Dawna Mae Mendenhall Eliason, passed away May 31, 2021(Memorial

Day) in Pocatello, Idaho. Dawna was born on December 25, 1935

(Christmas Day) in Mesa, Arizona. She was the only child born to George

Wendel and LaRene Davis Mendenhall. Dawna grew up on a farm outside

Hazelton, Idaho. She attended school in Hazelton, Idaho, then Jerome,

Idaho, where her mother was a teacher.

After high school she attended Brigham Young University where she met

her husband, Norrell Bowman Eliason while serving together to organize an

activity for the Air Force ROTC program.

Dawna and Norrell were married for time and all eternity in the Salt lake

Temple on December 14, 1956. They were blessed with two daughters

and four sons.

Dawna was a dedicated, loving and supportive wife and mother. She

accompanied her husband through his Air Force assignments in Texas,

Washington, Guam, Wyoming, and Massachusetts. She moved the family

to Bountiful, Utah, while he served an assignment during the Vietnam war

in Thailand, to take advantage of the deaf school in Ogden. Upon his

return they moved to Clearfield, Utah and then to Columbus, Ohio. After

retiring from the Air Force they moved to Soda Springs, ID, where they

opened and operated The Corner Restaurant. Desiring to help family, they

moved to Hazelton, ID, where she started her long period of fostering and

helping troubled youth. During this time and the subsequent move to

Bancroft, Idaho she also served on various local and state committees

focused on improving the lives of these youth. Together with her husband

they helped raise 115 young men with troubled pasts.

Dawna loved youth and was a sports fanatic, "Go Buckeyes"! She loved

attending and supporting youth sports activities, including doing things like

driving teams to events both local and far away, setting up and cutting hair

for wrestlers from many different teams when the referees determined they

didn't meet a standard, arranging and providing training opportunities and

coordinating and supporting fund raising activities. She was a very vocal

and loud participant at events and if you visited during the holidays you

knew that meals were set out early because she was going to be watching

games during the day.

Dawna was dedicated to serving the Lord. Spending much of their time in

the mission field, this service did not always follow her strengths. Though

much of her time was spent mentoring and teaching youth in the Sunday

School, Primary and Young Womens organizations she also spent long

periods, though not musically inclined, as choir director and Primary music

leader. She also served as a missionary in Palmyra, 3 times at Martin's

Cove, at the Church Historic site in Chesterfield and in the development of

the cannery in Pocatello.

Dawna is survived by her children Tami (Dewey Cook-deceased),

Georgetown, Idaho; Mike (Mindy), Visalia, CA; , Dan (Shelly), Tillamook,

OR; Tim, Idaho Falls, ID; Thomas (Chels) Mansfield, IL; and daughter

Wendy (Blake Gardner), Kimberly, ID; as well as 28 grandchildren and 34

great grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her parents, her loving

husband of 65 years, Norrell and 1 great grandchild.

Dawna loved time spent with family, friends and community and made it a

priority to nurture her relationship with God. She spoke often of her

appreciation for and the wonderful support from her community and friends.

To her surviving children, grandchildren and great grandchildren she was a

force, mentor and example. She is missed and loved and now serving

again with her beloved husband.

There will be a viewing on Saturday, June 12th from 9:30 am to 10:30 am

at the chapel in Bancroft followed by funeral services at 11:00 am at the chapel and interment will follow at the Bancroft Cemetery.

Listen to service