Melba Nora Gagon Hanson, 86, died March 21, 1995 at home of natural causes.
Born September 21, 1908 in Vernal to Ira David and Mary Ella Smith Gagon. Married Leo Justice Hanson September 8, 1926 in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. He died May 24, 1966.Melba lived in Roosevelt until 1968 when she moved to Salt Lake City. She was an avid hunter in her young married years. She was active in the LDS Church, serving full-time stake missions in Roosevelt; part of that with the Indians, and as a German name extractor in the Mt. Olympus Stake.
Melba was well known for her beautiful oil paintings. One of her famous paintings is of President John F. Kennedy, following his assassination, entitled "The Eternal Flame." It was presented to his widow, Jacqueline kennedy, and now hangs in the Kennedy Memorial Library. She has a lovely painting of Jesus in Gethsemane, which covers the front of the chapel in the original Roosevelt LDS Chapel and copies can be seen in a number of other chapels around the country. She also painted an often used "plan of salvation" chart and one of her paintings hangs in the St. George Temple.
She is survived by sons, daughters, and spouses, Bonnie Ray and Bobby Dean Robertson; Yetta and Wayne Mortensen; Earl "Rocky" and Karen Hanson, all Salt Lake City; Narvol Leo and Patricia Hanson, Whittier, Calif.; Dr. Norman and Jane Hanson, Moraga, Calif.; Connie and Gary Joslin, Sandy; 22 grandchildren; 31 great-grandchildren; brothers, Fred Gagon, Hugh Gagon, both Salt Lake; and Ersel Gagon, Price. She was preceded in death by a brother, Irvin Gagon and sisters, Madelaine Horrocks, Cleo Sworts, and Vera Gardner.
Funeral services Saturday, 10 a.m. at the Mt. Olympus 9th Ward Church, 4625 South Lanard Rd., where friends may call from 9-9:45 a.m. Interment, Roosevelt Memorial Park, 3 p.m. under direction of Hullinger-Olpin Mortuary, Roosevelt.
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