Anna Bilyeu

Anna Marie Olson Bilyeu
January 20, 1927 - January 21, 2016
Anna Marie Olson Bilyeu, 89, our mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother passed away peacefully on January 21, 2016, in Grand Junction, CO.
She was the fourth and only surviving child of a first generation Norwegian immigrant rancher, Louis Olson and his wife, Henrietta Clavel Olson. The Clavel family immigrated to Woody Creek from Switzerland in the 1880s. Anna grew up in Peach Valley, graduated from high school in New Castle and earned her A.A. Degree at Mesa College.
She took a job in Rifle, CO, where she met the love of her life, Virgil Bilyeu, a mining engineer for Union Carbide. They married in 1946. Two years later, their nine-month old firstborn daughter, Jeri, died tragically in a house fire. Virgil and Anna subsequently had three more daughters and a son, Sandy and Rhonda, born in Colorado then Judy and Michael who were born in Moab, Utah.
Virgil and Anna retired from mining and purchased a motel in Boulder City, NV. She was active in civic affairs and became the first female President of the Chamber of Commerce. Anna moved back to her beloved Colorado after the death of Virgil to be with her extended family. She joined the First Christian Church in Grand Junction, volunteered at the Visitor's Center as well as the local hospice program. She also volunteered with the GJ Police Department. Anna had many friends and was generous to everyone she met. She left this earth a better place than she found it.
The surviving members of Anna's immediate family are Sandy (Steve) Baker, Gilbert, AZ; Rhonda Bilyeu and Harry Theohar, Las Vegas, NV; Judy Bilyeu and Craig Kimball, Monument, CO, and Michael (Denise) Bilyeu, Aurora, CO. Anna was most proud of her grandchildren, Jennifer and Nicholas Baker; Colin Kimball; Andrew Bilyeu; and great-granddaughter, Josey Smith.
A memorial service celebrating Anna's life will be held at the First Christian Church on Friday, January 29th at 10:00 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Anna's favorite charity, St. Jude's Ranch for Children at 100 St. Jude's Street, Boulder City, NV 89005. https://stjudesranch.org/ .