Carol Ann Johnson

Born December 26, 1937 to Henry Cardwell Clegg and Marion Garland Davis Clegg, in Heber City, Utah, she was the youngest of five accomplished children.

She married LaVell Rolfson Johnson in the Salt Lake City Temple on June 6, 1958 and they remained devoted to each other as they raised their six children, Mark (Julie) Johnson, Mike (Jennifer) Johnson, Terri (Scott) Barton, Wendell (Cynthia) Johnson, Derek (Sonia) Johnson and Laura (Steve) Whitehead. She is survived by her husband, children, 28 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her parents, siblings and daughter-in-law Jennifer.

As the daughter of a dairy farmer, she learned to love animals, especially her horses and dogs. She performed tricks while riding horses bareback and trained her dogs for talent show performances. Her advice about raising children, “You treat them just like you do dogs and horses,” was delivered with sincerity and affection.

She spent her summers in the Trial Lake Lodge her father built. While “Daddy” tended to “The Lakes” in the High Uintas that formed the headwaters of the Provo River, she helped her mother sell camping supplies and candy. She also herded cattle, avoided hunters who thought she might be a deer and fended off scouts from a nearby campground. Her father named Carol Lake for her. It is filled with salamanders and hidden above Washington Lake at the base of Haystack Mountain.

A card player, beauty queen, champion debater, valedictorian and talented pianist, Carol sought to instill a love of learning in her children. She attended the University of Utah and BYU before taking a decades long pause to raise her family. Carol finished her bachelor’s degree at the U of U, attending classes there at the same time as her youngest children.

She was a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Carol served in ward and stake Relief Society presidencies, served as a church organist and taught Gospel Doctrine classes. Welcoming a refugee family from Laos into her home and including them on family vacations was just one example of her desire to “feed His sheep.” Her faith remains a powerful example and testimony to her children.

Together, Carol and LaVell developed a board game based on Yellowstone National Park and then operated a photo editing business. She loved woodworking and sewing in addition to painting on canvases, wood and even the smooth rocks she sent her kids onto the mountain to collect. As her brilliant mind succumbed to the ravages of dementia, LaVell became her sole caretaker. His example of unconditional love for his eternal “sweetheart” is transcendent.

A Memorial Service will be held Sunday, November 24, at 6:00 pm at 3650 East Millstream Lane (3510 South), Millcreek, Utah. A private burial was held on Monday, November 18 at Wasatch Lawn Cemetery.