Burtis Robbins

1931 - 2026

Burtis "Bud" France Robbins Jr.

September 24, 1931 – March 12, 2026

- Burtis "Bud" France Robbins Jr., beloved husband, father, horseman, builder, and faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, passed peacefully in his home surrounded by his family on March 12, 2026, at the age of 94.

Bud lived a life defined by faith, family, steady work, humor, and a deep love for horses, mountains, and the simple adventures of everyday life. If you asked Bud how he was doing, he nearly always answered the same way:

"Better than I deserve." It was the way he saw his life.

Bud was born September 24, 1931, and grew up as the only boy among four accomplished and beautiful sisters. Though he lived in the city during the school year, his heart belonged to the family's farm in East Millcreek, where he spent his summers roaming the fields, exploring the foothills, and riding horses for hours-especially his beloved horse "Bird".

One of Bud's earliest memories was watching a striking pinto horse gallop past him when he was only three years old, an image so vivid it stayed with him for more than 90 years.

Bud's natural gift of unconditional love was first evident when he was a young boy. His mother struggled with illness for much of his childhood, yet he always spoke of her with tenderness and admiration. To him she remained beautiful and beloved, and his memories of her were filled with gratitude rather than hardship. That loyalty and compassion remained a defining part of his character throughout his life.

Horses were a constant companion in Bud's youth, though they were also good teachers of humility. In one story he told about his teenage years, he tried sneaking up to slip a halter onto a mustang that was sleeping on the ground. The startled horse exploded to its feet and threw Bud several feet backward. He later admitted he was lucky not to have been trampled-an early lesson in respecting horses and not overestimating one's own cleverness.

Another youthful plan-hatched with his good friend Don Swenson-was to make money breaking horses for a living. After their first job nearly resulted in serious injury, the two quickly decided it was not a great way to make $25, and the enterprise was promptly abandoned.

Bud served two missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His first was a three-year mission in Japan from 1951–1953. Learning the Japanese language was extraordinarily difficult, but the experience changed the way he saw himself. Before his mission he had often thought of himself as a poor student and slow learner. In Japan he discovered that persistence and faith could overcome those doubts. Mastering the language gave him a new confidence that matched his tall, handsome frame.

Shortly after returning home, he met Jayne Cleone Weggeland, and they were married on November 11, 1954, in the Salt Lake LDS Temple.

That same year Bud served his country when he was drafted into the United States Army in 1954 and was stationed in Salzburg, Austria, where Jayne joined him as newlyweds.

Later in life Bud and Jayne served together as missionaries in the Cherry Hill, New Jersey Mission, an experience they cherished as they shared their faith side by side.

Together Bud and Jayne shared a remarkable marriage and raised their children in a home centered on faith, loyalty, humor, and hard work. During those years Bud custom built a home next to his parents and sister on the same ground from the Millcreek farm he grew up loving. It became the place where their family life unfolded.

While raising their family, Bud and Jayne purchased a farm in Indianola, Utah, fulfilling Bud's dream of recreating the idyllic farm experience of his own childhood for his children. The family lived in the city during the week, but weekends and much of the spring and summer were spent at the farm. Indianola became a classroom where Bud and Jayne quietly taught their children many of life's most important lessons.

There the children cut, bailed, and hauled hay, branded cattle, mended fences, and helped build barns. Bud believed deeply that self-reliance came through doing. If something broke, you figured out how to fix it with what you had. That might mean learning to weld a broken piece of farm machinery back together or learning to drive a manual-shift truck without popping the clutch. Confidence came through experience. Yet on the farm the line between work and play was often hard to see. A long day hauling hay might end with horseback rides, storytelling around the kitchen table, or watching another John Wayne movie together.

Life was always better being with dad; someone you knew loved you unconditionally.

Bud spent his professional life in construction, where he became known for his honesty, craftsmanship, creativity, and ability to solve problems. He had a remarkable talent for designing and building things-from homes and barns to campers, toys, and practical tools that made everyday life easier.

The crowning experience of his career came when he served as lead superintendent for the construction of the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For Bud, the project was sacred work. During construction he experienced several spiritual impressions that strengthened his testimony and confirmed to him that the work he was doing mattered. One of the great blessings of that time was that Jayne worked alongside him, allowing them to share those sacred moments together.

Later in life, after retiring, Bud began writing down the stories of his life. Prodded on by Jayne, he set a goal to write one story each week. Over the next three years he completed 140 stories, drawn from decades of adventures, lessons, mishaps, and quiet miracles.

He titled the collection with the phrase that captured both his life and his storytelling voice: "I Never Would Have Believed It If I Hadn't Seen It Myself." The stories were simple, sincere, and deeply human-much like the man who wrote them.

Bud never thought of his life as extraordinary. But to those who knew him, it was rich with quiet blessings: faith, hard work, a devoted marriage, a large and loving family, and countless moments that seemed ordinary at the time but later became treasured memories to last a lifetime.

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Family

Preceded in death by:

Wife: Jayne Cleone Weggeland Robbins

Parents: Burtis France Robbins Sr. and Edythe Lovena Christenson

Children: Joseph Burtis Robbins, Andrew Weggeland Robbins

Sisters: Edythe Rae, Francine, Elaine, and Joanne

Survived by:

Children: Julianna Besler (Rod), Matthew Robbins (Laurie), Mark Robbins (Melanie), Rebecca Hess (Alan), Cynthia Robbins Swallow, Peter Robbins (Sherri), Benjamin Robbins (Kim)

Brother-in-law: Judd Weggeland (Julie)

23 Grandchildren

15 Great-Grandchildren

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Special thanks to Brenni and Melanie, his loving and constant caregivers from Inspiration Hospice.

Services

Saturday, March 21, 2026

Viewing: 9:30 – 10:30 AM

Funeral: 11:00 AM

Mountain Point 4th Ward

498 East Hollow Creek Road

Draper, Utah 84020

Interment:

Salt Lake City Cemetery immediately following the funeral.

Luncheon for family and friends following the interment at the Mountain Point Ward House, Draper, Utah.

Click this link to view additional details about Burtis "Bud"'s Services,

including any available live streams: https://jenkins-soffe.com/obituaries/burtis-robbins