Jan. 4, 1935 - May 21, 2024
Date of Service: May 29, 2024
Service Program
PAUL – Shirley Jean Kraus was welcomed into the loving arms of Jesus on May 21, 2024, as she entered the gates of heaven. Shirley was born to Thomas Glen and Bertha Jean Clark on January 4, 1935, in Paul, Idaho. She had two siblings, Richard (who died as a baby) and Thomas Douglas. She enjoyed growing up on the family farm, homesteaded by the Clark family in the early 1900s.
Shirley and Ruben became sweethearts in high school, marrying in 1953. They created a calm and peaceful lifestyle for their three children that was much like that seen in ‘Andy of Mayberry.’ Ruben and Shirley made family life a priority making their home a major destination for the neighborhood kids, family and friends. This included many sleepovers, tenting in the backyard, crafting, picnicking and creative adventures at 25 West Lincoln in Paul.
Other than a short time working for Mountain Bell Telephone, Shirley was a stay-at-home Mom. She contributed to the family budget by using her seamstress skills making Barbie clothes, prom and wedding dresses, cheerleading outfits and completing alterations on ladies clothing. Her in-home business afforded Shirley the opportunity to touch many lives and she became a natural encourager and mentor of many.
When the kids grew up and left home, Shirley focused her time and energy on her creative skills and gifts. She created some beautiful oil paintings, some of them paired with hand-crafted wood frames made by her cousin, Charles Clark. Her fervent love for turning fabric into ‘something beautiful’ shifted from clothing to quilts and she found her true gift. She became actively involved with the local Quilting Guild and quilters all over the state of Idaho. Over the years she earned many purple, blue, and red ribbons at County fairs across the state. With the encouragement of her family, she entered several national contests and won several awards. She became highly recognized, taught many classes as well as individuals and found much pleasure in watching others learn the art of fabric. Ruben was her biggest fan, always encouraging her that she could do anything she set her mind to.
However, Shirley’s greatest love and accomplishment in her life was her love for Jesus and how she walked with Him. In everything she did, her greatest desire was that people would see Jesus in her and recognize their need for Him in their lives. She was an excellent Bible teacher. She taught many Sunday school classes, Good News Clubs, Vacation Bible School classes and ladies Bible studies, but her greatest gift was connecting over a cup of tea one on one. She was always willing to invest time to listen and mentor whomever may have shown up at her door. There was no experience to match a cup of tea at the modest table in the Kraus house. You would always come away knowing you were loved, prayed for and challenged to be everything God intended you to be. Their home was always warm and welcoming with a well-groomed yard that displayed incredible plants and flowers of God’s creation.
Shirley was preceded in death by her husband, parents, and one brother. She is survived by her children, Richard (Shauna), Craig, and Jeannie; her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The beauty of being a follower of Jesus is assurance that as we leave this life we are welcomed into the very presence of God. What a comfort and peace to know that Mom is right where she always imagined…at the feet of Jesus.
The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, May 29, at Rasmussen-Wilson Funeral Home, located at 1350 E. 16th Street, in Burley, where family and friends will be received one hour prior to the service. Burial will follow at Paul Cemetery.
