Amazing Genealogist Dolores Hansen Dies

       Ward member Dolores Hansen passed away February 28 at the age of 88.  She had been a first grade teacher for 24 years.  According to her friend Priscilla Quanstrom, her moto was that all children must learn to read before moving to the second grade. She believed that reading is the key to success.  Joyce Dickerson added that she told  her students "When you learn to read, you can do anything in life that you want, but you must be able to read.  Your report card is like your paycheck."

   As a young girl Dolores became interested in family history and at about age 20 she began genealogical research.  After settling in Lodi she was able to volunteer at the Family History center in Stockton. Even when she became ill, Dolores did not give up on her family history and with the help of a few sisters made trips to the Lodi Family History Center where she entered names into Family Search.

This picture taken by her friend Ardell Gillingwater is just part of one room holding her many finished family history books.  If you were to go into her house, you would see stacks and stacks of genealogy binders, all through the house with only a path to weave your way to another part of the house. She had Loren Perry build extra bookshelves to contain some of these binders. She had stacks of binders for each branch of the family. "Her volumes speak loudly of her zeal to go until she dropped," Priscilla said. At the library over the years she had read miles and miles of microfilm. in her later years she was mostly known for her genealogy work which she pursued with relentless energy.  

     After her death, another friend, Rita Caldwell, was invited along with Priscilla and Ardell to help dress Dolores in her temple clothing before being sent to Seattle to be buried  near her father and mother. Saana Boyer and Marcie Ramos also helped as well as Lisa Clegg and Tami Woods from the Relief Society presidency.  Left to right: Dolores's close friends Rita Caldwell, Priscilla Quanstrom, and Ardell Gillingwater.

  Rita wrote expressing what it means to help dress a friend for burial.  Here is what she said:

   Being invited to help dress a dear sister in her temple clothing is a sacred opportunity to do one last service and say one last farewell. It is seeing her beyond the cares of this life designed to give experience to refine our character so that we can become more like Jesus Christ. With loving hands we dress her in garments representing eternal life. Our hearts are full as we remember her high goals of teaching every first grader to read, to prepare records of generations of her family, to protect her sons from whatever threat she perceived, and to be grateful for all the help she received.

   The dressing completed, Priscilla suggested we sing a song.  We stood together and sent Dolores home with "God Be With You Till We Meet Again," --by His counsels guide uphold you, with His sheep securely fold you, God be with you till we meet again.