Vonda Hillam Biorn November 22, 2020 - May 27, 1926

Vonda Hillam Biorn (94) most recently of Eagle, Idaho, passed away on Sunday, November 22, 2020 at Foxtail Care, from causes incident to age.  Vonda was born May 27, 1926 to Laura May Lemmon and George Marvin Hillam in Marysville, Idaho.  She was the 3^rd of 7 children.  She grew up in Idaho and as an adult also lived in Oregon & Washington.

On June 4^th of 1946, Vonda was married to Frank Revere Biorn in the Idaho Falls Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the same day and in the same place that her sister Grace married Howard Murdoch.  Frank and Vonda had met four months earlier at the Marysville Ward Reunion, where she was singing in the program.  Frank turned and said to his father, “That’s going to be my wife.”

Vonda was an educator.  She received an Associates Degree in Education from Ricks College (now BYU- Idaho) in 1946 and taught third grade for six years.  She later worked as a school district librarian for 5 years, an elementary school librarian, and a high school librarian.  In 1970, Vonda received her BA in Education from Eastern Washington University, having taken most of her coursework during the summers.  Vonda ended her career as the librarian at Decatur High School in Federal Way, Washington, where she also taught calligraphy and demonstrated the art of caramel making in the Home & Family Living Classes.  In all, Vonda taught for 36 years and substitute taught for several years after her retirement.

In May of 1995, Vonda and Frank were called to a service mission at the Church Employment Center in Renton, Washington for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  Vonda was active in the church throughout her life, and when she wrote her personal history in 2001, she left her testimony as follows:

I would like my family to know that I have a strong testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Each year that I live it is more evident that the Savior lives and that he loves me and my family.  I am so grateful for His atoning sacrifice for us.  I know that He forgives me of my sins and shortcomings and helps me to overcome all of my imperfections.

I have had a wonderful life and would like my family to know that I appreciate and love them for making it so.

Vonda is survived by her oldest sister, Nina Myers of Idaho Falls, ID and her only brother, Rulon Hillam of Blackfoot, ID, three of her four sons, Jex (Deanna) of Star, ID, Kerry of Alpine, UT, her daughter in law, Arlie of Medford, NJ and Ned (Theresa) of Auburn, WA, sixteen grandchildren and  fifty four Great-grandchildren.  She was preceeded in death by her husband, Frank, her son Andy, and two grandchildren, Nils & Finn.

A viewing will be held at Bowman Funeral Home in Garden City, Idaho on Dec. 4^th from 5:00 to 7:00 pm.  Graveside services will be held at the Tahoma Veteran’s Cemetery in Kent Washington on Dec. 8^th at 1:30 pm

To view the service virtually on Friday, December 4, 2020 please visit https://www.bowmanfuneral.com/livestream/  The service will begin at 5:00 pm

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