Sharon Joyce Searle Gardner Obituary
Sharon Joyce Searle Gardner passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on March 16, 2022. She was the first of eight children born to Virginia Robinson and Wayne Christensen on July 14, 1936. She was a happy little girl, singing songs before she was even talking in complete sentences. Her love of music grew as she participated in the pep band, sang in the Triple Trio, and church and community choirs. Mom loved to learn and could be found at various times throughout the day, sitting in her chair, with a book in one hand and a pencil in another. The Book of Mormon was one of her favorites.
Mom’s greatest desire was to be a wife and mother. She married Gerald Oler Searle on August 24, 1955, and had 11 children during their 22 years together. She was quite the homemaker, spending countless hours cooking, sewing, canning, and gardening with a happy heart. Being with her family brought her great joy. She enjoyed supporting them in all of their activities and camping, swimming, playing, and working with them.
Several years after Dad passed, Mom married Joey Dye Gardner on February 27, 1993. They were married for 25 years until his passing in 2018. During their time together, they served an LDS mission to the Chile Santiago South Mission and enjoyed being grandparents to many grandchildren. Mom loved her grandchildren and had a gift for making every one of them feel loved and important, from recognizing birthdays, to writing each one an individual letter, to creating some wonderful holiday traditions.
Mom had a testimony of Jesus Christ and looked for God’s hand in everything she did. She shared that faith with her family through her words and example. She was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in many callings throughout her life. Every calling was important to Mom, and she served with willing hands and a faithful heart. Mom also had a love for the temple and spent a great deal of time there. She often commented on the peace and strength that came from serving in the temple.
Mom’s life was spent serving others, whether it was with baked goods, a smile, a phone call or visit, a hug, or a prayer. She had a great love for others and touched many lives through her continual love and service. Her light shone through her sparkling eyes and loving smile. Mom was known for her grace, strength, and sweet sense of humor and chose to navigate through life that way.
Mom was preceded in death by her parents, her two husbands, granddaughter Kiersten Gemar, great-grandson Kaden Wyatt and daughter-in-law Susan (Bruce) Searle and step-daughter-in-law Linda (Stephen) Adams. She is survived by her children and their spouses: Gerald (Jolynn) Searle, Mark (Dana) Searle, Stacy (Farrell) Steiner, Daren (Darlene) Searle, Laura (Thane) Sparks, David (Jan) Searle, Kim (Shawn) Rigby, Bruce (Lanette) Searle, Linda (Terry) Earl, Shelli (Graig) Gemar, and Jenni (David) Cummings and Joey’s children and their spouses: Sherrie (Ron) Pruett, Dianne (Randy) Norton, son-in-law Stephen (Angela) Adams, Angela (Brad) Ferrell and Janet (Matthew) Yourglich and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her siblings Janet (Lloyd) Searle, Marsha Dye, Robert (Bobby Jo) Christensen, Steven (Jeri) Christensen, Paula (Curtis) Young, Allan (Donna) Christensen, and Vicki (Larry) Bateman.
We want to give a special thank you for the tender, loving care our mother and grandmother received at the Gables of Ammon and from Aspen Hospice.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, March 26, 2022, at the Shelley 3rd & 5th Ward Chapel, 513 South Park Ave. The family will receive friends Friday evening from 6:00 till 7:30 p.m. at Nalder Funeral Home, 110 West Oak Street, and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. till 10:30 a.m. at the church. Burial will be in the Shelley Hillcrest Cemetery.
