"To die will be an awfully big adventure." ― J.M. Barrie

Sharon Huff Willes embarked upon the next great adventure of her life on July 9th, 2022, returning to her husband, family, and Heavenly Parents.

Sharon Huff was born November 8th, 1937 to Archie Huff and Lucile Emery Huff. Sharon, or Sherry, grew up in Benjamin, Utah, where she made the most of every day of her childhood. Sharon helped out on the family farm by thinning sugar beets, driving tractors, gathering eggs, hunting, and helping her family make it through the shortages and difficulties of the war.

Once when she was only six, she climbed up onto the back of a new bull her dad Archie had bought, sitting as happy as a clam, apparently unaware of the danger. Sharon was a confident child and never let uncertainty or a challenge hold her back. Her confidence and love of life led her to become an incredibly talented horsewoman, eventually becoming the Spanish Fork Rodeo queen and a barrel racing champion.

Sharon loved animals and had a unique talent with them. She adored her childhood horse Ginger, forming a special bond with him and riding him everywhere through town, from early mornings doing a paper route to piano lessons.

Once at a state fair, there was a wild horse no one else could approach, much less tame. When Sharon approached it, the old cowboys warned her that it wasn't safe, that no one had been able to ride this horse before. But Sharon, with the confidence that she was born with, hopped on and rode that wild horse around the stadium.

Sharon was just like that. She approached every aspect of her life with a quiet assuredness that she could do just about whatever she wanted, and she was seldom wrong. Whether it was taming wild horses, pitching softball, playing basketball, singing, playing piano, or raising a family, she had a strength and love for life that lasted over 80 years.

After graduating from Spanish Fork High School, Sharon attended LDS Business College and worked at the LDS Church Office building. She spent those years living in Salt Lake City with her grandmother Emery.

Sharon then married her late husband Eldon Willes January 10th, 1958, after his mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and his service in the Navy during the Korean War. They spent their years raising eleven children and building a rich life together.

She loved music and spent many hours singing in the ward choir, with her family, and with her traveling singing group that performed regularly at church and community functions. Sharon was a leader in her ward, serving in many leadership roles, but her heart always belonged to the children and she volunteered for many years in the ward's primary.

One of her greatest talents was working with children, a passion that weaved its way through her life. In addition to her volunteer work with the primary, she was also a leader in the Boy scouts, distinguishing herself an expert knot tyer.

Every year when Pleasant Grove would hold its Strawberry Days parade, she would help construct and decorate the award-winning parade floats that the ward would create. She loved anything that brought joy into children's lives, whether it was hand-making goose down pillows for her children from goose her husband hunted, cheering louder than anyone else at kids' and grandkids' baseball games, or making beautiful quilts for her grandkids.

Every spring and summer, Sharon and Eldon would head out to their garden and use their greenthumbs. She worked hard to grow as much as possible, far more than she needed, so she could share with her neighbors and family. Anything left over was expertly canned and stored for a rainy day.

When she wasn't sharing her home-grown produce, Sharon was making some of the best homemade bread that money just couldn't buy. She made it every single day by hand so her kids could come home from school to hot slices of bread and homemade jam.

She was a dedicated spouse to her husband, learning everything that Eldon loved and getting involved in his hobbies. She became a talented marksman and enjoyed hunting, camping, and exploring the American West that was her home.

While her many talents and accomplishments are inspiring enough in their own right, what is most inspiring about Sharon is who she was at her core. No matter how hard things were, and sometimes they were very hard indeed, Sharon had an incredible talent for finding the good in things. There was no cloud so dark she couldn't find a silver lining and face a challenge with good humor and grace. Even in her final days on this earth, she was kind to everyone around her, taking special care to tell her caregivers how good of a job they were doing and how much she appreciated them.

In every detail, every minute of her life, Sharon was kind, giving, and confident. She lived a life inspiring in its scope, fuller than many people ever experience. She faced death with the certainty that she had accomplished everything she needed to do and more.

Her family takes comfort in the example and guidance she will continue to provide to them from beyond the veil.

Sharon was the mother of 11 children (9 boys and 2 girls), 41 grandchildren, and 40 great grandchildren.

She is preceded in death by her loving husband Eldon, her parents, two brothers, one grandchild, and one great-grand child.

She is survived by her children and descendants:

Steven Willes and his wife Carol

Teresa Willes Willie

Jeffrey Willes and his wife Penny

David Willes and his wife Renae

Sidney Willes and his wife Wendy

Don Willes and his wife Susie

Douglas Willes and his wife Paige

Richard Willes

Jay Willes and his wife Catherine

Sheri Mills and her husband Heath

Michael and his wife Vanessa

Sharon's family extends their gratitude to the staff at Hearthstone for their incredible care after she lost her husband and transitioned to the other side. It was clear she was very loved, right up to the end.