Bonita T. (Bonnie) Lloyd

ELBA – Bonita (Bonnie) T. Lloyd, 75, of Elba, passed away on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2015, at Parke View Rehabilitation and Care Center.

She was born Aug. 7, 1939, in Almo, Idaho, the youngest of six children, four boys and two girls, to Joseph Ensign and Emma Ottella Eames Tracy. She had a carefree childhood and a wonderful relationship with her father whom she loved dearly up until the time of his death when she was 14 years old. She considered herself lucky to be born to parents who were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and who gave her a wonderful upbringing within the confines of that organization. Bonnie enjoyed eight grades of school in Almo, Idaho, after which she graduated from Raft River High School in Malta, Idaho. She then attended a semester of college at Utah State University in Logan, Utah. In January of 1958, she married Arlo Parish Lloyd and in April of that year she journeyed to Alaska where Arlo worked for the BLM survey crew all summer. Their daughter, Arlene, was born there and Bonnie flew home with her baby daughter to stay with her mother until Arlo drove home in October. They lived in Elba until the next summer, returning to Alaska again for the short survey season. Arlo and Bonnie settled down in Elba, and Arlo started drilling water wells for a living. That also involved some traveling and their second daughter, Shellie, was born in Malad, Idaho in 1962. In September of 1967, Arlo and Bonnie were sealed in the Logan Utah LDS Temple. In 1971, they moved to Almo where they lived until 1978 when they moved back to Elba. Arlo and Bonnie always loved traveling, whether for fun or to work at various jobs. Besides Alaska, they spent time working and living in Nevada, California, and Hawaii. They also enjoyed traveling in all the other states from coast to coast as well as Mexico. Music played an important part of Bonnie’s life; her parents even sacrificed to drive her to lessons in Burley when it wasn’t as easy to travel there as it is now. For most of her life Bonnie played the piano and the organ in the various auxiliaries of the church, accompanying congregations as well as individuals for special numbers. Some of her most treasured times were spent playing the piano while she and her daughters sang for fun. In later years when she wasn’t traveling with her husband, she was at home spending time with, and helping to raise her 10 grandchildren. Bonnie’s family meant everything to her and they all have very precious memories of time spent with her. Her health declined in the last years of her life and it slowed her down some, but she still loved being with all of her many family members and friends. Her sense of humor remained with her right up until the end. She was preceded in death by her parents and three brothers. She is survived by her daughters, Arlene (Marvin) Ward of Elba and Shellie (Kay) Hill of Burley; 12 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren; her brother Larry Tracy and her sister Donna Zollinger. Bonnie’s family would like to extend their heartfelt appreciation to those professionals, family members, friends, and neighbors who spent time taking care of her. There are too many to mention individually, however, they will be remembered for the indispensable help they gave. The funeral will be held at 1 p.m. Monday, Feb. 9, at the Elba LDS Church. Burial will be in the Grand View Cemetery in Elba.

Friends may call from 5 until 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 8, at the Rasmussen Funeral Home, 1350 E. 16th St., in Burley, and from noon until 12:45 p.m. Monday at the church.