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Cyrus Clay Obituary

Cyrus Budge Clay, 95, of Rexburg, died Monday, April 28, 2014, at his home.
He was born Aug. 31, 1918, in Idaho Falls, to Hawley Everett Clay and Myrtle Alice Dale Clay. Budge was raised in the farming communities of Archer, Rexburg and Sunnydell. When he was 10, the family moved to Mesa, Ariz., then to Casa Grande, Ariz., before returning to Idaho. He graduated as valedictorian from eighth grade at Sunnydell and then graduated from high school in Rexburg. He continued his education at the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho.
Budge was called to serve in the British Mission for The LDS Church in 1939. Due to the attack of Hitler, the missionaries returned to America and Budge finished his mission in the West Florida Southern States Mission.
On Dec. 17, 1941, he married Ruth Cook; they had four children, Hawley, Sherry, Ronda, and Kelly. Ruth preceded him in death. In the fall of 1943, Budge was inducted into the Army Air Force. After basic training, he graduated from Gunnery and was assigned as Lower Ball Gunnery Instructor in Kingman, Ariz. Later, he was assigned to Harlingen Air Force Base for B-29 training. He was honorably discharged in 1946.
Throughout his life, Budge farmed in Archer, helped construct the Palisades Dam, worked as a surveyor for Lassen National Forest in California, was a field man for Tehama Count, ASCS, then worked as a field man for State Farm Labor Service in Bakersfield and Delano, Calif. When he returned to Idaho in 1966, he worked as a welder in metal construction. He worked for Wilcox Potato and then as a state potato inspector for Dayton Grover. He also worked in the logging industry with Earl Wilcox until he retired.
Budge married Lois Byrne on July 29, 1967; they had two children, Michelle and Kevin. Their marriage was solemnized in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple on Sept. 4, 1995.
Budge was a member of LDS Church; he was known as a hard worker and was an avid fisherman. He loved being in the mountains logging, huckleberry picking, camping and picnicking with his family.
He is survived by his wife, Lois Byrne Clay, of Rexburg; daughters, Ronda Rasmussen, of Idaho Falls; Sherry (Richard), of New Hampshire; Michelle (Gary) Hamlin, of Vancouver, Wash.; sons, Blair (Delpha) Clay, of Sugar City; Kevin (Suzette) Clay, of Rexburg; sister, Enid Burgner, of Idaho Falls; 20 grandchildren and 29 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, son, Kelly Neil Clay; sister, Maggie Diane Azuelo; brother, Dale T. Clay and nephew, Terry Burgerner.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, May 2, 2014, at the Rexburg Idaho Stake Center, 845 W. 7th South, Rexburg. The family will receive friends from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m., prior to services at the church. Burial will be in the Sutton Cemetery. Services are under the care of Eckersell Memorial Chapel in Rigby. Condolences may be sent to the family online at www.eckersellfuneralhome.com.

Published by Rexburg Standard Journal on May 1, 2014.
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Funeral services provided by:

Eckersell Funeral Home (Eckersell Memorial Chapel)

101 West Main St., Rigby, ID 83442

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