Sharon Rae Loveland

Sharon Rae Loveland, 77 of Idaho Falls formerly of Rigby, Idaho died Tuesday, August 2 surrounded by her family at Eastern Idaho Medical Center.

Sharon was born July 20, 1945 in Blackfoot, Idaho to Eldon Cleon Perkes and Erma Lucille Walton Perkes.  She was raised in Moreland, Idaho and attended school in Riverside and Moreland.  She graduated from Snake River High School in 1963.  Growing up she participated in dance, cheerleading and lettered as mascot for her beloved Snake River Panthers.

On July 3, 1964, she married Elwin Junior Loveland in the Idaho Falls Temple.  They were blessed with three sons, Dirk, Thomas, and Todd.  Sharon worked for the Blackfoot Animal Clinic and was a substitute teacher at Rigby High School.  In 1985, she started working as an LPN at Madison Memorial Hospital.  She graduated from nursing school at Ricks College in 1990 and remained there until her retirement in 2016.

She was member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and held many positions but her greatest joy was being “just a teacher.”  She enjoyed gardening, needle point, NASCAR, writing and poetry, photography and Family History.  Above all she loved being a grandma and great grandma and attending all their activities.

In her own words, “I bid a fond farewell to my friends and coworkers. I bid a loving “so long” to my sisters: Tera Lee Crumley, Saundra Hamm, Trudy Roos, Debra Jo Goodwin, Pamela Anderson and Monna Sue Schmidt. To my children and my grandchildren, I bid you a short parting and a promise to watch over you until we meet again in a little while.  As an adult, whenever I would lose the focus of my life, my priorities, or just feeling down and out depressed – I would always go back to Moreland. My strong roots which started their growth there would usually take hold and support me. This is why I want to return there to wait for Christ to return.”

She is survived by her sons, Dirk Elwin (Mistie) Loveland, Thomas Carmen (Heather) Loveland, Todd Ray (Jenni) Loveland, sisters Tera Lee Crumley, Saundra Hamm, Trudy Roos, Debra Jo Goodwin, Pamela Anderson, and Monna Sue Schmidt, and 8 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by spouse Elwin Junior Loveland, her parents, Eldon and Erma Perkes, and her in-laws Elwin and Phyllis Loveland, two brother’s in-law, and one sister in-law.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am., Friday, August 5, 2022 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 5169 Denning Ave., Iona, Idaho 83427.  Family will receive friends from 6:30-8:00 p.m., Thursday, August 4, 2022 at Eckersell Funeral Home, 101 W. Main Street, Rigby, Idaho 83442; and from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m., prior to funeral services at the church.  Interment will follow at the Moreland Cemetery.