Virgil "Jim" Stevenson

Virgil Clifford “Jim” Stevenson, age 98, passed away peacefully on January 8, 2026, in New Harmony, Utah, with family by his side.

Jim was born on September 12, 1927, in Mountain Home, Utah, to Clifford B. and Rayda Louise Jenson Stevenson. He married the love of his life, Helen Sue Ode, on December 26, 1952, in Evanston, Wyoming. Together they shared 73 years of marriage, building a life rooted in faith, hard work, adventure, and deep devotion to family. Jim and Helen were sealed in the Jordan River Temple in 1989.

Jim earned his lifelong nickname as a child when his grandmother Mabel, noticing his bright smile and sunny disposition, remarked that he looked like the “Sunny Jim” apple jelly boy advertisment. From that moment on, he was simply “Jim” to all who knew and loved him.

Jim grew up in a very different world—one without electricity, where Saturday night baths happened “whether you needed one or not.” From an early age, responsibility and work were a way of life. His brothers and grandfather helped establish Stevenson Brothers Trucking, hauling cement and steel pipe to Moon Lake Dam. Jim began driving trucks at just nine years old, and at sixteen he took on his first “official” job hauling cattle to Salt Lake City for auction.

That early start led to a long and respected career as a truck driver. Jim hauled milk from local farms, gravel to protect against floodwaters, hot asphalt, gasoline, and crude oil. He worked for Covey, then Ricci Brothers, and ultimately for Chevron, where he spent 25 years before being promoted to dispatcher. Even after retirement, Jim never truly slowed down. After moving to New Harmony, he maintained his CDL and continued hauling dirt for local construction projects during the summers. He drove his last truck at the age of 84. He drove over 8 million miles with no tickets or accidents.

In 1945, Jim was drafted into the United States Army at Fort Douglas, Utah. He served as a Sergeant in the 2nd Signal Company of the 2nd Infantry Division, stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington. He was honorably discharged in August 1947 and returned home to Utah. He was honored for his service in the Iron County Honor Flight in 2015.

After retiring from Chevron, Jim continued serving his community as Chairman of the New Harmony Special Service District. He wrote numerous grants for the local fire department and was instrumental in securing funding for the construction of the new firehouse—so much so that Jim’s name proudly appears on the building.

Jim was also a quiet hero in countless unseen ways. Over the course of his life, he donated more than 40 gallons of blood through the Red Cross. He began donating after learning he had O-negative blood while trying to help his younger brother in the hospital. For 66 years, Jim faithfully donated blood five to six times each year, answering countless calls because his blood could help anyone in need.

Jim loved the outdoors and cherished adventure. He was an avid hunter and fisherman and took great joy in teaching his children and grandchildren those skills. Family stories abound—from teaching his children Jimmy and Kathy how to inner-tube on snowy hills when they were just five and six, to countless camping trips filled with laughter, learning, and togetherness. Jim was an incredible teacher, an adventure buddy, and someone who always took the time to help others learn and grow. He was also an accomplished Soduko master – he even did them in pen, which is no easy feat.

Above all else, Jim loved his family. He believed in working hard, being self-reliant, doing what was right, and never doing anything you couldn’t look yourself in the mirror for. Family reunions were sacred to him, and staying connected with loved ones mattered deeply. Many of the best traits carried on through his family—integrity, work ethic, generosity, and love—stem directly from Jim.

Jim was a devoted member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and had a strong testimony of the gospel. He was ordained a deacon at age twelve and later served as a counselor in leadership callings, including in the New Harmony Ward bishopric. Jim and Helen served together as temple workers at the Jordan River Temple and the St. George Temple. They also shared a deep love for family history and genealogy, serving as family history consultants for approximately thirteen years and helping locate more than 2,000 relatives.

Jim is survived by his beloved wife, Helen Stevenson; his children, Jolyn Holt and Kathy Stevenson; his brother, Andrew J. Stevenson; eleven grandchildren; and twenty-two great-grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild.

He was preceded in death by his parents; four of his six children, Danny Stevenson, Jimmy Stevenson, Joy Stevenson, and Virginia Stevenson; and his siblings, Jack C. Stevenson, Karen D. Evans, Max B. Stevenson, and Dorothy Hicken.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, January 16, 2026, at the New Harmony Ward House, 12 Main Street, New Harmony, Utah. A viewing will be held at 10:00 a.m., followed by the funeral service at 11:00 a.m.

Interment will take place at Memorial Estates, Mountain View Cemetery, Cottonwood Heights, Utah.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to a humanitarian aid fund in Jim’s honor.