Lila Alta Burton Bjorklund, 87, founder of Utah Girls' Village (now Utah Youth Village) died Thursday, April 25, 2002, at Cottonwood Hospital
Mrs. Bjorklund was dedicated to changing children's lives and spent the greater part of her life working for abused, abandoned, and ungovernable children.
She founded Utah Girls' Village in 1969 in response to a cry for help from judges, social workers and parents. While programs were available for boys, abused and troubled girls were either placed in inadequate foster homes or in detention. Mrs. Bjorklund brought together other women leaders, and they raised the funds, confounded skeptics, ruined two cars hauling building materials and built two group homes for girls.
Under her direction, the village began caring for troubled boys also in 1989. Shortly thereafter, the village started serving younger children and now helps entire families.
Mrs. Bjorklund was a member of the State Board of Education for 10 years and as chairman of the state board from 1980-81. While on the state board, she was assigned to represent the board at conferences on equal opportunities for women. She worked with Title IX and its effects on elementary and secondary education.
She spent 10 years on the Utah Parent Teacher Association board, first as legislative chairman, then first vice president and later as president. She pioneered PTA's Critical Issues Conferences and served on many state and national committees, boards and councils, most of which advocated children's issues.
On the Salt Lake Council of Women, she was chairwoman of the Education Committee, then was president in 1960-61 and worked for better detention facilities and courts for juveniles. She is a member of that group's Hall of Fame.
Until Mrs. Bjorklund's recent decline in health, she spent most of her time working with troubled children through the village. Even in her late 80s she continued to come into the office and, though she used a wheelchair, attended every graduation from Utah Youth Village and gave each child a handmade quilt.
Born in Ogden, she attended Weber State College.
Mrs. Bjorklund received many awards, including the Presidential Citation from Brigham Young University and, more recently, the Thousand Points of Light in 1998.
Funeral will be held Monday, April 29, at noon in the Ensign 3rd Ward chapel, Ninth Avenue and K Street. Friends may call Sunday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Larkin Mortuary, 260 E. South Temple, and at the meetinghouse Monday from 10 to 11:30 a.m. prior to services. Burial will be in the Salt Lake City Cemetery.