She was born September 3, 1927, in the Teton Valley at a place known as Badger Creek to John Preston Atchley and Laura Emily Atchley. She had many brothers and sisters and she was 12th of 14 children. Her family moved to Ashton, Idaho, when she was three years old. She attended school in Ashton and the Clark School of Business in Idaho Falls.

She married Stanley Abbott January 17, 1948 and they were blessed with three children. They divorced in 1961. She later married Bob Sutton on May 27, 1971.

Willa worked at the Idaho National Laboratory for 36 years before she retired in 1992. Her greatest joy in life were her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and the times spent at her and Bob's vacation home in Island Park with their family and friends.

She was an avid reader and enjoyed spending many hours decorating her home and cabin in Island Park.

Willa is survived by her husband Bob of Idaho Falls; two sons, Scott Abbott of Idaho Falls and Steve (Lori) Abbott of Idaho Falls; a daughter, Michelle (Joe) Kennedy of Idaho Falls; one brother, Eddie (Hazel) Atchley of Libby, Montana; two sisters, Ila Marotz of Ashton, Idaho and Erna Lee (Jack) Penny of Castlerock, Colorado; 6 grandchildren, 3 great-grandchildren, 4 step-grandchildren and 3 step-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her Mother, Father, 5 sisters and 5 brothers.

She was deeply loved by her family and will be greatly missed.

Willa's wish was to be cremated. A service will be held to honor her at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 16, 2009, at Coltrin Mortuary, 2100 First St., Idaho Falls with Chaplin Joe Martinez officiating. The family will visit with friends one hour prior to the services at the mortuary.

A private family inurnment will be held later in the Ashton Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to Hospice of Eastern Idaho, 1810 Moran Street, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83401.

A Poem read at her services

Mothers Path Story

The young mother set her foot on the path of life. "Is this the long way?" she asked. And the guide said: "Yes, and the way is hard. And you will be old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the beginning." But the young mother was happy, and she would not believe that anything could be better than these years. So she played with her children, and gathered flowers for them along the way, and bathed them in the clear streams; and the sun shone on them, and the young Mother cried, "Nothing will ever be lovelier than this." Then the night came, and the storm, and the path was dark, and the children shook with fear and cold, and the mother drew them close and covered them with her mantle, and the children said, "Mother, we are not afraid, for you are near, and no harm can come." And the morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and the children climbed and grew weary, and the mother was weary. But at all times she said to the children, "A little patience and we are there." So the children climbed and when they reached the top, they said, "Mother, we would not have done it without you." And the mother, when she lay down at night looked up at the stars and said, "This is a better day than the last, for my children have learned fortitude in the face of hardness. Yesterday I gave them courage. Today, I have given them strength." And with the next day came strange clouds which darkened the earth, clouds of war and hate and evil, and the children groped and stumbled, and the mother said: "Look up. Lift your eyes to the light." And the children looked and saw above the clouds an everlasting glory, and it guided them beyond the darkness. And that night the Mother said, "This is the best day of all, for I have shown my children God." And the days went on, and the weeks and the months and the years, and the mother grew old and she was little and bent. But her children were tall and strong, and walked with courage. And when the way was rough, they lifted her, for she was as light as a feather; and at last they came to a hill, and beyond they could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide. And mother said: "I have reached the end of my journey. And now I know the end is better than the beginning, for my children can walk alone, and their children after them." And the children said, "You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gates." And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after her. And they said: "We cannot see her, but she is with us still. A Mother like ours is more than a memory. She is a living presence." Your Mother is always with you. She's the whisper of the leaves as you walk down the street, she's the smell of bleach in your freshly laundered socks she's the cool hand on your brow when you're not well. Your Mother lives inside your laughter. And she's crystallized in every tear drop. She's the place you came from, your first home; and she's the map you follow with every step you take. She's your first love and your first heartbreak, and nothing on earth can separate you.. Not time, not space...not even death!