Beryl Colleen (Hansen) Harris

Our beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and aunt, Beryl “Colleen” Harris passed away peacefully at her home in West Valley City, Utah on November 7, 2020 at the age of 93. As her nephew, John Newsome wrote, “the warmth of her love is still deep in our hearts.”

She was born at the home of her parents, Oliver Hans Hansen and Annie Melvina (Vinnie) Lewis Hansen, in Brigham City, Utah on September 16, 1927. She was the tenth of eleven children, and her mother said she picked a very stormy night to make her appearance here on earth.

She lived in Brigham City on fifth west. Summers were spent on their farm working and playing with her brothers and sisters. When she was in the 3rd grade, they moved to Springfield, Oregon. It was there that she was baptized in the Willamette River. As she recalls it, they didn't live there very long and moved back to Utah. The farm they moved to in Utah did not have electricity, so they used kerosene lamps for light. They then moved back to Brigham City and she attended Central school through 6th grade. She says that she remembers going to the store for her mother at that time and buying a pound of hamburger for a quarter and a loaf of bread for a dime.

After 6th grade, her family moved to Salem, Oregon where she attended Middlegrove school. It had 8 grades in 2 classrooms. She had to walk a mile and a half to and from school and loved the wild flowers that grew along their route. She was also active in 4H while there and went to Corvallis for a week to a 4H summer school. It was while there that she had Scarlet fever. The fever turned her hair a much lighter color and she was quite blond for several years.

In 1940, they moved to Vale, Oregon. Colleen attended high school there and graduated from Vale High in 1945. Many years later, her grandson Ron S Millett had a track meet at Vale High and was very excited to see his grandmother's picture still on the wall as a graduate.

After high school, she moved to San Francisco, California to live with her sister Betty, and she worked for the Southern Pacific Railroad.

Her family moved to Bend, Oregon where she and Betty soon joined them. It was there that she met her future husband, William “Bill” Harris. His family had moved there about the same time as her family. As she wrote in her history, “Some of my happiest memories are of my life in Bend.”

She was called on a full time mission as well as Bill, her older sister Betty, and 3 other close friends all about the same time. She left Salt Lake June 14, 1950 for the Northern California mission. She served in 4 cities and had 6 different companions.

After they came home from their missions, Colleen worked as a telephone operator and Bill went into the Air Force. While on leave from the Air Force, Bill got in touch with her. They were married in the Logan Temple February 6, 1953.

They lived in Wichita, Kansas for 5 years and 2 of their children were born there - Rhonda and Randy (born just 6 weeks before Bill's discharge). Then they moved to Utah so Bill could finish his college education. They bought a brand new home in Kearns and lived there 4 years. They had 2 more children, Christie and Kent.

They moved to Idaho, first to Caldwell, Idaho for 2 years then to Nampa, Idaho where they lived for 12 years and raised their family. Then Bill's work brought them back to Salt Lake City and they eventually bought a home in West Valley City.

Colleen enjoyed several callings in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She loved children and especially enjoyed working in the Primary and getting to know all of the children.

She was always busy, and kept the kids busy gardening, painting the house, canning, etc. She liked to sew and crochet and often gave away her beautiful creations, even crocheting blessing dresses for her granddaughters, Colleen kept Grandpa busy carrying the laundry and mowing the lawn. She was an avid reader and read the full newspaper every day until she couldn't see well enough to do so. She didn't procrastinate, if something needed fixing, she would see that it got done. She was a great DIY person and made many small repairs herself. She helped Randy with building skateboards from roller skates. Colleen would take the kids on trips to her various siblings and to visit her mother. She often gave service to others and provided treats for youth meetings and neighborhood children.

She is survived by four children, Rhonda (Ron) Millett, Randy Harris, Christie (Neil) Humes, and Kent (Annette) Harris; 14 grandchildren, Amy Jo Harris, Ashley Shofner, Ronald S Millett, Barbara Millett, Olga Millett, Preston Millett, Tanya Millett, Tyler Millett, Jessica Humes, Adam Humes, Keith Humes, Haylee Humes, Alex Harris and Jetta Hansen; and 17 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Bill Harris; her parents, Oliver Hans Hansen and Annie Melvina (Vinnie) Lewis Hansen; and her 5 brothers and 5 sisters, Ruby, Wells, Shirley, Butch, Al, Margie, Amy, Jack, Betty, and Mary. What a joyous reunion they all will have!

Funeral services will be streamed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moS9xvrksfn