Venla Lilly

Venla Johnson Lilly was born in Lakeside, Arizona, on the third of May 1929. She passed peacefully at home on Wednesday June 21, 2023, with her daughter, Crystal Lilly McIlvain and cousin, Barbara Jennings Bore, by her side. She was 94.

Venla is preceded in death by: her parents, Willa and Tony Johnson; her husband, Oren Lilly; stepson, Bruce Lilly; stepdaughter, Lenora Whiting; her sisters, Fern, Leola, Janice, June, and Pat; her brothers, Glen and Dee Johnson.

She is survived by: her children, Loren (Jill) Lilly, Irene (John) Barney, Crystal (Terry) McIlvain; stepdaughter, Lorraine (Merwin) Fish; extended family, Ellie Dubois, Donna Murphy, and Carla Dean. She leaves enumerable grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and special friends who’s lives she’s touched in so many ways.

Funeral services for Venla will be conducted Saturday, July 1, 2023, at 12:00 p.m.(noon), at the Mt. Graham Chapel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Bishop Jonathon Stailey of the Safford 7th Ward. Concluding services will follow in the Lebanon Cemetery.

Family will receive friends Friday evening, June 30, 2023, from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., at the Vining Funeral Home and Saturday morning, July 1, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. until 11:45 a.m., in the Mt. Graham Chapel Relief Society room.

Those who would like to attend the services via Facebook Live can join on Vining Funeral Home's Facebook page, Saturday afternoon, July 1, 2023, at 12:00 p.m. (MST).