Della F. Hansen Pugmire

Della Fern Hansen Pugmire was born on January 3, 1925, in Young Ward, Utah.  She passed away on February 3, 2021, at her home in Bountiful, Utah.  She was 96 years old and still sharp as a tack.

She was born to Esther May Olsen and Arthur Erastus Hansen.  She was the fifth of 11 children, having five brothers and five sisters.  She has two sisters that survive her, Marjorie Rice and Evelene Rice.  Growing up in a large family was challenging.  She helped take care of a large garden by weeding and picking berries.  They had no indoor plumbing, just a double-seater outhouse behind the house.  She attended school in an old church house with two rooms about a mile from her home.  There were only two children in the first grade so they called her mother to see if she could start school at age five.  She jokingly said her mother was glad to get rid of her.  The family moved to Ogden her senior year.  She graduated from Ogden High School.

She met a handsome sailor named Jarvis Pugmire at the White City Ballroom when he asked her to dance.  She met him in March, and they were married in October.  They were married at the White City Ballroom on October 14, 1948.  They had entered a contest and won a wedding and reception there.  In the spring of 1950 they moved to Blackfoot, Idaho, where their sons Steven and Mark were born.  Jarvis and Della both worked for American Linen in Blackfoot.  They moved to Bountiful in 1968.  She continued to work for American Linen in Ogden where she was the office manager.  Della and Jarvis later divorced after 31 years of marriage.  She retired from American Linen after 40 years of service.

Retirement didn’t last long.  She was completely bored!  Imagine that.  She did bookkeeping for small businesses, having three part-time jobs at one time.  She loved to be busy and it kept her young.  Only a pandemic made it so she couldn’t go to work.

During her spare time she loved to bake her legendary apple pies and chocolate cake with brown sugar frosting.  She loved to share them with others.  She made 724 ½ crib quilts for LDS Humanitarian.  That kept her occupied during the pandemic.  She loved watching Jazz games, BYU football games, America’s Funniest Home Videos and Dancing with the Stars.

She was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  She had a strong faith in her Savior and in the sealing bonds of the temple.  She loved the association of the single sisters in her ward.  We appreciate the loving service given to her by her ministering brothers and sisters.

She loved time spent with her family.  She is survived by her sons Steve (Beth) and Mark (Kaylene); grandchildren, Kerstin (Jason), Miken (Eddy), Kelly (David), Elizabeth (Judd), Brandy (Josh), Chasey (Tigran, fiance’) and Jaxon.

Her great-grandchildren loved Grandma pushing them around the house on the seat of her walker.  They are Stockton, Chelsie, Ashlie, Pipkin, Royal, Gem, Kendall, Hayden, Rocky, Henry, Grant, and Sadie.

We love you and will miss you, Mom.  Till we meet again.

Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m., Friday, February 12, 2021 at Russon Mortuary, 295 North Main, Bountiful, where a viewing will be held from 11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m.  Interment-Bountiful City Cemetery.  Funeral services will be live streamed on the “Russon Brothers Mortuary” Facebook page.

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