Johannah Nielsen

Johannah Maria Nielsen was born on October 15, 1990, to Ivan Delmar Nielsen and Valerie Jean Wayman. She died on June 30, 2023, from injuries sustained in a car accident.

Hannah was born into a big family as the 38th child. She was a happy, amiable child. Her introduction to music began early in her life at age three when she learned both the violin and the piano, though the piano was her true love. She composed her own music and loved anything moody and emotional. She was a true romantic, and no one appreciated a sad song more than Hannah. But that didn’t prevent her from having a wacky sense of humor and enjoying a good prank.

She passed on her love of music to others by offering piano lessons. She had a lot of students and taught many of her nieces and nephews how to play. On a trip to Japan, to play at an International Friendship Concert, Hannah got her first taste of the wider world. This trip inspired her to make a “bucket list” of experiences and travel destinations.

Her big plans were interrupted when at age 20, Hannah experienced a terrible fall from 35 feet. She broke numerous bones and suffered many other life-threatening injuries. She survived and overcame the tremendous challenge of healing her mind, her body, and her soul. But in the aftermath, she dealt with permanent pain and other physical limitations because of her injuries.

As soon as she was able, Hannah fulfilled her dream of traveling the world. She must have known her time on earth would be short because she wanted to see and experience all of it. A true adventurer, she embraced the thrill of travel. Undaunted by missed flights, sleeping in airports, and getting lost in foreign countries where she couldn’t speak the language, she thrived on the unexpected. She loved old libraries, quaint coffee shops and anything antique or vintage.

While Hannah was a world traveler, musician, and straight-up goofball, she also had a deeper side. She was a firm believer in the gospel as she understood it and had a deep connection to the teachings of Jesus. Hannah was very involved in church activities and whenever there was an event, she showed up and was often the very last person to leave. She always said she was the first to arrive and the last to leave because she didn’t want to miss out on anything. The last few years of her life were committed to self-improvement. Her bookshelves went from mostly novels to stacks of self-help and personal growth books. She was determined to become the best version of herself.

Hannah was the epitome of a good friend. She always made time for people and didn’t wait for others to reach out to her. She would be the first to text or make plans for a coffee date and was genuinely interested in others. Her nature was quiet but present. A low maintenance friend, she was more than happy to just be your “buddy.”

Hannah took a job at Daybreak Academy in 2018 as the music specialist. She taught music to kindergarten and preschool students. She loved her work with the kids and was passionate about passing on the gift of music to so many other young people.

On June 28, 2023, nearly twelve years to the day of her first accident, Hannah was in a head-on collision that left her body even more damaged and broken than her previous accident. Like a terrible reprise of the past, she found herself locked again in a body that was shattered. Two days later, June 30th, after being readied for the surgery that would repair her broken limbs, she suddenly departed this world, free at last.

Hannah has returned to her true home, no doubt greeted by her father Ivan, (Grammy) Annette Miller, her three brothers Douglas, Paul, Guy, and her sister Diane. She leaves behind her five mothers, Valerie, Carol, Colleen, Kathleen, and Naomi, 42 siblings, countless nieces and nephews, cousins, students, teachers, and many others who knew and loved her.

She not only leaves her loved ones behind, but she also leaves a legacy of what it means to be a friend, and to face life’s challenges with an indomitable spirit of optimism and good humor. She was a dreamer, a hopeful romantic, and a believer in the ultimate goodness of life. As a tribute to her invincible spirit and adventurous heart, may we all embrace life fully, with grit, hope, and a dash of humor.

Funeral services will be held at 11AM on Saturday, July 8, 2023 at the LDS Stake Center located 2742 West 14400 South in Bluffdale, Utah. a public viewing will be held on Friday evening, July 7, 2023 from 6-8PM at Larkin Mortuary - Riverton, 3688 West 12600 South in Riverton, Utah, as well as at the stake center prior to services on Saturday beginning at 9:45AM. Interment will follow at the Elysian Burial Gardens in Millcreek, Utah.

Funeral services will be stream via Zoom for those wishing to attend virtually. To watch the previously held services, please click the "Watch Services" link above.