After a long earthly separation, Lorna Rae Hansen Keller, age 94, our loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great-grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend, walked peacefully through the veil when her sweetheart, Marvin, came for her on June 21, 2023. Lorna was born in Spanish Fork, Utah on August 27, 1928 to Edmund Richard and Mary Ann Martin Hansen.
She grew up in Price, attending Central and Harding schools, the old Jr. High at the top of Carbon Avenue, and Carbon College for high school until the new high school was built. In high school she sang in the choir, was in the pep club, played intermural softball and tennis, and was in a trio with Dorothy Miles Bunnell and Mary Redd Nelson. They sang at school assemblies, funerals, weddings, and special events. They called themselves the “Blue Birds” after their theme song, “Blue Skies” by Irving Berlin, which was popular at that time. Lorna attended Carbon College where she studied secretarial skills. She met her eternal sweetheart, Marvin James Keller, on a blind date in college. Marvin had just returned home from WWII. They were married on December 12, 1947, and were later sealed in the Salt Lake Temple for time and all eternity on June 21, 1950. Together they had four sons and two daughters.
Lorna was a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints throughout her life. She enjoyed serving in the Relief Society and Primary organizations, was a Cub Scout den mother, and used her musical talents to sing with the Singing Mothers and in ward choirs. Lorna and Marvin were avid square dancers, and they used this passion to teach the youth of their stake to square dance in the Church June Dance Festival. They had their mission call to serve in the Billings, Montana mission in 1988, but sadly, Marvin passed away of cancer before they could begin their mission. In 1990, Lorna served as a missionary in the Houston Texas East mission for a year. She enjoyed indexing up until the time that she could not type anymore, completing over 14,000 index names for Family Search.
She had many hobbies and talents, including sewing, crocheting, gardening with her everchanging colors in her front flower bed, square dancing, traveling and camping. She loved nature, and particularly birds, and her family loved to give her gifts with a bird theme. In her later years, she painted many beautiful oil paintings. She was a wonderful cook, and every Christmas, she prepared some of her family’s traditional foods like Yorkshire pudding and English trifle. Other favorites were her homemade bread, creamed peas, and potatoes, and rhubarb strawberry crisp.
Lorna unconditionally loved each member of her family and loved to hear about their accomplishments. She always had a positive, cheerful attitude, which made everyone feel valued and important. She exhibited a peaceful calm, and her example of service will be forever missed, particularly her homemade gifts and yearly birthday cards to her family and cherished friends. At the time of her death, she had 30 grandchildren, 104 great-grandchildren, and 15 great-great-grandchildren.
She is survived by her brother, Richard (Judy) of Tooele, UT, and her five children: Jim (Cathy), Orem, UT, Larry (Wendy), Spanish Fork, UT, Darrell (Joan), Price, UT, LaRae (Larry) Jensen, Price, UT, and Glen (Margaret), Price, UT; and her wonderful posterity.
Lorna is preceded in death by her sweetheart, Marvin, who was Carbon County’s Jewel Tea Man; her parents; infant daughter, Marcia Lee; brother, Carl; sisters, Helen and Norma; grandson, Gregory; and great-grandsons, Braxton Jensen and Hunter Jensen.
The family would like to thank Dr. Potter and his wife for their friendship and caring over the years, Julia Henrie, a special friend, and all the angels at Community Nursing Services whose loving care helped make this time as easy and comfortable as possible.
Funeral services for Lorna are scheduled for Saturday, July 1, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. at the Price North Stake Center (449 North 100 East) in Price. The family will receive friends Friday evening from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. and on Saturday morning from 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. prior to the service both at the church. Burial will follow in the Price City Cemetery. Arrangements entrusted to Mitchell Funeral Home of Price and Huntington where friends are always welcome daily and may share memories of Lorna online at www.mitchellfuneralhome.net
LIVESTREAMING OF THE FUNERAL SERVICE MAY BE FOUND BY GOING TO MITCHELL FUNERAL HOME’S WEBSITE: www.mitchellfuneralhome.net UNDERNEATH LORNA’S OBITUARY PAGE 15 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE SERVICE.