Renee Farnsworth

Renee Hansen Farnsworth

In the early morning hours of July 24, 2025, Renee Hansen Farnsworth "twinkled" from this life to the next in Santa Clara, Utah.

Renee was born to Denzel Lawrence Hansen and Verla Fay Wheeler Hansen on April 9, 1939 in Idaho Falls, Idaho. It was Easter Sunday and she always claimed to be the REAL Easter Bunny. She was the second of four children which included Jerald Hansen, Arlene Harker, and Janice Haynie. She loved her family dearly. She also loved her in-laws, nieces, nephews, and extended family very much.

As a young woman, Renee served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in New York and New Jersey. That little Idaho potato farmer's daughter was the only one in the mission who would drive in NYC! She later worked on the Church's exhibit for the World's Fair in NYC in 1964.

While living in Salt Lake City, Utah Renee was the secretary for University of Utah science professor Henry Eyring, the father of the current LDS apostle of the same name. She also served as a Stake Missionary.

Renee met her match, Melvin Taylor Farnsworth, while visiting Arizona with a friend. They married in the LDS Temple in Idaho Falls, Idaho on February 12, 1966. He is the love of her life. They very quickly started a family, which included Tiffany (Gearhart), Heidi ( Hastings), Andrea (Barnhart), John (Farnsworth), Heather (Jenkins), Stephen (Farnsworth), Sabra (Palmer), Nadia (Drake), Tara (Price), and Joshua (Farnsworth). Renee and Mel lived in Arizona and Georgia and then moved to Annabella, Utah where they lived for many years while raising their 10 children. They loved it there. They later moved to Rapid City, South Dakota and then Provo, Utah for many more years. They retired to St. George, Utah, which they have really enjoyed.

Renee and Mel were the very first missionaries to serve with the Perpetual Education Fund for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They started the program in Santiago, Chile where they enjoyed traveling all over the country and to adjoining countries to recruit students for college through this fund. She learned Spanish in her 60's. This was a highlight of Renee's life. She also loved traveling the world with family and friends, spending time in Mexico, Africa, Iceland, Germany, Canada, Alaska, Hawaii, Spain, Italy, Norway, and Denmark and more. One of her great honors was meeting His Holiness the Dalai Lama and presenting him with a copy of the Book of Mormon. She served a mission with Mel among the Native Americans in the St. George area for seven years. Renee loved people of all walks of life. She never met a stranger.

The most important things to Renee were the Gospel of Jesus Christ and her family. She was the very best Grammie, and often had tea parties for her grandchildren. There are 33 of them: Asia, Natalia, Uintah, Sierra, Cassidi, Sadie, Emilee, Hunter, Gideon, Ammon, Benjamine, Ephraim, Sophia, Noah, Nya, Tasia, Samantha, Olivia, Madeline, Zachary, Kamilah, Isabella, Quinn, Kellyn, Chandler, Catherine, Connor, Ronin, Joseph, Peter, Abigail and Ethan. And great-grandchildren Milo, William, Dreyk and Nova. She traveled to far places for the births, baptisms and special occasions in their lives. She prayed for everyone by name twice a day. She loved her sons and daughters-in-law greatly: Dan Gearhart, Scott Hastings, Vincent Barnhart, Michelle Farnsworth, Colby Jenkins, Clifford Palmer and Laura Farnsworth. She was so proud of all of her family, and let them know it.

Renee was a tiny little force of nature. She loved to dress in red, and wear jewelry, especially Native American jewelry, and she loved art. Renee was famous for her French Bread and Tunnel of Fudge Cake. She served and loved people, and was loved by so many. Renee had a great fear of missing out, and always wanted to know what was going on with her family and friends. She called them very often. Renee was beautiful, bold, loving, poised, smart, sharp, financially savvy, tolerant, kind, educated, thoughtful, generous, and nobody could tell her what to do! She was fiercely independent and private. She loved Jesus Christ.

Renee is survived by her loving husband, Mel. They sang to each other every night before going to sleep. She was his loving and protective caregiver until her passing.

A viewing will be held at Spilsbury Mortuary, 110 S. Bluff St., St. George, UT from 4:00 - 6:00 pm, Sunday, August 17. Monday, August 18 will be another viewing at the LDS Chapel 630 Riesling Ave, Santa Clara, UT starting at 9:30am with the funeral following at 11:00am. Interment will be at the Santa Clara City Cemetery following the service.

Arrangements are made under the direction of Spilsbury Mortuary, 110 S. Bluff St., St. George, UT. 435-673-2454.

Friends and family are invited to sign Renee's online guestbook at www.SpilsburyMortuary.com