Sharlene (Payne) Budge

Sharlene Budge, 71, of Thayne, Wyoming, went to be with the Lord Saturday, February 19, 2022.

Sharlene was born in Idaho Falls, Idaho, August 27, 1950, to Jean (Sermon) and Lowell Payne. She was born with two front bottom teeth and the doctors told her parents their next child would be born with a pair of shoes. Sharlene was never given a middle name. She lived in the same house on Rose Avenue in Idaho Falls until 1968. Being brought up in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, she had 47 children living in her neighborhood.

Sharlene attended schools in Idaho Falls until the 11th grade. Being in the baby boomer generation she went to split sessions at Skyline High School in the old Idaho Falls High School building. She moved to Jackson, Wyoming, and finished her education there, graduating from Jackson-Wilson High School in 1968.

Sharlene was married to Allen Budge May 3, 1969. They were married for 53 years sharing life’s joys, sorrows, and triumphs side by side.

Sharlene and Allen had three children, Jason (1970) followed by Jeremy (1972) and Stacy (1977). Sharlene loved traveling to watch her children compete in sports. She supported Jason and Jeremy in their Little Waxers and High School ski team along with football, baseball, and basketball, followed by cheering on Stacy in volleyball, basketball, horse 4-H, and rodeo.

Sharlene and Allen went into business creating Allen Budge Construction in 1974. They moved into the first home they built for themselves on Budge Drive the same year. Their office was always in their home, and home and business were blended in their life.

After many years in the construction business, Sharlene and Allen took a break from 1994 to 1995 to pursue a career with Usana (a vitamin and health company). They traveled in a motorhome and had an office in Jackson. Sharlene made many friends and enjoyed the Usana conventions and even a company cruise. They built another house for themselves next door on Budge Drive and moved into it in 1998.

Sharlene and Allen got back into the construction business when they asked a former employee, Brian (Woody) Woodruff, to partner with them to create BW Builders. Sharlene loved her working family. She graciously hosted Christmas parties and  BBQs and provided bagels, subs, donuts, pizzas.  She fondly remembered Woody’s “10 below breakfasts” at the Village Inn with the crew. With many great subcontractors, customers, and employees along the way, BW Builders was a very successful business, creating beautiful homes and business buildings. 

Sharlene enjoyed camping and sitting around the fire creating Dutch oven delicacies. She also liked boating, skiing and snowmachining. But nothing matched her desire for traveling and exploring the United States and bordering countries.

Sharlene and Allen explored new places in their motorhomes and on four-wheelers. They bought their first motorhome in 1994 and traveled to 14 states and through Alaska, Canada and 450 miles into Old Mexico. One of her most repeated trips was to Sacramento, California, to visit her mother and brothers Danny and Kelly. She and Allen took many trips around the western states on their four-wheelers. Many of the adventures involved Allen’s parents Orin and Bonnie Budge as well as many other friends and family members. One of her favorite adventures was a week on the Paiute Trail in central Utah which runs from the Canadian border to the Mexican border. She never rode it in one trip like she wanted but she did ride a lot of the trail during several different trips. As she traveled she loved to learn about history, new cultures, and more about her heritage.

Sharlene answered the calling of the Holy Spirit and came forward to an altar call at the First Baptist Church December 19, 1999, and was baptized January 11, 2000. Knowing her life was on a better path as a born again Christian, Sharlene introduced the Bible to Allen and they enjoyed reading it aloud to each other. She deeply appreciated the bond between her sisters in Christ, those who walked the footsteps of faith. She said sharing a special bond of worship and their love of the Lord was a blessing beyond words. She was always willing to teach the word of the Lord and help others welcome the Lord into their hearts.

Sharlene and Allen built a “playhouse” in Quartzsite, Arizona, in 2002 where they would escape the cold in the winters. This gave them plenty of opportunities to enjoy their warm weather hobbies and spend lots of time enjoying the sun. Sharlene loved going to the craft shows and rock shops in Quartzsite. After retirement in 2007 they built and moved into a house on a golf course in Thayne, Wyoming, where they spent their summers golfing, taking their grandkids to the pool, and spending time with their neighbors.

One of life’s greatest joys for Sharlene was her grandchildren. She never missed an opportunity to celebrate her grandchildren. If she was not there for a holiday or birthday, there was always something in the mail for them. Her grandkids fondly remember the tea parties, trips, great cooking, games, walks, crafting and life lessons. Besides all the wonderful things Sharlene loved to do with them both inside and outdoors, she loved to share her love and knowledge of the Lord with them.

She left them with a lasting legacy of her eternal love and Jesus’s love for them all.

Sharlene was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrigs disease) in 2020. She knew God only gives people that which they can handle. Anyone who knew her knows just how strong she was. She stayed positive through this time by pursuing her love of history by watching westerns and her trust in everlasting life through the Lord. During this journey she appreciated just how much she was loved and cared about by those around her.  As a true disciple of the Lord, Sharlene shared God’s love and remained steadfast in her faith.

A friend once said, “There was not a person around that could say anything bad about Sharlene.” There could not be a better quote to describe what an amazing and kind person Sharlene was.

Sharlene was preceded in death by her sister Gloria Payne (1970), father Lowell Payne (1990), son Jason Budge (1993), brother Danny Payne (2017), mother Jean Payne Richins (2019).

Sharlene is survived by her husband Allen, brothers Mike Payne and Kelly (Michelle) Payne, four brother-in-laws Jim (Oney), Danny (Jane), Chad (Dianne), and Craig Budge, children Jeremy (Sara) Budge and Stacy (Tony) Saunders, and numerous nieces and nephews. Sharlene had five grandchildren- Amber and Heather Budge, Garrett, Preston and Brady Saunders, who will all dearly miss her.

The family of Sharlene Budge would like to thank everyone who reached out to her through text, as she eventually lost her hearing. The texts brought joy to the very end even though she eventually could not respond. They would like to also thank Allen’s sister in law Jane Budge and her niece Jenny for helping with funeral preparations in Jackson,  Jim and Oney Budge, Rosemary Ackerman and Kindra Baler for hosting virtual services in Quartzsite and Wickenburg, Arizona. They are eternally grateful to Tim Moyer for his blessing and anointing of Sharlene in the last days and presiding over her service.

Allen would like to give a special thank you to his very good friend Floyd Schell for putting up with him on all of their trips to the senior center for meals. It meant a lot to him. He appreciated  his children Jeremy and Stacy, and their spouses Sara and Tony for being there through it all. Sharlene was truly moved by this and there was no way Allen could have gone through this journey without them.

The family would like to thank Sharlene’s many health care givers; Paula Holeman who made it possible for Sharlene to spend a couple of months at the River Bend Ranch with her daughter’s family last fall; Symbi and their nurses, CNAs, and others; private health care givers Dianne Jackson, and Britney Turly; Jackson Hole Hospice and their RNs and CNAs; Doctor Millison for her house calls; and especially Patti Ledwig who is a very special person and will have a special place in heaven. These people all helped give Sharlene a better quality of life and family support after her ALS diagnosis.

Thank you to all of our prayer warriors, friends and family for all of your love and support.

“We tend to think when we are gone we have gone from the land of the living to the land of the dead, but the truth is we have gone from the land of the dying to the land of the living.” Sharlene now walks with God and will be greatly missed.