Obituary: June Morley Stilson, Sept. 17, 1921 – June 22, 2021

June Morley Stilson passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family on June 22, 2021, at the age of 99 years and 9 months old. June is survived by her six children, Richard Stilson (Patti), Lonnie Stilson, Karen Buchanan, Joy Faust, Mont Stilson (Rebbeca) and Terry Stilson; her 14 grandchildren; her 29 great-grandchildren; her 35 great-great-grandchildren and four great-great-great-grandchildren. She was the mother of six generations.

June was born on September 17, 1921, in Scofield, Utah. She was the firstborn of six children: June, Kathryn, Beverly, Bill, Bob, and Clark Morley. The family stayed in Scofield until June finished the second grade and then moved to Springville, Utah, where she attended the Grant School and finished her education.

In July of 1935, June went to a concert where she met John “Lewis” Stilson. They were married on September 11 of that same year and in the years following had six children.

In 1948, they moved to Moab during the start of the Uranium boom. They later purchased a ranch in Mt. Pleasant, Utah, then returned to Moab in 1961 and stayed for several years.

In 1991, June decided to make Moab her home. She worked for many years in Moab’s downtown gift shops and finally retired at the age of 80.

She always wanted to go and be part of her family’s activities. She hiked the Rim Trail several times in her late 70s and even took a 4-wheeler ride through John Brown Canyon into Gateway, Colorado, to have lunch and rode back to the La Sals at the age of 89.

June was born to Nellie Harkness Morley and Roscoe Isaac Morley, the grandson of Father Isaac Morley. With help from Yvonne Adamson and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, June completed her genealogy in the church and did Temple work for her and her family members. June always supported her religion and her work will surely be appreciated by her family for generations to come.

She was truly an amazing woman and an inspiration to us all, it is with pride and honor that today we celebrate her life and we feel privileged to say, “she is where we came from.”

A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, June 30 at 11 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Stake Center (701 Locust Ln, Moab). A viewing will be held on Tuesday, June 29 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Spanish Valley Mortuary and for one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment at the Sunset Memorial Gardens Cemetery will follow the service. You may send condolences to the family at www.spanishvalleymortuary.com

      Maggie McGuire has been the publisher of the Moab Sun News since 2021.

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