Aune "Anu" Pasanen Hirst, our loving mother, Mummi (“grandma”), great grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend, died peacefully with her children by her side on January 28, 2021, in South Jordan, Utah, at age 81, after her third occurrence with breast cancer.
Anu was born on October 12, 1939, in Oulu, Finland, to Pauli and Anna Pasanen. Anu began singing at a young age in local theater productions and professionally performing in her late teens. She was the lead singer and bass guitar player in the Bell Boys, a well-known pop band based in Oulu, Finland. Her band toured across Finland, playing in night clubs and concert halls.
In November 1962 she became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after meeting two Latter-day Saint missionaries while working the music counter of a department store. She was called to serve a mission for the Church in Finland for 18 months, and at the conclusion she was asked to serve again as a secretary to the next mission president. While serving, she toured Finland teaching the gospel through song. Following her mission, she returned to performing with the Bell Boys.
In 1967 she came to the United States for what was supposed to be a short visit. While in Salt Lake City, she worked at the translation department of the Church assisting with the translation of the Book of Mormon into Finnish. Her short stay became permanent after she was reacquainted with Jerry Hirst, who had also served a Church mission in Finland while Anu was serving. After a short courtship, they were married in April of 1968 at the Manti Utah Temple.
After the birth of their first child, Paul, they moved to Germany for Jerry’s military assignment. Their second child, Laila, was born while in Germany. At the end of their assignment, they returned to Utah where Anna and Tina were born. In 1978, they built a home in Sandy, Utah, where they lived for 25 years. During that time Aune worked with Jerry in their store, The Finnish Line (selling imports from Finland and other Scandinavian countries), as an overnight caregiver, and as a sales associate at Mervyn’s where she was loved by her customers.
Anu was an accomplished singer and enjoyed sharing her talents, especially singing in or conducting church choirs. She was also an active member of the Finnish expat community in the Salt Lake City area. Her love of her homeland Finland was passed on to her children. Later in life, she became a fan of the Utah Jazz basketball team and enjoyed not just watching their games but following the Jazz players’ off-court lives.
Anu gave up her professional singing career to raise her 4 children, serve in her church in various capacities, serve as a temple worker in the Jordan River Temple, and serve multiple missions for the Church in Finland. Following the death of her husband, she served her third mission in 2011-2012 for 18 months as a secretary to the mission president in the Helsinki Finland Mission. She also enjoyed her service in the Jordan River Temple.
Anu is survived by her children, Paul (Teresa), Laila De Ranieri, Anna Butler (Jeffrey) and Tina Bellon (Ken); 17 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild; siblings, Raili Jernvall, Eva Iskulehto and Pentti Pasanen, of Oulu, Finland. She is preceded in death by her parents, Pauli and Anna “Anni” Pasanen of Oulu, Finland and her husband, Jerry Hirst, of Sandy, Utah.
A viewing is scheduled for Friday, February 5 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm at Larkin Mortuary Riverton, 3688 West 12600 South, Riverton, Utah. A funeral will be held on Saturday, February 6 at 11:00 am MDT, at the same location. Attendance at the services is limited due to Covid-19 restrictions. This service can be viewed via Zoom meeting by clicking on the blue box “Watch Zoom Service” to the right of her photo above. Please contact the family if you wish to attend in person.
A special thanks to the Intermountain Hospice team and the loving care given over the last seven weeks, especially from nurse Amber and home care worker Sharonde.
Our heartfelt condolences to you, Anu’s family. Our friendship with her started decades ago in Finland and continued through the years.
Anu was a beautiful lady inside and out and we know she is having a wonderful reunion with her beloved Jerry, whom we also knew already in Finland.
You have been loving and caring children to your parents, we all have witnessed that.
May you feel peace and comfort!
Love,
Maisa and Ron Simpson
Rakas Anu, Anun läheiset
surunvalitteluni tulevat syvältä sydämestäni. Anu on ollut yksi merkittävimpiä ihmisiä elämässäni.
Kiitos ystävyydestäsi, kiitos rakkaudestasi. Jään kaipaamaan sinua.
Ulla
Sorry for your loss. Anu was my mission companion in 2011- 2012. She was a wonderful cook. She helped me with my language. She was so helpful showing me the country and introducing me to people she knew in Finland. We had many good times. She was so proud of her family.
My sincere condolences for the passing of Anu, the sweetest friend one could ever wish for. One never heard a bad word about anybody from her, she seemed always so happy and positive. She lived for her children and grandchildren and it was heartwarming to hear what a good care they took of her since the passing of her beloved husband.
Wishing you peace and comfort,
Irmeli Vale
Anu Hirst was my Finnish grandma. I served in downtown Helsinki with her in 2011.
The year I returned from my mission she sent me a Christmas card and a birthday card.
I still have them both.
I'm so privileged to have met her. Her incredible kindness improved every room that she walked into.
Though I haven't seen her in a number of years, knowing that she's gone saddens me deeply. I will forever remember her cheerful happy voice yelling out my name as I walked into the office most days.
She will be missed.
Vanhin Austin Gamblin
Rakas siskoni Anu
Anu on fyysisesti poissa,mutta hänen muistonsa elää aina. Meidän vierailut hänen ja lasten ja lastenlasten luona Utahissa ne muistot säilyvät aina. Anulla oli suuri sydän ❤️ hän loisti ystävällisyydellään ja välittämisellä, hän rakasti meitä kaikkia❤️. Meillä on suunnaton ikävä.
Pentti ja Arja Pasanen
Our condolences go out to each of you in Anu’s family. She loved her children and grandchildren. We served together 2011-2012 in Finland. She had great faith in the Savior and loved the missionaries.
I have been very blessed to know Aune. I was her visiting teacher twice, the first and second time she lived with Laila. She will always hold a special place in my heart. She was so loving and kind and I remember the Finish bread that she would give to us. It was a pleasure to visit her and learning about how celebrations were done in Finland. I always had a wonderful spirit with me after our visits.
Love to all of her family
Myrline Paradise
I am sad to see Anu's obituary tonight. I had the honor of working with her at Mervyn's in the gift wrap dept. and she was such a sweet lady! She is a Beautiful lady inside and out! I send my love and condolences to you her family.
Dear Family of Anu and Jerry Hirst,
We feel very sad with you, for we have loved both Anu and Jerry all these years. Our friendship has lasted many decades. Anu brought me (Rauni) into Mormonism a year after she had joined it. We both were called to serve a mission in Finland at the same time. Both Jerry and Dennis were missionaries in Finland at the same time also. Our mission president (Asplund) took all Finnish missionaries to Swiss temple for a week in
January 1965 and we both were there to receive our endowments. After I (Rauni) moved to Utah and had married Dennis, we invited Anu to come and visit us (1967) - and she came and stayed. Jerry and Anu fell in love - and they were married in Manti Temple in 1968, Dennis being one of the witnesses. Their wedding
reception was held in our living room. What a great time that was!! We were very close and dear friends - all
these years. We love them both, we miss them, but our memories will last till the end of our lives. - We are
glad that their Son, Paul, invited us to come and spent some time with Anu on January 9th, 2021, just about
3 weeks before she passed. She was just like she has always been - pleasant and smiling, tough we knew
that she was leaving this life soon. We are thankful for having these two, Anu and Jerry, part of our lives. We
love them.
Rauni & Dennis Higley