Darleen Hunt Anderson

Our amazing mother, Grandmother, Great Grandmother, Sister, Friend and Wife, Darleen Hunt Anderson returned home to the arms of her Heavenly Father on June 8, 2025, at her home in Mt. Pleasant, Utah.

Mom was born on July 17, 1939, to Ivan Holt (Tobe) and Jessie Waite Hunt, in the old McGregor Hospital in St. George, Utah. She is the 2^nd of 9 kids.  For the first years of her life she lived above Gunlock at the #3 Powerplant and then when she was about 4, her family moved to Gunlock.  She went to school in a one-room schoolhouse for 1st through 5^th grade, with Lula Bowler as her teacher.  She was the only student in her grade.  She learned a lot of life lessons and developed a love for our country. For 6^th Grade she rode the bus to St. George Elementary with her dad as the bus driver. She attended Woodward Jr. High School for 7^th through 10^th grade. 

 She attended Dixie Jr. College for 11^th and 12^th grade and then for her Freshman and Sophomore years of college.  When she was a senior, she was asked to play for the College basketball team. So, she was able to play three years of college basketball for Dixie.  She also played volleyball and softball and was the singles badminton champion.  She was the president of the intramural association at Dixie College.  She played the clarinet and was in the marching band.  She went on to Utah State University in Logan to finish her degree.  She lettered in Basketball and played volleyball and softball. She graduated in 1961 with her bachelor’s degree in physical education with a Minor in History.  She did her student teaching at Bear River Jr. High School in Tremonton. Her first teaching job was at Monticello High school.  Then she taught at North Sanpete High School in Mt. Pleasant where she taught World History, Girl’s PE, Health, Physiology, and was the Junior Class Advisor, as well as the S Club Advisor.

In High School and College, she worked as a waitress at Dick’s Cafe in St. George, and her nickname was “Gunlock”. While attending Utah State she worked in the issue room of the athletic department.

In 1963 mom had to get a date for a school dance that she was chaperoning and so the chief of police, who was a friend, set her up with Dad.  Two months later, on June 7, 1963, she married Jerry Lee Anderson in the St. George LDS Temple.  They had 5 kids, Jerry Lee Anderson Jr., Tammy, Daniel Tobe, Lewis David, and Jennifer.

 Their first home was in Mt. Pleasant, and then they moved to Ephraim in 1967.  They moved back to Mt. Pleasant after Dad retired in 2004.

Mom and Dad operated the Ephraim swimming pool for 3 years and mom taught swimming lessons.  She taught lifesaving classes for the Community, as well as swimming and First Aid classes for Snow College.

In 1971 she became a Regional Sports Camp Supervisor.   She was responsible for getting the church girl's camp program started in her Stake and Region. She was a camp director for 17 years and had many spiritual experiences and witnessed many miracles as she relied on the Lord and was an instrument in His hands.

She was responsible for organizing the PTA program at Ephraim Elementary and Middle School and was the PTA president. She started the Halloween carnival.

In 1976 she became a certified Emergency Medical Technician and volunteered on the Ephraim/Manti Ambulance for 13 years.  She was the coordinator and trainer of Emergency Medical Training, CPR, and First Aid.  She was an EMS course coordinator and an instructor trainer for the American Heart Association. She was the director of the Sanpete County Red Cross, as well as helping the Red Cross with service to the military.   She trained more than 300 EMT’s in a 6-county area. She took it upon herself to teach as many people as possible to know how to administer first aid and what to do in an emergency.  She also taught countless young women and Boy Scout Groups.  

In the 70’s mom started working at Snow College.  She worked with the Upward Bound/Ceta program, Elderhostel Home Health, Evening School, Youth Conferences, Placement and Career Counseling, Workshops and Conferences, Continuing Education, taught first Aid, and was the Coordinator and Director of Cooperative Education. She helped countless people get training and find jobs in the area of their interests.  She served on many committees including the football coach selection committee.  She was trained in Real Estate.  She received the Rotary Club’s Service Above Self award, as well as many other awards. After she retired, she was a driver for the Senior Citizens and took them on outings.  She also had a window washing business. 

She was a Referee and umpire for many volleyball, basketball and softball games. 

 She always loved camping, hiking, hunting, and the outdoors.  She could fix anything with a hammer, baling wire, wd40, and duct tape.  She loved God’s creations and taught her family and others to protect the beauty of this earth.  Her happy place was always in the mountains. 

She was a great shot with a rifle. One time she was rabbit hunting and took her younger siblings with her. She saw a rattlesnake that was between her and her siblings, so she shot the head off of that rattlesnake to protect them.  Another time her cousin challenged her to shoot a coin from a fence and so she did. Also, when she was at USU she came home for Fall break and went hunting with her mom because none of the guys could go. But she didn't need the guys, she shot two 4-point bucks.

Her lifetime of membership and service in the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints started when she was baptized by her father at the age of 8 in the St. George Temple baptismal font.

 Mom always went the extra mile to magnify her church callings and at times was able to serve together with dad.   She served as the Young Women’s President in her ward when she was about 14 years old. She was a Relief Society and primary teacher, young women’s president, Girl’s camp director, Stake Emergency preparedness and food storage coordinator, Activities chairman, compassionate service leader, single adults’ coordinator, scout leader, nursery leader, Family History consultant, and was always a visiting teacher who went above and beyond.  She was a temple ordinance worker in the Manti Temple from 1995-2004.  She served a mission with Dad to the Cove Fort Historical sites from 2004-2008.

 Mom spent her retirement years gardening, fixing up her house and yard, rock hounding, training and breaking mustangs, taking care of her elderly parents, kids, and grandkids, and anybody else that needed help.

She always loved helping people and would often show up at the exact moment she was needed. She not only knew where to go but also what that person needed. People always said, “While others got their call on their pager from the dispatcher, Darleen got hers from a higher power.”  

She spent her life teaching and helping others and relying on the Lord. She was a woman of faith and dedication and made a difference in the lives of many people. 

She was preceded in death by her parents, Ivan and Jessie Hunt, her brother Douglas Ivan Hunt, son Daniel Tobe Anderson, son-in-law Paul Lawrence, Bonus Granddaughter Brandie Bracken, and Bonus Great Grandsons Skiler and Gunner Bracken, Brothers-in-law Richard Moon, Wendall Palmer, and Ethan Bundy, and her husband’s siblings Beverly, Luasene, Blain, Earldean, and Peter.

She is survived by her husband Jerry, their children: Jerry Lee (Jane) Anderson of Murray, Tammy (Kirk) Bracken of Enterprise, Lewis David (Valerie) Anderson of Tooele, Jennifer Lawrence of Mt. Pleasant.  18 grandkids, 11 great grandkids, Multiple bonus grandkids and great grandkids, many nieces and nephews, and her siblings Mary Ellen (Roy) Strong, Dianna (John) Hafen, Mona Moon, Vicki Palmer, Debra Bundy, Chloe (Kelvin) Lee, and Jesse Kay (Pam) Hunt, and sisters-in-law Dianne Hunt, and Becky Rasmussen.

We would like to thank our dad and our sister, Jennifer, as well as Intermountain Home Health and Hospice for their excellent care of our mother. 

Funeral services will be held Saturday June 28th at 1:00 PM at the Mt. Pleasant Stake Center 295 S. State (yellow church), with a viewing from 11:00-12:30 prior to the service.  There will be a viewing the night before on June 27th from 6:00-8:00 also at the Mt. Pleasant church house. Interment will take place in the Mt. Pleasant City Cemetery.