Lela Mae Lewis, age 90, died June 10, 2024, in Hurricane, Utah. She was born on June 15, 1933, in Blythedale, Missouri, to Rolla Gordon and Venona Mae Wisman Shain. Lela had eight siblings. She recalled that there were so many children in the family that she slept in an attic with four older brothers and sisters.
We are blessed to call her Mother because in the fourth grade, she survived rheumatic fever. It took two years to recover from this, but she was determined to stay alive and stay in school.
She graduated from Blythedale High School and went to work as a waitress in Liberal, Kansas, where she met Dick L. Reynolds. She and Dick married on March 1, 1952, in Liberal. Dick and Lela had four children together – Lore, Joyce, Marc and Steven
Dick and Lela were blessed to have Marc Reynolds as one of their children. Marc was born with Down Syndrome. Due to the struggles that they encountered raising Marc, they opened the first school for the disabled in Liberal, Kansas.
Lela moved to Utah after she and Dick parted ways. She was soon baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after arriving in Utah.
Lela worked at Woolworth’s and went to both Brigham Young University and The University of Utah. She graduated from the University of Utah with a Major in Teaching. During her Senior year, she met James “Jim” C. Lewis. They were soon married in 1971 in Las Vegas, NV. Lela became a stepmother to James and Joyce Lewis. Lela began teaching in Dugway, UT because Jim worked for the military. They eventually moved to Salt Lake City, Ut. and began dabbling in real estate. This proved very successful for them for the rest of their working years. They especially enjoyed fixing up worn houses and reselling them.
Jim and Lela traveled together in a motorhome for 10 years of their retired lives together. They lived in 48 states.
Lela loved to learn new things and loved arts and crafts. Her favorite thing to do was to make something beautiful. She loved gardening, tole-painting, ceramics, and scrapbooking.
In her 80s she learned to quilt and made many beautiful quilts.
Eventually, Lela and Jim settled in Southern Utah. This was their favorite place. After Jim passed away, Lela would choose to live at The Haven Assisted Living Center in Hurricane, Utah. It was truly a haven for her. Her family would like to thank all of the residents and staff there for treating her as family.
She is survived by sister Nina Shain of Pueblo Colorado; daughter Lorene Livingston of St. Helens, Oregon; daughter Joyce (Stacey) Bronson of Ely, Nevada; son Marc Reynolds of Ely; son Steven (Kirsten) Reynolds of Washington, Utah. Lela is also survived by 14 grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren, four great-great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews who love her.
Memorial services will be Saturday, June 15, at 10 a.m. at The Haven, 2192 W. 100 N. Hurricane, Utah. Interment will be at Washington City Cemetery at noon.
Condolences may be shared on the McMillan Mortuary website. Click here to access the website.