Spending 96 years serving, loving, teaching, and caring, Anna Virginia Johnson tiptoed quietly out of this life and into the next. She was born on Dec. 28, 1920 to Robert August Larsen and Anna Kjerstine Nielsen and died on Feb. 21, 2017. She married Walter T. Johnson on March 9, 1942.
Virginia was a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She enjoyed many callings including Stake and Ward Relief Society President, Gospel Doctrine Teacher, and Primary Teacher. Walt and Virginia also served many years in the Salt Lake Temple doing ordinance work. After Walt's death, Virginia served as a Church Service Missionary for three years in the member locator department. Something she wanted her family to remember was her testimony of Joseph Smith. This is a quote from her life story:
"I remember also the first time I knew for sure that Joseph Smith was the prophet. We had just started our new, what we're still working on now, where we took a book each year, like the book of Mormon and studied it all that year, and Thelma Hardman was to give the lesson and she wanted to do a story on Joseph Smith and it was partly a testimony meeting on Sunday and so she wanted to be sure that after she finished her little presentation that someone would get up immediately and bear their testimony that Joseph Smith was the prophet, and she said, ‘Virginia, would you mind doing that?' I told her of course not. Then I got to thinking when I got home, ‘How can I? I don't know if he was a prophet or not. I never thought about it.' So I thought I better do some studying and so I started doing some reading, reading about his life and reading some of the articles on him and as I studied, I found myself doing more crying and saying how I was trying to get a testimony of Joseph Smith and so the more I studied, it just seemed like I couldn't control my weeping and the spirit witnessed to me that Joseph Smith truly was a prophet. That was fine, I accepted it and the Sunday morning came and Thelma showed the little movie for about 20 minutes on Joseph Smith and how he went into the grove to pray and I tell you I was crying so hard and I knew I had to stand up and bear my testimony, I was almost sobbing, I was so touched by that movie and the spirit that I had about that, and so I stood up to bear my testimony and it was the hardest thing I ever had to do, but I'm sure they knew it was sincere because if tears are any witness as to your feelings, I shed enough that morning and during that testimony to know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, and that testimony I can share with my children. It was a hard testimony for me to gain. It took me the whole week of study, and I prayed about it. I think that's what helped, when I finally knelt down and asked for the spirit to let me know how I should feel about this. Then it seemed like everything I picked up bore witness to me that he was a prophet."
A devoted mother, she spent most of her days caring for her children. In her later years, she became an accomplished artist. Her favorite artist was Thomas Kincaid and she painted many of his works with her own special twist. She also enjoyed other hobbies including ceramics, cross-stitch, crotchet, and sewing. Virginia was well-known for her rose bushes and seemed to have a green thumb for almost any flower or vegetable that she planted.
Virginia really enjoyed travel, although she did very little until after her husband passed away. They had a time share in Palm Springs, so every six months they would spend time in California. But later Virginia was able to travel to Europe with her son and then again with her daughter. She also enjoyed several cruises with family and friends.
Virginia raised her family in Glendale Park in the Cannon Stake. Later she moved to Capri Homes where she lived for 17 years and served as Treasurer for 10 years. During this time she also cared for her siblings at the end of their lives.
Virginia was preceded in death by one sister, six brothers, her husband, and a son.
She is survived by her children, Gregg Johnson and Kathleen, Brian Johnson and Judy, Pattee Burton and Grant, Claudia Petersen and Scott, and Becky Johnson (spouse of son, Bruce Johnson, who preceded her in death). She has 27 grandchildren, 80 great grandchildren, and 1 great-great granddaughter.
Funeral services will be on Saturday, March 4th at 11:00 a.m. at the Crescent Ridge 5th Ward Chapel, 11164 S. Londonderry, Sandy, Utah. A viewing will be held Friday, March 3rd from 6 to 8 p.m. at Larkin Sunset Gardens, 1950 E Dimple Dell Road, Sandy and March 4th from 10 to 10:50 a.m. at the chapel. Interment will be at the Murray City Cemetery.
