Laverta Belle Hansen

LaVerta Belle Regenmorter Hansen, 99, passed away peacefully at her home in Driggs, Thursday, March 23rd, 2023.  

LaVerta Hansen was born in Driggs, Idaho on July 2nd, 1923, to William “Bill” and Matilda Regenmorter. She grew up in Teton Valley and graduated from Teton High School. Her father was a butcher and owned a store where she would enjoy an after-school treat of a hot dog and sugar cookie, a combination she enjoyed well into her 90’s. She learned to drive while delivering groceries in her father’s Model A, and recalled the split hood flapping like wings as she sped through the fields. Childhood was a happy one, with much love and good friends, many of them now gone.  

LaVerta married Jack Hansen in Driggs, ID, in 1940, and the marriage was later solemnized in the Idaho Falls Temple. Three years later they purchased a farm in Darby where they raised their 6 children, (Bill, Bob, Jackie, Kim, Terri and Rod). LaVerta worked alongside Jack, plowing fields with a team of horses and picking potatoes by hand. Prior to building their current home, they lived in two rooms with their four children. She often said how cute it was and, in some ways, she missed the closeness after they moved. The two room home held memories of family and friends, but the new home offered room for even more. Jack and LaVerta celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary prior to his passing in 2016.

LaVerta was a convert to the L.D.S. church and held positions as a Primary Teacher, Relief Society Visiting Teacher, and Secretary. She was the Funeral Board Leader in the Darby ward, and after the ward was moved to Driggs, she served as the Sunday School Librarian for several years. It was a position she truly enjoyed, as it gave her the opportunity to visit with many members.

LaVerta always had a soft spot in her heart for the elderly in the community, as she knew many of them through her parents. She would often stop to visit with them, do the ladies’ hair, or just help with their needs. She was a driver for Meals on Wheels for several years and often took time to assist and visit with the recipients, providing much more than just a meal. She also cared for her parents until their deaths.

LaVerta was well known for her delicious cooking. She fed hired hands and work crews, as well as family and all their friends. No one ever left her table hungry. She made thousands of batches of candy, which she frequently gave as gifts. She always made sure you got your favorite. She made mints for many weddings, careful to match the bridal colors.

The Teton Valley blizzards were surprisingly a time of joy, as out came the board games and popcorn (caramel, of course). Playing pinochle with friends was a favorite pastime, with games often lasting late into the night. LaVerta was an avid and skilled bowler with countless pins and trophies to prove it. She had to give it up when her legs would no longer allow it at the age of 86, but the friends she made and the fun she had remained with her.

LaVerta is survived by five of her children: Robert (Marcia) Hansen of Idaho Falls, Jackie Hansen of Pocatello, Kim (Gloria) Hansen of Pocatello, Terri (Del) Fullmer of Driggs, and Rod Hansen of Idaho Falls, as well as 18 Grandchildren, 56 Great-Grandchildren, and 26 Great-Great-Grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband: Jack Hansen, parents; William “Bill” and Matilda Regenmorter, her younger sister: Amarylis Fern, her oldest son: William “Bill” Hansen, and two great-grandchildren.

Her passing is mourned by many who love her and appreciate all the unselfish acts of kindness, and the wonderful lessons she taught. We may grieve her absence, but are grateful for “one Hell of a reunion in Heaven”.

Services for LaVerta are as follows: An evening viewing will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Thursday, March 30th at the Driggs LDS Stake Center, 221 N 100 E., Driggs. The funeral will be held at 11 a.m., with a viewing prior from 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. Friday, March 31st at the same location. The interment will be at the Cache-Clawson Cemetery, following a luncheon.