John Lane Willis

According to John Lane (J.L.) Willis, Jr., the doctor went over the mountain on horseback in a snowstorm to deliver him on December 29, 1923 in Laketown, Utah. His parents John Lane Willis, Sr. and Lillian Gheen had to pay the doctor fee of $5, with groceries. He grew up helping his family with their sheep business and had only been to Salt Lake City a couple of times when he graduated from Rich High School in Laketown, Utah. His world began to expand when he obtained a job with the FBI in Washington DC, working as a fingerprint classifier. Later, he enlisted in the Navy and was stationed in Hawaii and the Philippines during World War II. He was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and left for a mission in the Northern Central States mission from Clifton, Idaho where his family had resettled. He obtained B.S. and M.S. degrees from USU where he was a member of the Delta Phi Fraternity. On December 23, 1953, he married LaRue Belnap in the Logan, L.D.S. Temple. Shortly after their marriage he joined the Junior Chamber of Commerce and became an insurance salesman.

Having lived in many places, he concluded that Logan was the best place and the people of Logan were the best on earth. He was an avid reader of the Herald Journal. He clipped and saved obituaries of his friends.

As a younger man he loved to water ski and snowmobile. He was always interested in new ideas and new products. He was an active gardener even in his later years and developed his own method for planting corn. He was dedicated to his Church callings and served in the Bishopric in a rest home. He enjoyed working in the Logan Temple Baptistry . He took pride in his last calling to make sure the church was locked up every night.

He is survived by his wife LaRue, their seven children (spouses in parenthesis) Crystal McKenna (Geoffrey) of Alexandria, VA, Linda Rasmussen (Derk)of Farmington, UT, David Willis (Carol) of Murray UT, Carrie Saunders (Richard) of Martin, TN, Dale Willis (Amanda) of Logan, Craig Willis (Tanlee) of Logan and Jeff Willis of Lehi, UT. John and LaRue have 30 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Just as he was not born in a hospital, he did not die in a hospital. He left peacefully surrounded by his wife and his family in his home in North Logan on August 25, 2011.

Funeral Services will be at the North Logan 2nd Ward LDS chapel at 1105 E 2100 N. at 11:00am, Aug 31, 2011. Viewing Tuesday, Aug. 30 at the Allen Mortuary 420 E. 1800 N, North Logan from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. and at the church on Wednesday from 9:30 to 10:30 am. Interment will be in the Logan City Cemetery.
Condolences and memories may be shared with the family at www.allenmortuaries.net