Shirley Norma South was born Oct. 15, 1935, to John and Norma South in Malad City, Idaho.  She was the only girl with four brothers. After graduation, she attended Utah State Agriculture College. At the LDS institution, Shirley played piano for the choir where she met Jay P. Bills who sang bass. After Jays graduation in engineering, they married on June 8, 1956, in the Logan LDS Temple. They drove to New Kensington, Pennsylvania for their honeymoon to start their new life together. 

While living in Pennsylvania, Keith, Lisa, and Craig were born. Due to Jay’s job change with Alcoa Aluminum, they moved to Chillicothe, Ohio where Kevin was born, and then Lebanon, Pennsylvania where Suzanne was born. They moved to Suriname, South America, and then Kingston, Jamaica where their youngest Randall was born. 

Cache Valley was their next move where Jay and Shirley chose to have their own company making food dehydrators. Then they moved to a small farm with space and animals. One winter Mom endured a calf in the kitchen to warm up. She worked at Utah State University in the registration office with foreign students. Then they moved to Nevada, Arizona, and then California. Each move was important for their children, and to fulfill Heavenly Father’s plan. Finally, they moved to her parent’s home in Malad City, Idaho where Jay once again set up a farm but smaller this time with only chickens, a garden, fruit trees, and a greenhouse with a root cellar. Shirley worked at Nucor Steel in Plymouth, Utah doing payroll for years.

Shirley loved to play the piano and was very good at typing. In 1990 she took a typing test,138 words a minute with only three errors. When Shirley was younger, she learned to sew her own clothes, and decorate cakes. She was a great example of helping others to see the light of Christ as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Four children served missions.

Shirley was preceded in death by her parents, her older brother David, her older daughter Lisa, and her husband of 63 years. What a joyous reunion that occurred on June 25, 2024.  

Shirley is survived by two brothers Terrel (Kathy who has passed), and Mont (Maxine) and children: Keith (Michele), Lisa who has passed (Ralph Lambert), Craig (Gayla), Kevin (Trina), Suzanne, and Randall (Tara). Shirley and Jay have 6 children, 21 grandchildren, 29 3/4 great-grandchildren. 

Funeral services were held Saturday, June 29, 2024, at Horsley Funeral Home in Malad, Idaho at 11 a.m., with a viewing from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. Interment was in the Malad City, Idaho Cemetery.

Special thanks to the nurses and staff of the Oneida Long Term Care facility for their incredible care of both Jay and Shirley Bills.