Bountiful - Utah Shirlene Kilburn Thompson was born April 28, 1939 in Salt Lake City, Utah to Clayton James and Frances Kilburn Thompson and was their only child. At the time she was born, her parents were living with Frances' parents on Sunnyside Avenue. Later they moved to an apartment also in Salt Lake.
In her early years Shirlene attended Emerson Elementary in Salt Lake City. After 3rd grade she moved with her mother and father to Hagerman, Idaho to take over Grandpa Thompson's dairy farm.
Her family moved to Bountiful, Utah where Shirlene finished grade school at Stoker Elementary following which she then attended South Davis Jr. High (which is now Bountiful Jr. High).
Her high school years were spent at Bountiful High (9th and 10th grades,) where she was a good student, and on the high honor roll. Her last year of high school was 11th grade at Davis High.
She took accordion lessons for 9 years and had the opportunity to perform on KSL TV with her accordion group. She also played at several firesides in many different wards. She became very accomplished in her playing, and her mother really encouraged it, however the accordion wasn't her favorite.
In 1956 she married Tony Mark with whom she had two children, Sue and Cindy. After their divorced in 1960, Shirlene worked in several bakeries in Bountiful and was very talented at decorating cakes. After several years she changed careers and began working for Souvall Brothers in (North Salt Lake) in data processing.
She married Ron Olsen in May of 1965. Together they had one son, Tye Olsen. She enjoyed spending weekends in the Uinta's with her family, but her favorite vacation was the year she and Ron took a cruise to the Caribbean.
She did not finish high school as a teenager but she made a goal to graduate from high school before her children which she did by obtaining her GED from Granger High School in 1973. As she raised her three children in West Valley City she also did some bookkeeping for husband's, towing business. After her children were in school she worked part time at Sears and was always a very able and dependable worker.
When she and Ron separated she moved to Salt Lake City.
One of her greatest interests was in Native American Folklore. She enjoyed spending time performing volunteer work at the University of Utah hospital, and singing with the choir at the Cathedral of the Madeleine.
Taking care of her grandson Brock was one of her great delights. She was able to visit their home to tend and play with him from the time when he was 8 months to 2 years old.
Several injuries made it necessary to move to a care center in Salt Lake and eventually to Bountiful. Shirlene passed away on September 22, 2013 after battling prolonged heart and lung illnesses.
Our family gives special thanks to Life Care Center who cared for her and loved her the past five years. Additionally, the ER and ICU physicians and staff members at Lakeview Hospital were angels on earth. They were so skilled in maintaining the delicate balance needed to bring her through the most difficult part of her illness. They made an extra ordinary effort to give her every opportunity for recovery. We are also grateful for the kind and compassionate people at South Davis Hospital. Heartfelt thanks to her friends at St. Olaf's Catholic Church and the LDS 7th Branch whose visits she appreciated so much.
