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Hillcrest 5th Ward, 915 East 9045 South, Sandy, UtahMonday Oct 14, 2024 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM
Our loving husband, father, and grandfather, passed away peacefully in his home on October 4, 2024. Don was a quiet, kind, and gentle man. The word that his family uses to describe him is “steady.” He went about his life fulfilling his responsibilities without many highs and lows.
Donald N. Hermansen was born in Ely, Nevada on August 21, 1930 to Nephi Hermansen and Hortense Margaret Jensen. He attended Ely schools and graduated from White Pine High School in 1949. Don was the youngest of seven children.
After high school, he opted for Voluntary Induction into the Army. He was trained in Camp Roberts, then sent to Korea and assigned as a radio operator. Upon returning, he moved to Ouray, Colorado and lived with his sister Barbara for a year, then moved to Ogden, Utah where his older brother, Phil was living. It was here that he learned the floor covering trade and did that most of his life.
After that, he moved to Salt Lake City, hoping to find a “rich” girl, which he did. But she wasn’t wealthy. Her name was Helen Reich, pronounced “rich.” They met in October of 1953 and were married on June 8, 1955 in the Salt Lake Temple. They lived in Murray, Utah for five years, then built a home in Sandy and have lived there ever since. Don and Helen have nine children, forty-two grandchildren, sixty-three great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild, which have brought so much joy to their lives.
In 1999, Don and Helen were called to serve a mission in Nauvoo, Illinois for a year, which they loved. Upon returning, they were called to serve as temple workers. They served six and a half years in the Jordan River Temple, and eight years in the Draper Temple.
Don had many hobbies, which included reading, writing stories, building model planes, doing puzzles, fixing things, painting, and collecting toy cars, coins, and belt buckles. He served faithfully in his many church callings in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He had a strong testimony of his Savior, Jesus Christ.
He outlived all of his family members before him. At the age of ninety, he was proud to tell everyone that no one in his family had lived beyond ninety. He then gave us four more years, passing away at the age of 94.
Don and Helen’s children are David (Cheryl), Dawn (Jim) Ashby, Debbie (Steve) Reiber, DeVal (Jodi), Brian (Debbie), Lorin (Crystal), Scott (Jennie, deceased) (Jessica), Janet (Mark) Whitelock, and Marla (Dave) Hansen.
We wish to thank all those who graciously gave of their time and talents to help Don and Helen in Don’s final weeks. Thank you family, friends, neighbors, Don’s Hospice nurse, and doctors and nurses. He was so grateful to all of you, and expressed that often.
There will be a viewing on Sunday, October 13, 2024 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Hillcrest 5th Ward Building, 915 E. 9045 So. in Sandy. There will be morning viewing, Monday, October 14, from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m. Funeral services will follow at 11:00 a.m. in the same building.
To watch a recording of the service, please click on the tab above that says "Watch Service" or follow this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/bByyqD2En7BveCg0DzKKTa9IKx-fQsKZpUjfUYLQLvURJLgX8Qg6cY_yxJ-P3jG0.Ei7oAZEAXbFD2rcw?startTime=1728923378000
Guestbook/Condolences
Sorry for your loss
DeVal and Jodi,
We are so sorry to read of the loss of your Dad and Father-in-law. We are currently out of town and looked at the obituaries and read about your loss. I know you have many memories you hold dear to
get you through this. Losing parents is so hard! We are thinking of you at this difficult time.
My heartfelt prayers 🙏 and love ❤️ are with all of you in this time of loss - Aunt Helen for loss of husband, best friend and partner throughout the years of memory you and Uncle Don have had togetherness - memories are forevermore; family of Aunt Helen and Uncle Don - loss of father, grandfather, great grandfather and great, great grandfather.
Lord, I lift up this entire family unto you - surrounding them with your total love 💗, your comforting presence and showering them with your blessings and your grace. Thank you 🙏 Lord and I ask all this in the precious name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. AMEN!!! 🤗❤️🙏🙏🙏❤️🤗
So sorry to hear of Don’s passing! A great man for sure. I have fond memories of him, Helen and the Hermansen family.
I too remember Don as a man who demonstrated a quite strength – humble, hardworking, always focused on the good. ‘Steadfast and immoveable.’ By his actions, you knew his belief, direction, and what he hoped for in life.
My connection with him and his family was at an impressionable time when decisions I’d make would affect the rest of my life: mission, school, work, family. His example of faith in God and commitment to family taught me so much. He and Helen have taught through example; what I learned from them has helped me create a path to raise my own family. Thank you!
Don was my escort when I went through the temple for the first time. He made a potentially intimidating experience, understandable and peaceful. That he would offer to help me appreciate something as important as the temple endowment meant a lot. My first experience with family prayer and its significance, came because of Don’s example.
Don and Helen have raised a wonderful family. Ultimately that might be the truest measure of a person’s life: how one has nurtured and taught their children, and the contribution the children make to improve the lives of others. Although my connection with the Hermansen’s has been limited for many years, its plain to see the positive impact their children have had on others. ‘By their fruits ye shall know them ….’
Again, so sorry for your loss. Wishing Helen and the amazing Hermansen family the very best. You have Don’s great example to look to as motivation going forward. What a blessing.
Sweet Helen. Our thoughts and prayers are asking our Heavenly Father to stay by your side. To give you strength due to Dons death. You’ve spent a life time together. This will b an adjustment for you. You are a very special woman. Johns and my favorite. We are here for you. We love you. May God bless you. D
My condolences go out to your family. Marla, I am so sorry to hear of your dad’s passing. Don was an incredible man and I’m sure he will be missed.
To the dear Hermansen family,
Don and Helen have been such an enduring example throughout all our lives...especially as we have shared such wonderful years with so many of their children as we all worked hard together in supporting our families. Our lives have been forever influenced for good through the Hermansen family. We love each of you, and are so grateful our lives came together in such meaningful ways. We have only inspiring memories of Don and his steadiness, his faith, and his devoted example. What a treasure his family was to him. His goodness has definitely been passed to his children. We express our love to each of you as you go through this loss of such a great man.
"I have a testimony of death. It is that without death we should not fully understand how much we love those who go; and this is equally true of our dying; we know when we are dying how much we love those we are leaving behind....The experience of death is perhaps the greatest experience of love that we can have in this world. " - Arthur Henry King
We especially send our love to Helen, DeVal & Jodi, Brian & Debbie, Lorin & Crystal, Scott & Jessica, and Mark & Janet. We pray Heaven's blessings to be with all of your family as you go through this "greatest experience of love."
Our love, Harold and DeAnn Larsen
Dear Aunt Helen and family. We just want you to know how much we love you and are praying for you now and in the days ahead in your loss here on earth. We have such special memories of our times when you came to California a few times and fun at Disneyland. Always enjoyed when growing up and the fun times at the family reunions in Utah. You have such a wonderful family and we love you so much. God please wrap your arms around this family now and in the days ahead. Love, Ken and Sherrie Funburg 🙏🏻❤️.