We received the saddening news this morning of our dear friend and colleague, Loni Gardner, passing away on July 4th. Her obituary on the Russon Brothers Mortuary website reveals that Loni Gayle Johnson was born on March 4, 1944, in Phoenix, Arizona, to the family of Lloyd Douglas and Eva (Haymore) Johnson. She married Marvin Ray Gardner on May 14, 1965, at the LDS temple in Mesa, Arizona.
For almost two decades, Loni was an integral part of our team at the Salt Lake Christmas Tour held annually in Salt Lake City. Loni was passionate about assisting people in tracing their ancestry. Besides offering one-on-one consultations to attendees, she presented lectures and annually led a Legacy Software discussion group.
Loni was exceptional and we cherished her. Her absence will greatly be felt. Our thanks to genealogists Dwight Radford and Kevan Hanson for sharing the news this morning.
Loni and Marvin spent their lives in Phoenix and Paradise Valley, Arizona; Bethesda and Rockville, Maryland, before finally settling in Bountiful, Utah. Together they brought up six children with utmost love whilst simultaneously pursuing her other interests such as genealogy, church activities, cub scouts, joy school, and civic responsibilities.
A viewing for close family members will commence at the Russon Mortuary at 295 N. Main St., Bountiful, Utah, at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, July 10, 2020. The graveside service will follow at Lakeview Memorial Cemetery (1640 E. Lakeview Drive, Bountiful, Utah) at 3:00 p.m. Russon Mortuary will live-stream the service on Facebook at around 3 pm MDT Friday – simply search for Russon Brothers Mortuary.
Loni has left an enduring legacy behind. If you knew Loni and want to pay your tribute, there’s a Tribute Wall on the mortuary’s website.
For the complete obituary or to leave a note on the Tribute Wall, please visit the Russon Brothers Mortuary website at: https://www.russonmortuary.com/obituary/Loni-Gardner