This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2006, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
OREM - Over the past few years, Martin Roundy said his outlook on humanity had deteriorated, turning him into a cynic.
But the dedication and professionalism of the volunteers and search and rescue teams, that spent 10 days looking for his missing son and daughter-in-law in Strawberry Reservoir, restored his faith in human nature.
"Love is the greatest healing power in the world," Martin Roundy said Monday at the funeral for the young couple. ". . . I am not cynical anymore."
Hundreds of mourners paid their last respects to Steven and Catheryn Roundy, of Orem, a testament to the life they led. They were hailed as heroes because Steven helped one of his fellow boaters from drowning, and because during the search for their bodies, authorities recovered the remains of three other missing boaters.
On Monday, family members accompanied the identical tan caskets holding Steven and Catheryn Roundy as they were wheeled into the Sharon Stake Center in Orem. A hill of flowers crowned each casket.
The two-hour service was somber yet sprinkled with laughter as speakers took turns praising and mourning Catheryn and Steven.
Martin Roundy, Steven's father, told the packed church that he talked with his other kids and told them no one else was allowed to die before him.
"I do not want to go through this ever again," he said. "My mother can go, [but] anybody else and I'm going to be saying things that I can't say here," he joked.
Steven, who would have turned 30 on Wednesday, and 23-year-old Catheryn drowned Nov. 8. They had been fishing with Steven's brother Kimball and friend Mike New, when their boat was swamped by waves and sank in the middle of the reservoir. Kimball and New were able to swim to shore and alert authorities.
Loved ones remembered Catheryn and Steven as outdoor enthusiasts.
Kimball Roundy said he had become closer to his brother over the past several months and took solace that Steven and Catheryn "were doing something they loved individually and together," when they died.
He also talked briefly about his reaction to the boat accident.
"The fact that I'm standing here speaking to you today is nothing short of a miracle," he said. ". . . You can probably imagine I've asked myself more times than I can count 'why am I here. How can I be standing here without a scratch?' "
Daniel Springer, who lived with his sister and brother-in-law over the summer, said at the funeral that he came to know Steven as a jokester. He recalled the times when Steven would cook Chinese chicken for dinner and would talk to Springer in a Chinese accent.
Springer also praised his sister for her positive influence in shaping his character and respect for women.
"I'm very grateful for the time I spent with them," he said.
Catheryn's sister, Amy Springer, said her sister loved art, music, education and becoming Steve's wife in May 2005.
Amy Springer said she spoke with Catheryn the night before she died and was glad she took the call even though she was shopping at the time.
"She said how happy she was to be a Springer sister," Amy said.
Paul Roundy, another of Steven's brothers, said that on the night Steven and Catheryn went missing, he awoke from a dream.
He had dreamed that the reservoir had been drained and that the spirits of all the missing boaters that had been trapped under the water were released. But there was no sign of Catheryn or his brother.
Then, he looked at another part of the reservoir and he noticed Steven and Catheryn dancing their way up to heaven.
Steven and Catheryn Roundy were buried at the Springville Evergreen Cemetery.
"Love is the greatest healing power in the world. . . I am not cynical anymore."
MARTIN ROUNDY
Steven Roundy's father