Sadie Lamona Cloward Wilson passed away June 5.

Sadie was born April 7, 1935, a beautiful spring day, to Isaac Lee and Jessie Virginia Cloward in Mackay, Idaho. She joined two brothers and three sisters. Later, her parents took in her nephew, Larry, as his father was killed in a work accident.

She loved going to movies as a child. Her mother kept quarters in an Alka-Seltzer bottle in the flour bin. Her mother would fish the bottle out and give her money to go to the movies.

When she got older, she worked at the movie theater taking tickets. She also worked at the local cafe washing dishes and prepping food. She would never do any waitressing, however. She never wanted to work out front at the restaurant.

Lamona was 16 when Wes told his friend that he was going to marry that girl as soon as he saw her on the street of Mackay. He asked for directions to somewhere he knew the way so he could meet her. The next day he convinced her to take him and his friend home to dinner so he could meet her parents. You see, he had really decided he was going to marry her. He had a great talk with her dad, and started writing and dating her. He told her in a letter he would like to marry her on July 5. So, on July 5, 1952, Lamona married Wesley Wilson in a small wedding at her parents’ home in Mackay.

Nine months after their marriage, Wesley was drafted into the Army. After boot camp, Wes was sent to New Jersey to ship out to Korea. Lamona rode the bus back east with him from California to New Jersey. She then rode the bus back by herself. What an adventure for a small town girl, but she wanted to spend every minute she could with him. She loved him so deeply and dearly. In Korea, he was nearly killed by a sniper, but heard a voice tell him to move just as the sniper fired. And dad said he listened and moved. That was dad’s first instance pf listening to the Holy Ghost.

When he returned from Korea, they went to Roseburg and helped build a new house for Grandma Wilson. They both had saved enough money to buy their first truck when they got back together. They rented their first home and furnished it with thrift store furniture, some of which she still had at the time of her passing. She was always proud of the little nest egg they had saved while he was in the Army. She always had a little tucked away over the years.

In 1956, four years after they were married, they had a little girl, Achsa Virginia. Thirteen months later, they had Sterling Lee, then Kenneth Dean, and Cody Wayne. In 1977, they adopted William Wesley. Willie was sealed to them on their 25th wedding anniversary, as well as Virginia and Alan marrying in the Salt Lake City Temple.

Over the years, they lived in John Day, Bend, La Pine, Mount Vernon, and Burns. After Wes passed away, Lamona moved to Sun City, Ariz., where she lived with Alan and Virginia.

Lamona and Wes homesteaded and developed many properties. They enjoyed this a great deal, always having a garden, a few horses, and family to surround them.

Lamona loved to sew, garden, read books, and study her scriptures. She enjoyed hand work, both cross stitch and embroidery.

Lamona is survived by her five children, Virginia and Alan of Sun City, Lee and Pam of Burns, Kenneth of Cave Junction, Cody and Adele of Mount Vernon, and Willie of Burns; 16 grandchildren; 36 great-grandchildren; Jessie Lee Marcy, her beloved great-great-grandchild; and brother, Larry Cloward.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Wesley Wilson; her parents; five siblings; and daughter-in-law, Felizia Wilson, Kenneth’s beloved wife. She also leaves behind many dear friends. She was a true friend to many and would always keep confidences.