Ila Hess Wilberg

BURLEY – Ila Hess Wilberg, age 89, peacefully passed away on December 6, 2022, in Weiser, Idaho of complications from COVID-19 along with natural causes.

She was born March 20, 1933, in Malad, Idaho, to Royce and El Reva Hess, the 6th child of ten, two sisters and seven brothers. Her family moved to Burley, Idaho not long after she was born where she graduated from Burley High School. After High School, Ila moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, and began working at ZIONS bank. At a dance she met James Sewell, who was in the Air Force and stationed at Hill Air Force Base. They were married March 14, 1955, and were the parents of three children, Darwin, Darla, and Doug. They were stationed and lived in several places during his time of service, Clearfield, Utah; Tachikawa, Japan; Houston, Texas; Layton, Utah; Macon, Georgia and Layton and Sunset, Utah. They were later divorced in 1974.

Ila worked in the accounting department at Hill Air Force Base where she retired after 30 years. She joined a single square dancing club and enjoyed it very much. She met Bryan Wilberg while at a dance and they spent many nights a week dancing together. Soon after they decided to become permanent dancing partners and were married on April 7, 1984. They were sealed a year later in the Ogden Utah Temple, on April 12, 1985. With this union their family expanded by adding Bryan’s four children, Brenda, Nadine, Gayle, and Russell. They lived in Sunset, Utah, for the next 15 years. They continued to square dance for many years until the pain in her knees and hips no longer allowed her to dance. They had property in Joe’s Valley, Utah, where they spent many memorable years camping with family and friends. Bryan was diagnosed with Leukemia and passed away in 2007. She continued living in Sunset until 2009 then decided to move to Ontario, Oregon, to live with her daughter.

Ila was preceded in death by her parents; two sisters, Lola Taylor and Eunice Miller; four brothers, Roy, Wayne, Ronald, and Lloyd Hess; her son, Darwin Sewell; one grandson, Joshua Sewell; and sons-in-law, Kyle Adams and John Starr.

She is survived by three brothers, Dallas, Loren and Garth Hess; her daughter, Darla Starr; her son, Doug (Lucy) Sewell; and stepchildren, Brenda (Mike) Larsen, Nadine Adams, Gayle (Keith) Doxey, and Russel (Amy) Wilberg; 24 grandchildren; and 31 great-grandchildren.

Her desire was to be buried by her parents in Burley, Idaho.

A graveside service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, December 17, at Gem Memorial Gardens, located at 2435 Overland Ave., in Burley.

A visitation prior to the service will be held from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. at Rasmussen-Wilson Funeral Home, located at 1350 E. 16th St., in Burley.