Louise Erlene Hansen

Louise Erlene Hoffman Hansen passed away peacefully with her children at her side on December 25, 2023, after a brief illness.  

Louise was born on July 10, 1934, at her family home in Randolph, Utah. She was the third of four children born to her loving parents David Melvin Hoffman and Maysell Louise Andreasen Hoffman.

Louise grew up on the family farm in Randolph where she learned the value of hard work by helping her father take care of the animals and helping her mother cook and take care of the home. She especially loved riding their horse, Champ. She was a proud graduate of South Rich High School.

Louise met a young Navy sailor by the name of Donald Frank Hansen and they were later married on March 11, 1953, in the Salt Lake Temple when he was on a furlough from the Navy. Shortly after the wedding, Don left to continue his Navy service and Louise moved to Provo, Utah, where she attended beauty school and waited for Don to return. She met his ship in Jacksonville, Florida, and they stayed there a short time until Don was honorably discharged. After the completion of Don’s military service, they lived a while in Don’s hometown of Kemmerer, Wyoming, where he started his career with Union Pacific Railroad before moving to Pocatello, Idaho, where they raised their son Melvin and daughter Erlene.

Louise was a devout member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and loved her Savior with all her heart. Her love for Christ and her fellow brothers and sisters was evident as she served in a wide variety of church callings and assignments throughout her life at stake and ward levels, including as president of the ward Relief Society, Young Women, and Primary organizations. Louise was an avid genealogist and volunteered for 40 years in the family history center in Pocatello, including serving a mission there with Don. It brought her immense joy to discover the names of thousands of her ancestors and help many other people trace their own ancestry.

Louise was a passionate and gifted artist, mastering both oil and watercolor painting. She also loved to sew and crochet, which blessed many family members and friends who received her handiwork. Don and Louise had many wonderful adventures together, and she particularly enjoyed opportunities to travel with their family and be in nature. Other hobbies included reading, birdwatching, gardening, and, later in life, carving intricate wooden walking sticks and canes. She had a particular fondness for animals and provided a safe haven to numerous pets.

Most of all, she loved her family (and if you knew Louise, you knew she had a very broad definition of family). In addition to their children, Don and Louise provided a loving home as foster parents to several children including Elgin and Isaac Jackson, Tina Knudsen, and Marva Uses Arrow. She also claimed Sherrie Firkins as another daughter. She had love and respect for everyone and was always willing to open her door to any person who needed a friendly ear or helping hand.

She is survived by her son Melvin (Carolee) Hansen, South Jordan, UT; daughter Erlene Hansen, Pocatello; grandchildren Douglas (Melissa) Hansen, who gave her three great-grandsons Dallin, Amos, and Kian, all of Prosper, TX; Amanda Hansen, West Jordan, UT; and Nekhi DeRose, Pocatello; sister Floriene Moore, Salt Lake City; and many nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her eternal companion Don and her brothers Keith and Melvin.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 30, 2023, at Colonial Funeral Home, 2005 S. 4th Ave., Pocatello, ID 83201, with a viewing that morning from 10-11 a.m. Louise will be laid to rest beside her sweetheart at Restlawn Memorial Gardens, 2864 S. 5th Ave., Pocatello, ID 83204.

Although we mourn her passing, we rejoice in the joyful reunion that has taken place with her dear husband, we take comfort in the happy memories she left us with, and we celebrate a life well-lived. The family wishes to give thanks to all who made her life so enjoyable and sweet, including those who provided her with compassionate medical care at Portneuf Medical Center.

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