KENNETH GORDON HANSEN

Obituary - Kenneth Gordon Hansen

(Written by Kenneth prior to his passing)

I was born May 11, 1932, in the home of my grandpa, Tom Lyons, during the Depression in Burley, Idaho. Many uncles and aunts were present. I was the first child of my parents Gordon Hansen and Gladys (Lyons) Hansen, and we lived in Malta, Idaho. Gordon was fortunate to be employed by the Idaho Highway Department.

I was introduced to hunting and fishing at a young age. Mom and Dad would drive through the sagebrush shooting jackrabbits. Grandpa Oscar Hansen took me fishing on the Snake River and hunting pheasants, where it was my job to carry the birds he bagged. Just below Pleasant View Cemetery there was a hill where I was exposed to skiing at about 10 years old.

Dad worked as a motor patrol operator and would often let me ride with him. If anyone asked me what I was going to be when I grew up, I would say, “I am going to be a blade skinner.” Dad was also a project manager, and we spent many summers living at construction sites. At 14, I learned a lot about blasting while working with my cousin, Lloyd Ferrin. I was destined to become a construction stiff.

I went to the Miller School in Burley and other grade schools while living at construction sites. I spent a couple of months as the only fifth grader in Fairfield. I attended Burley High School in the old building that later burned down. I loved some classes, like shop and English—math, not so much.

I went to BYU for three years. This was a blessed time for me, even though I was not a great student. I learned how to learn and explored many subjects that have helped me all my life. Best of all, I got acquainted with Bonnie Jean Blauer, a girl from my own hometown. This was by far the most fortuitous event of my life.

Bonnie and I were married in the Idaho Falls Temple on March 19, 1952. We were blessed with eight children: Brent (Sue), Kristine (Clay) Handy, Cheryl (Jack) Fillmore, Heidi, Gordon (Janet), Heather, Jeremiah (Derek), and Spencer. Our favorite family activities were skiing, swimming, Easter egg hunts, Thanksgiving, Christmas, gardening, and traveling.

I became fascinated with photography in high school. I spent a lot of time making pictures in the camera club darkroom. I never went anywhere without a camera and recorded most of the events of my life.

Bonnie insisted we always have a garden to provide food for our ever-growing family. We canned as much as we could and shared produce with others. I always loved gardening.

My jobs included delivering milk for Topper Dairy; serving in Price’s Café; working in Dad’s shop; picking potatoes and apples; working for Buildings and Grounds at BYU; cat operator and mechanic for Gordon Construction; manager, partner and mechanic for Gordon Paving Company; helping build a ski lift at Pomerelle; ski instructor for Sun Valley Resort; researching illustrations for the Cassia County history book; and designing and building many construction machines. I managed Gordon Paving Company’s asphalt pavement recycling train and recycled 340 lane miles of interstate highway.

Bonnie and I served in many ward and stake callings, including Primary, Scouting, Seminary, Elders and High Priest Quorum instruction, senior missions to the Philippines and Lubbock, Texas, and five years in the Twin Falls Temple.

This is my advice for those that follow:

Stay in the game—anyone can quit. Use your imagination; there is always a way. Marry well, pray always.

Kenneth left his mark building and paving roads across the intermountain west. He taught us the value of hard, honest work and rebelling against authority. Creative and entrepreneurial throughout his life, he loved providing for his ever-expanding brood. Ken shared his absolute passion for life through memorable, adrenaline-filled outdoor adventures. He took us up flying in his plane and down whitewater in his raft. An avid skier and bicyclist, he opened Pinetree Sports in 1987, a ski and bike shop that continues today as Idaho Water Sports.

Ken was a gifted storyteller and was well-known for his terrible jokes, keeping friends and even hospice staff entertained. He treasured the arts, loved good music, and volunteered for many years at the Sun Valley Jazz Festival. He wrote a book on raised bed gardening. Politically active and community focused, he served as President of the Rotary Club.

Kenneth was deeply proud of our family and took great care to document our lives through photographs and stories. He loved family history and spent years researching the Hansen, Lyons, Blauer, and Woodbury family lines, compiling extensive life histories. After the passing of his wife, Bonnie, in 2019, he devoted a year to creating a book honoring her life—now a treasured family keepsake.

Kenneth was always up for exploring and spent many hours in his later years driving the back roads of Cassia County, getting lost, getting rescued, and taking photographs. Many of his photos appear in the book: Cassia County, Idaho – The Foundation Years.

Kenneth was preceded in death by his wife, Bonnie, and two grandchildren, Clarke Hansen and Camille Hansen. He is survived by eight children, twenty-five grandchildren, and thirty-one great-grandchildren.

A funeral service to honor Kenneth will be held at 11:00 a.m. on June 6th at the Morrison Funeral Home, 188 South Hwy 24, Rupert, ID 83350. Urn placement will follow in the Gem Memorial Gardens in Burley

A live webcast of the Funeral Service will be available at the following link: https://youtu.be/6J6JFES16Uk.

Please visit the website - https://kennethhansen.netlify.app/