Dianne VanCleve Hansen, 73, passed away peacefully in her sleep at the Rocky Mountain Care Center in Evanston, Wyoming, after a long and courageous battle with cancer. She was born in Eagar, Arizona, to LeRoy and Marie Hamblin VanCleve as the oldest of three children. She spent most of her childhood moving around the state of Arizona, as her father worked in road construction. Her childhood was filled with family drives to explore new places, picnics, camping and playing with everyone along the way.
After graduation in 1965, she moved to Salt Lake City to attend LDS Business College. She was very successful in school, finding good jobs and making many friends along the way. When Dianne was 21, she was honored to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to northern California. She absolutely loved her mission and serving the people there.
After her mission, she returned to Salt Lake City where she met the love of her life, Steven K. Hansen, while working in the Temple. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple on July 9, 1971. She worked for the Church in the History Department, the Temple, and the Travelers Insurance. She also volunteered much of her time at Primary Children’s Hospital.
Deciding that they didn’t want to raise their children in the city, Steve got a job in Moab. They soon found some land in La Sal to build their forever home to raise their family in. Dianne always wanted to live on a farm and now her dream had become a reality. They were soon raising chickens, goats, pigs, sheep and dogs. She also spent many hours growing her huge garden. She always had lots of flowers surrounding her home.
She absolutely loved the La Sal Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She held many callings, but by far playing piano in the Primary was her favorite. She also loved playing the organ and did so for many, many years. She held many jobs including in the bakery at City Market, as a receptionist for Timber Products in La Sal, and at the hospital in Monticello. She had many talents and cooking was one of them. Her specialties were lasagna, Navajo tacos, beef and bean burritos, cherry cheesecakes and chocolate peanut butter cups. She was also a very talented seamstress, making many of the family’s clothes when they were young. Her greatest talent, though, was service and kindness. She truly loved everyone and did everything she could to help others out. She went about doing good, one person at a time.
One of her favorite things to do was to go for drives up on her beloved La Sal Mountains looking for critters and having a picnic. Being “Granny” to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and spending time with them was her greatest joy.
Dianne was extremely devoted to her family and is survived by her husband, Steven; children Kirk, Jalaine (Don), Ryan (Jannette), and Kevin; her brother, Jerry (Tammy); her sister Nada (Dennis); and her ten grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
A Celebration of Life will be held in her honor at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2020, at the La Sal Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (124 Hwy 149, La Sal).
