Shirley Larue Johnson

Shirley LaRue Palmer Johnson, passed away on November 25, 2020 at Teton Post Acute Care in Idaho Falls.

Shirley was born November 29, 1934, in Milo, Idaho on the Jefferson side of the Jefferson Bonneville county road a daughter of Henry Edmond Palmer and Eliza Pearl Bird Palmer.  She was born on Thanksgiving Day, which was celebrated on the last Thursday of November.  She was a special Thanksgiving present.  She was the 8 ^th of 10 children, 5 boys and 5 girls, Fern, Lorraine, Dale, Dean, Wayne, Beulah, Blaine, Shirley, Sharon and Wendell.  She attended her first 4 years of school in Bates, a country school, in Teton County Idaho.  She received the rest of her schooling in Rigby where she graduated from High School.  She loved music.  She played saxophone in the band, pep band and marching band.  After high school she worked as a telephone operator in Rigby and Idaho Falls.  At this time she met this tall, handsome man Victor Dean Johnson.  They fell in love and were married October 15, 1954 in the Idaho Falls L.D.S. Temple.  To this union was born 3 sons, Douglas Dean, Dirk Glen and Bryce L.  Shirley held many positions in the church as a primary teacher, chorister, and 2 ^nd councilor in primary.  She loved teaching the young children.  She worked in the lab for Basic American Foods in Rexburg for many years and made many friends who missed her when she retired.  She wanted to have time to enjoy with Dean. She loved her family, children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and step grandchildren.

Shirley is survived by her sons Douglas (Tina) Johnson, Dirk Johnson, Bryce (Michelle) Johnson, 9 grandchildren, Brooke (Fred) Bradfield, Tyrell (Tonya) Johnson, Tate, Zachary, Dawn and Brycin Johnson, Eric, Meagan (deceased) Johnson, Ryan Johnson, 7 great grandchildren, A.J., Mason and Charley Bradfield, Addison and Gunner Johnson, and Jasmine and Kaitlyn Johnson.

Graveside service will be held at 1:00 p.m. at the Milo Cemetery on Wednesday, December 2, 2020 under the direction of Eckersell Funeral Home in Rigby.