Ila Shumway Johnson

September 9,1922 ~ March 28, 2021

Ila Shumway Johnson was born on September 9, 1922 to Seth and Vivian Shumway. She was raised in Blanding, UT with her six brothers and five sisters. She graduated from San Juan High School in 1941. She married her childhood sweetheart, Kay P. Johnson, on November 7, 1941 in the Manti Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

She followed him to Colorado, Texas, and California during WWII, working at odd jobs while he was on base. After returning home, she worked at several different businesses before beginning a family. They were blessed after nine years with a baby boy, Sheldon.

She was called as a missionary, along with her husband, to the Navajo reservation, at that time known as the Southwest Indian Mission. They took their little boy with them and enjoyed working with the people there.

Ila was 34 years old when their family began to increase by leaps and bounds. Four little girls came in the next six years, and life got busy. Ila always said it was having children so late in life that kept her young.

She took care of her own mother and father for many years. She worked at Blanding Elementary as the lunch supervisor, held many positions in the LDS church, wrote poetry and many skits for high school assemblies, watched ball games (football, basketball, volleyball, and little league), played softball, cooked lots and lots of rolls (she is kinda famous for them!), babysat grandkids and even great-grandkids, and has raised a garden every year and bottled the fruits of her labor. Whew! She loved to read, learn, watch the Jazz and BYU, and visit and be around family.

Ila passed away while in her sleep on March 28, 2021. She was 98 years old – maybe the oldest living person in Blanding at the time.

She is survived by her five children, Sheldon, Dantzelle Einerson (Dick), Ramona Lyman (David), Liz Adams, and Stacey Webb (Chris); 18 grandchildren and 59 great-grandkids; and four of her siblings, Clea Johnson, Virginia Redd, IvaLou Perkins, Joey Holliday.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Kay Johnson; two grandsons, Dustin Johnson and Kevin Sanchez; one great-grandson, Kayj Shumway; son-in-law, Kent Adams; her parents; and seven of her siblings.

Card of thanks
We would like to thank the Blanding Seventh ward for all of their help, Dr. Zeb Crofts and staff for their concern and care for mom, Zions Way Hospice for their help and concern, and everyone for the kindness and love you have shown during this difficult time.

The Family of Ila Johnson
Sheldon Johnson & Family
Dantzelle & Dick Einerson and Family
Ramona & David Lyman and Family
Liz Adams and Family
Stacey & Chris Webb and Family