Barbara Adele Sherry Halgren passed away peacefully and surrounded by love on November 22, 2015. Barbara was born in 1924 in Glens Ferry, Idaho to Leona Rose and Claude Sherry.
Her father was a Civil Engineer for the Union Pacific Railroad. During the Great Depression she spent her earliest years on a train, living and moving from one railroad camp to the next. The instant her mom started putting dishes on the floor of the boxcar, she knew it was time to move to a new camp. Needless to say, Barbara became very adept at making new friends, which was a gift she possessed throughout her life. When her father was assigned to the Bureau of Reclamation office in Provo Utah, the family, with new baby brother Joel, found a permanent home. Barbara attended Provo High School and went on to study fashion design and secretarial skills at BYU. She was working at Lewis Ladies Clothing store in downtown Provo when she met the love of her life, Leon Halgren. Following a whirlwind romance, they spent their first year of marriage in Yellowstone National Park, where Barbara ran the post office and Leon was a Park Ranger. Throughout their life they had many adventures, not the least of which was moving to Alaska with two young children and a third on the way. Leon was appointed the Governing Commissioner of the Territory, while Barbara built a home for her and the children in this new and wondrous place. In true form, Barbara made sure the family not only embraced, but reveled in their new environment. At the close of this adventure, they moved to Salt Lake City where the family flourished. Barbara rekindled many old friendships and made new ones joining bridge clubs, doing volunteer work, and fulfilling the many callings of the LDS Church. Barbara loved to read, and was a founding member of the Ex Libris Literary Club which is nearing its 70th year. She worked as an executive assistant and held many other positions including careers in fashion merchandising and interior design.
A woman never shy of adventure, Barbara loved to travel. She and Leon saw the world together. Russia, China, Tibet, Europe and Mexico were all in her travel journal but she had a special love for Las Vegas, especially when Frank Sinatra and his pals were in town. She was a gifted watercolorist and had a deep love for great art and its history.
Barbara is survived by her brother Joel Sherry (Alice) and their daughter Megan Simmons (Karl), two daughters, Shari H. Quinney (David), and Julie H. Glenn (Devon), her daughter-in-law Vicki Bennion (Bill) and eight adoring grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her husband Leon Halgren and their son Steven Leon Halgren.
We would like to thank the wonderful caregivers at Sunrise, Holladay for their loving and dignified tending of Barbara in the last years of her life.
Funeral services will be on Thursday, December 3rd at 12:00 noon at Larkin Sunset Lawn, 2350 East 1300 South. Friends and family may call one hour prior to the service. Interment to follow at Mt. Olivet cemetery.
