Shirlene Barrus Obituary (1937 - 2025)

Shirlene Barrus Our beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend, Shirlene Barrus, passed away peacefully on December 9, 2025, surrounded by her loving family at Abbington Memory Care in Lehi, Utah. Shirlene was born on October 9, 1937, in Aurora, Utah, the eldest daughter of James William Palmer and Laurel Jenson Palmer. She was preceded in death by her devoted husband, Wallace McBride "Wally" Barrus. Together, while attending Brigham Young University, they began their family and built a life filled with faith, service, and adventure. Shirlene earned her master's degree in library science and dedicated over 30 years to educating children as an elementary school librarian. She served in many capacities in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served four missions with Wally. Shirlene cherished traveling the world and immersing herself in good books. She will be deeply missed by her four children: Jeri Ann Evans (Phillip), Steven Barrus (Elaine), Andrea Thompsett (Bob), and Ema Ohran (John); as well as her many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, who brought her endless joy.