Loahnna "Loni" Thornhill Gilliland, 52, passed away peacefully at her home, surrounded by her family, March 11, 1996, after a courageous three-year battle with ovarian cancer.
She was born October 26, 1943 in Tylertown, Mississippi, to Desmer Lewis and Veda Lewis Thornhill. She married Craig Funk on September 3, 1965 in the Salt Lake Temple. They were later divorced. She married Robert L. Gilliland on December 27, 1991 in the Las Vegas, Nevada Temple. Loni graduated from Shreveport, Louisiana public schools and then attended and graduated from Brigham Young University. Her husband's Air Force career took the family to many locations including Oklahoma, Texas, South Carolina, Okinawa, Colorado, Arizona and England. The family settled in Del Rio, Texas and then lived in Las Cruces, New Mexico, prior to moving to Logan, Utah in 1992. Loni is a member of the Logan 24th Ward, of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She had served in various leadership callings in the church.Loni is survived by her husband, Robert, Logan; her five living children, Lance (Sharley) Funk, Salt Lake City; Cheryl (Ralph) Savage, Provo, Utah; Brad, Amber and Clark Funk, Logan; the four Gilliland children, Kimberly Valentine, Robert C. Gilliland and Robyn (Stephen) Edens, Albuquerque, New Mexico; Michele Gilliland, Las Cruces, New Mexico; four grandchildren; her mother, Veda Thornhill, Shreveport, Louisiana; two sisters, Katie (Max) Dunford, Las Cruces, New Mexico; Fran (Gary) Dunford, Cedar City, Utah; and numerous cousins, nephews and nieces. Loni was preceded in death by her daughter, Dana and her father.
Funeral services Saturday, March 16, 1996 at 11 a.m. in the Logan 24th LDS Ward Chapel, 1260 North 1600 East, Logan with Bishop Robert L. Jensen officiating. Friends may call at the Allen-Hall Mortuary, 34 East Center Street, Logan, Utah on Friday evening from 6-8 p.m. and at the church on Saturday from 9:30-10:45 a.m. prior to services. Burial will be in the Logan City Cemetery.
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