Carroll Myrlin Billstrom Hansen

Carroll returned to her loving Father in Heaven on November 24, 2016 after a lengthy fight from several medical conditions. She will be greatly missed by her family and friends.
Carroll was born on August 16, 1934 to Wallace Billstrom and Mrytle Clementson in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the first of two children born of this union. Her mother died when she was just three years of age. The next ten years she was reared by several Clementson family members, starting with her grandparents. After her grandmother passed away she and her brother, Richard, lived with her aunt Cordelia in various places until finally being united with her father in Chula Vista, Ca. He had moved there during the depression and had remarried to his third wife, Beulah (Cox) Billstrom.
In the process of growing up she spent six months in Cape Cod, Maryland with one of her aunts, Grace, and her husband, Jo Silva. Returning to live with Cordelia they moved in due time to Las Vegas, Nevada and then on to Eagle Rock, Ca. She and her brother were reunited with their father through a radio program called “Missing Persons”. They lived in Chula Vista with his family. During this post war period she stayed through high school with the family.
Carroll graduated from Chula Vista High School and went to work for a pharmacy part time trying to earn enough money to go to college. She then attended one year at Brigham Young University. Returning to Chula Vista she got a job in Bank of America in the Escrow Department. This was during the Korean Conflict and there were many sailors in the area. It was here that she met the love of her life, Keith Stanley Hansen, according to her, “the best looking sailor in the fleet”. They were married in the Logan Temple on April 29, 1955 and resided in Amalga while Keith attended Utah State Agricultural College (Utah State University). Carroll was a stay at home mom raising a family of three children. Upon Keith’s graduation the family began many journeys to National Wildlife Refuges were Keith was a Refuge Manager. While in Dennison, Texas a fourth child was added to the family.
While moving to seven different refuges and after her children entering school, Carroll attended three different colleges, finally getting degree from Fort Hays College in Hays, Kansas and then went on and earned a Master’s Degree in Zoology, magna cum laude from Fort Hays. She faced many challenges to earn her education as it was a 65 mile drive each way for better than three years. She began her teaching career at Kirwin Elementary School, then moved on to Eastern Heights High School. She taught all the science and math courses as well as coaching the girls in basketball and track for 15 years. After Keith retired, they moved back to Amalga and she taught chemistry at Sky View High School for six years before retiring. She greatly enjoyed her years teaching and working with her students.
Carroll greatly loved the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints all her adult life. She and her brother, Richard joined the church while living in Chula Vista and she has been a faithful and devoted member throughout the rest of her life. While living in many of the areas where Keith was working, getting to church was not always easy, as many times it was a journey of better than 60 miles each way to attend services. While at Kirwin, the Hansen family and White family began holding primary and the Sunday school in their homes. From this small beginning the area has now grown into a ward and has their own building to meet in. Carroll has held many positions in the church, serving several times in the Primary, Relief Society, adult Sunday School Teacher, and always a visiting teacher. She greatly enjoyed attending church and was always concerned about the spiritual lives of both her family and friends.
Carroll was actively involved in many community and service projects. She has served as a political delegate and had strong political opinions, greatly enjoying those things pertaining to national government. She was very active in the Lions International Organization serving with Keith and supporting him as he moved through the leadership positions. She was a member of the supporting “Lady Lions” in several clubs and served as President of this group in three different clubs. When Lion’s International allowed woman into the organization she was the first lady to join the Smithfield Lions Club in 2001 and has served in many positions there. She was the second lady to be elected as President of the Smitfield Lions Club and during her year chaired the construction of the current Lion’s Stand at Richard V. Hansen Baseball Field. Along with Keith they attended 12 International Lions Conventions, traveling to many places throughout the world. She has attended, too many to count, State and District Lions Conventions in both Kansas & Utah.
In addition to her travel with the Lions, she and Keith enjoyed many trips & cruised to many places in Europe & North America with family & friends. She greatly enjoyed traveling and learning more about where she went.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Cordelia Clementson (the aunt who raised her), two brothers, Richard & Robert Billstrom, and a daughter-in-law, Patricia (Helm) Hansen.
Carroll is survived by her husband of 61 years, four children, Deborah Kay & Kenneth Lee Hadley of Phillipsburg, Kansas, Neal Vagn of Topeka, Kansas, Scott Keith & Kathleen Kay (Adams) of Olathe, Kansas, and Susan Carol of Topeka, Kansas, 12 grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren all of which Carroll loved dearly and was extremely pleased with the good name they had made for themselves.
A viewing will be held on Thursday, December 1, from 6 to 8 pm at Nelson Funeral Home in Smithfield, 85 S. Main St. and at the Amalga Ward Chapel, 6521 N. 2400 W., Amalga, preceding the services from 10:30-11:30 on December 2. Services will begin at noon on that date & burial will follow at the Smithfield City Cemetery.
The family would like to thank the care given to Carroll over the past couple of years by Dr. Maready & his staff as well as the doctors and staff at the Wound Care Clinic. Also a great thanks to the Intermountain Hospice staff who have worked with Carroll over the last couple of months. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the John Moran Eye Center in Salt Lake City or the Lions Club International Foundation.
Condolences & memories may be shared online at www.nelsonfuneralhome.com