Vyonne Edmondson

PAUL – Vyonne Patterson Edmondson died peacefully Friday, July 23, 2021, just about a week shy of her 97th birthday, at her apartment in Paul, Idaho. She was born August 1, 1924, in the small town of Bloomington, Idaho, in the Bear Lake Valley to Joseph Peter and Elva Thornock Patterson. She was second to the youngest of ten children.

She went to grade school in Bloomington, Idaho. She graduated from Fielding High School in Paris, Idaho, in 1942. She participated in music, drama, and the Spartanette Club. After graduation, in the autumn of 1942, she worked for Dr. Spencer H. Rich until December 1943. In May 1944, she moved to Burley where she stayed with her sister and brother-in-law, Della and Claude Bingham, and family. She worked for Claude at Campbell’s Produce Co.

In 1945, while learning a square dance for a Gold-and-Green ball, she met Arvis Edmondson. Even though they were dancing with opposite partners for the floor show, something sparked. They decided to dance through life together and were married in the Idaho Falls Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on May 28, 1947. In her own words, she “stepped on his toes many times since.”

In 1949, they built the ArVon Theatre in Paul; the name of it was a combination of their names. They ran the theatre for many years showing English and Spanish shows.

Vyonne was a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints all of her life. She was baptized in a ditch near her home. She served in many capacities including visiting teaching, Primary, nursery, Cub Scouts, compassionate service, etc. She was a member of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers for 62 years.

Vyonne was described as having a lot of spunk, a great sense of humor, always being kind, and adventurous (she traveled a good portion of the country without ever learning to drive a car). She told a story of walking from Pocatello to Minidoka on the train tracks because of a mix-up with the ticket.

She enjoyed collecting lighthouses, music boxes, nativities, and decorating for each holiday, but her deepest love was for her family and friends.

She is survived by her five children, Teresa (Jim) Lewis of Paul, Idaho, Charles (Debbie) Edmondson of Pocatello, Idaho, Elva Jo (Les) Banner of Honeyville, Utah, Peter (Toye) Edmondson of American Fork, Utah, Tyler (Deana) Edmondson of Payson, Utah; 34 grandchildren (including spouses), and 24 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband’s parents; her husband, Arvis; her three brothers, Joe, George, and Reginald Patterson; and six sisters, Della Bingham, Norma Sprouse, Lola Skinner, Virtue Wallentine, Aleene Humphries, and Barbara Hulme.

The funeral will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 31, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Paul Stake Center, 424 W. Ellis St., with Bishop Brent Browning officiating. Burial will follow at Pleasant View Cemetery in Burley.

Family and friends will be received from 5 until 7 p.m. Friday, July 30, at Rasmussen-Wilson Funeral Home, 1350 E. 16th St., in Burley, and at the church on Saturday, from 1 until 1:45 p.m.

A live webcast of the Funeral Service will be available and maintained at the following link: https://youtu.be/hWRWZJhD5k8.