Ezme Valentine (Aubrey) Aubrey-Bray

Ezme Aubrey-Bray passed through the veil peacefully in her sleep Oct. 29, 2023, in Lovell.

She was born April 17, 1938, in Middlesex, England, to Herbert and Lily Aubrey. She was the baby of four children. Her parents had worked in service, attending to many lords and ladies in England. One blessing of this service was that Lady Malmsbury invited Lily and her children to Hurn Court to escape the bombing. However, Ezme’s earliest memories were on the war-torn streets of England. She remembered the iron table they hid under during the raids, the Mickey Mouse face masks and the debris and bricks scattered everywhere.

Education was important to Ezme. She was very proud that she had passed the exams that allowed her to go to secondary school, which led to her love of literature.

She rode horses at a local stable, was fond of tennis and loved to ice skate. She worked at a dress maker’s shop, where she would draft patterns and became an amazing seamstress.

Ezme joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when she was 10. She loved this church and never lost the faith. She married Ronnie Bray in 1957 and had two children, Andrea (AnnDee) Bray and Curtis Bray. Certain circumstances ended that marriage.

She then met James Hunt, a missionary serving in England. He returned home, and they corresponded for two years. After saving enough money, she came to America in 1970 with her two children and married him in the Salt Lake Temple. They lived in Great Falls, Mont., where Warren and Leland were born, then Provo, Utah, and finally settled in Cowley in 1975, completing her family with Skye.

Ezme started painting classes in the 80s and began her artistic legacy. She concentrated in oil paints and the beautiful Wyoming wildlife and landscapes. She often said the Big Horn Mountain ranges reminded her of the sea. She opened the Silver Sage Art Gallery in the 90s in Lovell in a couple different locations. She gave painting lessons for all ages. In her later years, she used her home as a studio and offered classes in her basement.

Her other passion was genealogy. She spent hours on name extraction, family history and temple work. She loved to go to the temple and often felt especially close to the spirit world there. She knew and understood the gospel plan and was not afraid to represent her faith. She took her church callings very seriously and loved visiting teaching. There is no doubt she is surrounded now by those she touched through these callings.

In her later years she reconnected with Ronnie Bray. They remarried in 2018.

She is survived by her husband Ronnie Aubrey-Bray; children AnnDee Bray, Curtis Bray, Warren Hunt, Leland (Lena) Hunt and Skye (Kevin) Mader; grandchildren Shaine (Stephanie) Wagner, Lindsay Wagner, Carrie Wagner, BobbiAnn (Matt) Schell, Darrion Hunt, Olivia (Levi) Vierkandt, Spencer Hunt, Mariah Mader, Genavive Mader, Lillian Mader and John Mader; and great-grandchildren Steven (Ashton) Wagner, Carson Wagner, Ashley Wagner, Carter Vargas, Logan Marr, Faith Wagner, Tayler Wagner, Jaxon Hendricks and Silas Schell.

The family is especially thankful for the love and care Ezme received at the New Horizons Care Center.   

A service will be held Saturday, Nov. 11, at 2 p.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Cowley. There will be a reception tea prior to the service at 12:30 p.m. Interment will follow the service at the Cowley Cemetery.

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