Sandra Jean Johnson, born February 22, 1941, passed away peacefully and unexpectedly at home with her cat and dog by her side on February 19, 2022.

Mom was born in Logan, Cache County, Utah on a dairy farm in College Ward that also grew hay and beets. She helped her dad, Nick Johnson, tend the fields and shoo the cows to other pastures. She said she always struggled getting them to mind, her thin, tan arms waving in the air to get them to go this way or that. Mom’s mother, Rosalie Johnson (nee Marshall), could be found home cooking and tending house. Mom had an older brother, Wendell Johnson, and an older sister, Carol Bowen. Mom developed a deep love of animals on the farm, which carried over to her adult life.

She attended Cache Valley High before moving to California to finish her schooling. It was in California that she met our dad, Jim Lytle, 7 years her senior, jet black hair, Levi’s, white t-shirt and Elvis charm. He played records for her and took her to some of the first restaurants she’d ever been to. They married and had three children, Kelsie (Kelly) Mortensen, James (Jim) Lytle and Lisa Morehouse.

Mom and Dad were married over 20 years before their marriage ended, upon which mom met and married Ken Kilburn. They, too, were married for over 20 years, and she said he was the love of her life.

Mom worked several jobs before retiring from AAA, where she made many friends that remained friends to her final day. In fact, it was because of these friends, who were concerned she hadn’t shown up to a going away party, that they checked on her and found her passed away, looking peaceful. Thank you, Dennis Lewis. We are so grateful.

Mom made dear friends with many of her neighbors, who all kept tabs on each other and always lent a helping hand. Thank you, Gail Dominguez, for also being there that night and calling 911. You were so compassionate and respectful to her in life and death.

Mom made many dear friends from her years of volunteering at the ACS Discovery Shop. She was in charge of the children’s section and boy, you had better not put an adult item in there (the shop ladies will get that!). Almost daily, she would walk a three-mile round trip path from her house in Cutten. Along the way, she would see the same people and many felt they knew her, without ever knowing her name. She made many friends this way, too.

Her walks could have been boring, but not for mom. On her route, she rescued snakes, left notes for strangers, played pranks, looked for coins or collected apples to feed to the horses.

Mom was an avid quilter over the years and could embroider like no other. Her quilts are remarkable and sprinkled throughout the county and even the world!

Mom had a huge love of baseball, particularly the SF Giants. Her dream was to live in San Francisco and walk to every home game. For her 75th birthday, her daughters took her to a spring training game. Her only wish for her birthday was “to touch Angel Pagan.” Well, her wish came true and she also got to tell him he was “a beautiful man.” We joke that that was her first visit to Heaven.

Sandra is survived by her daughters, Kelly Mortensen and Lisa Morehouse, her son Jim Lytle, sons-in-law Wayne Mortensen and Jim Morehouse, nephews Dewey, Marshall and Nicky Bowen, her grandchildren Alexa and Maria Morehouse, Gary Lytle, Clifton, Matt, Michael, Kelsie, Alex, Thomas and Mark Mortensen and her great-grandchildren Holden, Loyal and Davis Mortensen, Grayson Mortensen, Miles and Marshall Martindale and Shiloh Lewis.

Because of Sandra’s love of animals and baseball, we ask that in lieu of flowers, please donate to the Sequoia Humane Society or your local youth baseball league.

A memorial will be held to celebrate Sandra’s life at the Eureka Woman’s Club 1531 J Street, Eureka, CA on Saturday, March 26, 2022, at 2 p.m. Thank you to all who loved her and looked out for her. Life will not be the same without her. She was smart, compassionate and made the world a better place in lots of little ways.

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