Jan. 16, 1934 ~ Aug. 14, 2023
Shirley Mae Skidmore Jeffery, age 89, passed away peacefully into eternal joy and light, surrounded by family on August 14, 2023 in Twin Falls, Idaho.
She was born to John Reed Skidmore and Edith Marie Veline Skidmore in Delta, Utah, on January 16, 1934, and grew up with brothers Charles, John, and Karl in Utah, Colorado, and California. Depression years were tough, and she learned thrift and responsibility as a young girl.
She graduated from El Monte High School, and went to Brigham Young University to become a school teacher. After two years at BYU she met Orvil Reed Jeffery, and they were married in the Los Angeles, California Temple on December 14, 1956, for time and eternity. They made their home in Delta, Utah, where they raised their five children. Their union has now continued for 66 years.
Shirley was a devoted member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Her church service included years of teaching in many organizations, serving in the Manti Temple, and transcribing patriarchal blessings. Beyond what most people saw, her great love for God was shown in her quiet, tireless service to others. She followed the Savior's teachings to care for the lonely, sick, aged, marginalized, and misfit. She visited with and prepared food for many, and her home was a welcoming place for all.
At the culmination of her professional life, she retired as the Executive Secretary at the IPSC Power Plant, where she was one of the first employees on board when the project started. In her tenure there, she created an invaluable pictorial and written record of the construction, start-up, and online generation of the entire project, and was a key resource for the executive management team.
Shirley loved family. She was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother who rejoiced in her children's joys and accomplishments. She was an important link between many generations of her family, the one who kept everyone 'connected', and who remembered the birthdays and anniversaries of people across several generations. Genealogy was part of that connection, and she spent hours collecting and recording family information and stories. She was also a true and loyal friend, and kept in touch with school friends throughout her life, remembering them and their children as if they were her own. Even in her later years, her greatest joy was to be surrounded by family members. She loved a crowded table.
Beautiful music was another great love of Shirley's life, and she filled her home with classical recordings, Lawrence Welk and other favorites. This helped her children develop a deep love for music and she encouraged them with piano and organ lessons (which prepared several ward organists!) and band instruments, and by attending every music program they participated in, no matter the distance, time or cost. She paid the same attention to her childrens' other interests, including sports, shop, science, home economics, drama, photography, etc. She was always there to teach, encourage and support.
She organized reunions and wedding anniversaries for family, and was a gracious hostess. She enjoyed gardening, and excelled at food preservation, baking, sewing, and crochet. Always curious about trying new things, she mastered cake decorating, designed the remodel of her home, sewed clothes including prom dresses and costumes, hand-made quilts and afghans for family and friends, and many other projects.
Shirley enjoyed travelling, and early on planted the travel bug in her family. She created memory books of their visits across the US, Europe, Israel, China, and Thailand. She faithfully wrote letters to her children, through college, missionary service, and foreign travels, and followed their adventures with interest. Her home is decorated with memories from around the world.
Even after a heart attack in 2005 and a later diagnosis of dementia, Shirley showed her incredible resilience. She visited the Los Angeles Temple on her 60th wedding anniversary, danced at her granddaughter's wedding, enjoyed day trips and picnics, survived another heart attack and a broken leg, learned to appreciate Indian and Korean food, became a fan of Korean pop music (K-Pop), and learned common words in Tamil, Korean and Chinese. Beating all the odds and loving every minute with her family, she delighted us with her spontaneous sense of humor, and never stopped learning.
We will miss her zest for life, her cheerful smile and sparkling eyes, and her passion for integrity and discipline. She is survived by her husband, Orvil Reed Jeffery; their five children, Reed, Veline (Greg), Vicky (Steve), Cherie (Joshua), and Todd (Robin); as well as 14 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
A viewing will be held on Friday, August 25, 11 a.m. at Rosenau Funeral Home Chapel, 2826 Addison Ave East, Twin Falls, Idaho 83301 and a memorial service will follow at 12 p.m.
