramie Wheeler and Encompass Hospice for helping us keep her comfortable in her final hours.