Brenda Roberts

Brenda Thurman Roberts was born on April 17th, 1942 in Star Valley, Wyoming as the first daughter to Melvin and Della Thurman. She was the oldest of 5 children, including her siblings Reed, Sherrill, Kirk and Nixon. Brenda had a sweet relationship with her father, and was very much “daddy’s little girl.” She loved to ride horses with him and was given her very own pony at a young age. From the time she was very little, Brenda also loved music. Her dad surprised her with a piano he bought from a traveling salesman. However, she said he soon regretted it as she was constantly playing. She earned her own lessons by working for her piano teacher. She also learned to sew and made her own clothes that she wore to school. Brenda also learned to love drama from her parents. They brought her to plays they were performing in and also encouraged her to perform herself.

In school, Brenda excelled both academically and socially. She was popular, dated a lot, and was voted to be the Harvest Ball Queen her senior year. She graduated from Star Valley High School in 1960 as the class valedictorian with a full-ride scholarship to Ricks College.

Brenda got engaged to Briscoe Roberts during her senior year and married him the day after graduating from high school. Together they had 6 children: Roby, Tina, David, Dirk, Tristi, and Shad. She was a wonderful mother and worked tirelessly to provide special experiences for her children. Throughout their childhood, she sold Avon, home interiors, and baskets, which were all very popular in the seventies. She excelled in sales, winning a microwave oven, TV and a trip to Hawaii. She also taught piano all year for 50 cents a lesson to provide Christmas for her children. She loved Christmas and made each year magical for everyone.

Brenda also loved the outdoors and fostered a love of nature in her children. Many Sunday afternoons were spent hiking and enjoying tin foil dinners together. Most importantly, Brenda taught her children to be valiant and to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ, a legacy which has been passed down to her children and great-grandchildren.

Besides their own children, Brenda and Briscoe welcomed many others into their home over the years, including Jim, Dennis, Son Kim, Marzena, Mike, Nicole T., Cami, foreign exchange students and international dance students. Their door was always open for anyone who needed to feel loved and welcomed.

Brenda developed a love for decorating as she remodeled her home and made it a beautiful place to be. As her children left home, she decided to go to college and earn a degree in interior design at Ricks College. They relocated her family to Rexburg, Idaho, where Briscoe worked for the college as she earned her degree. She won awards for her work, especially excelling in window designs, some of which were published in a national magazine. She started her own business and thrived in making her clients’ homes beautiful.

After Briscoe retired, they served a mission in Mexico where they implemented a pilot program for the church. They connected young returned missionaries with a training program for welding. The boys learned this skill and then they helped them find jobs that would enable them to support their families. They really enjoyed making such a difference in these young men’s lives. While they were there, Brenda found many that wanted to play the piano, and of course she taught them all she could. These were choice memories for both of them.

After returning from their mission, Brenda and Briscoe became snow birds for many years, and eventually settled by two of their children, Shad and David, in Gilbert, Arizona. Mom created a beautiful garden and enjoyed spending most of her time there when they weren’t visiting their other kids.

Brenda was a wonderful grandmother, and her grandkids loved spending time with her when she visited them. They would often beg her to make pinoche and hot milk cake, two delicious treats that no one could make like she could. Her love of making Christmas magical did not end when her own kids grew up. She spent many Christmas Eves staying up late to help her children set up Christmas gifts for her grandchildren. She even helped create some of their gifts using her artistic talents. She also shared her love of music with her grandchildren, several of whom have followed her footsteps to become skilled pianists themselves.

Brenda exemplified work ethic, determination, attention to detail and resiliency. She was a woman of great faith. In her later years, this was evident in her prayers as she asked for blessings and was healed. She had a sweet relationship with her Heavenly Father and was quick to share her love of the Gospel with her family and countless others.

She passed away on April 26th, 2026 surrounded by her loving family.