Carol Ruth Walters Barrus passed peacefully into the celestial realms of her Heavenly Father at Madison Memorial Hospital on October 17, 2014, where she was surrounded by members of her family whom she loved with all her heart and to whom her life was devoted.

Carol was destined to live her 77 years of life having to overcome severe physical trials, pain and suffering. For the last 12 years of her life she was an invalid, struggling for every breath and having to rely totally upon the loving care of her companion LaMar. Rising above her physical trials, she devoted her life to service and love of others, creating immediate friendships with strangers she met, and beloved by all who knew her.

Carol accomplished remarkable goals in her life and was a consummate musician. She studied piano with her mother-in-law Ruth Barrus, with Oscar Wagner of Juilliard School of Music and with Grete Hinterhofer at the Academy of Music in Vienna, Austria. She was a noted piano teacher herself and taught many hundreds of students in the community and at Ricks College, teaching them spiritual values and gospel principles as well as a love for music and piano technique.


She and her husband shared their music through many piano/violin concerts, and she was a member of the piano quartet "Ivory Image." She devoted 25 years of her life helping to mold and shape young women as they prepared for the Young Women's Pageant.


Carol was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and filled many Church callings in music, the Young Women's program, Sunday School and Relief Society. She especially loved young people, and many teenagers spent time on her front porch or sitting at her kitchen counter absorbing her loving council and guidance as she fed them root beer floats.


Carol was born on April 24, 1937, in Logan, Utah to Glenn Clinton Walters and Lola Bertha Latham. She attended High School at Sugar-Salem High where she met the love of her life, LaMar Barrus Jr. Restrictions in missionary work during the Korean War forced the couple to delay their wedding for 5 ½ years allowing LaMar to complete his missionary service in Switzerland and Austria. She and LaMar were married in the Swiss Temple on September 13, 1958, two hours after he was released as a missionary. They spent the following year studying music at the Vienna Academy of Music.

Carol is survived by her husband LaMar, her brother Max, her 4 children: Connie (Bruce) Barton, Katherine (Chris) Kesler, Deborah (Bart) Stoddard, Kent (Jennifer) Barrus, and by her 20 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents.


Funeral services will be held 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, October 21, 2014 at the Rexburg East Stake Center, with Bishop David Reeser officiating. The family will receive friends Monday evening from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at Flamm Funeral Home and on Tuesday from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m. at the church prior to services. Interment will be in the Sugar City Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to www.flammfh.com.