Laura Johnson

Laura Mae (Baxter) Johnson (84) of Sandy Utah, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family on October 15th, 2023, after the long goodbye.

Laura was born to Earnest and Berdella (Sorensen) Baxter on October 9, 1939 in Gunnison, Utah where she grew up. Laura attended and graduated from Gunnison Valley High School. Go Bulldogs! She also attended Stephen’s Henger college in Salt Lake City Utah where she studied business, and graduated in 1959.

Laura met Gary Lee Johnson at a dance at the Avalon Ballroom in 1961. They were sealed for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake City temple on November 10, later that same year, by Mark E Petersen. Gary and Laura were married 59 years before he passed in 2020.

Laura and Gary spent the majority of their married years in Sandy, Utah where they raised their four boys. They instilled a love for family, deep family roots and hard work.

Laura spent the majority of her career working as an Executive Assistant at Becton Dickinson. She retired from there in 1999. However, she continued to work at Lonnie’s Cleaners where she had put in 30 years of service at her “second job.”

Laura had a strong belief in serving others. In fact, in the last few months of her life she attended the day program at the Neighborhood House. While she was attending, she believed she was there to serve others and take care of the little kids that attend daycare in the other half of the building.

Laura thoroughly loved spending time in the mountains with her sweetheart Gary. Together they loved camping and fishing with the Sundowner Sam’s Group. She took every opportunity to travel with the group and her family. In fact, Laura was the secretary of the Sam’s group and loved to do all the trip planning for everyone.

Laura was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and had a great love for family history and genealogy. Recently, she spent a lot of her time looking at old photographs and reading family journals. She loved it.

Laura is preceded in death by her husband, Gary, her parents, Ernest and Berdella Baxter and her older brother, Raymond Baxter. Laura and Gary also had an angel baby girl before the boys were born. Oh, what a great reunion they must all be having!

She is survived by her four boys, Kevin, Scott (Jolene), Brian (Christine) and Darren (Angie) and her 9 grandchildren, Eric, Cameron, Brady, Ethan, Logan (Ember), Andrew, Emma (Parker),Talon and Shelby. Laura loved each and every member of her family, but especially her grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held October 21, 2023 at 11:00 am at the Midvale East 5th Ward, 240 E. Forbush Ave. A viewing will be held on Friday, October 20, 2023 from 6-8 pm at Goff Mortuary, 8090 South State Street, Midvale, Utah and one hour prior to services on Saturday at the ward house. Interment at the Sandy City Cemetery.

A zoom link for the service is provided below for those that cannot attend in person. https://zoom.us/j/94453831750