Juan Hansen, Class of ‘49, is Alumni Grand Marshal

Juan Schwartz Hansen was born February 7, 1931 in Rupert, ID to Margaret Schwartz and Reno T. Hansen.  Some wonder how he received the name Juan. 
After World War I, Juan’s father received a homestead on Summit Point in San Juan County. He couldn’t make a living here, so he moved to Rupert, ID.  His desire was to return to Monticello and farm. He felt that if he named his son Juan, it would happen...and it did!
When Juan was six, the family moved to Monticello.  He started first grade at the old school that sat where the library is now.  Juan’s first grade teacher was Dorothy Adams after Miss Jessie Bradshaw left for one year to receive more training to teach. 
Juan graduated from Monticello High School in 1949 from that same building.  Scott Tom Lyman and Juan are the only surviving boys. He has lost track of the girls in the class.  There were 15 classmates in all.
After graduation, Juan received a scholarship and went to Logan to attend Utah State Agriculture College, now Utah State University.  That didn’t last long, as he was drafted into the Army. 
He arrived at Fort Douglas, took some tests and lined up with the rest of the troops. They called his name and told him that he would be in the Marine Corps and serve in Korea.
Upon returning home, he decided to serve a mission for his church.  He went to see Bishop Ken Summers, who helped him with the paper work.
Juan was called to the Denmark Danish-speaking Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  He arrived on February 7, 1953, his 23rd birthday.
After returning from his mission, Juan married Lorraine Jones.  They had five sons: Steven, Boyd, David, Scott, and Alan. 
Juan also started farming again with his father.  It was hard to make enough money to support a family while farming, so he was also a mechanic, worked in the mines, drove truck, farmed in the summer, and worked at Young’s Machine in the winter.
In 1979, Juan married Lou Ann Waters. With this marriage came two children, Staci and Kirk. 
Juan had the privilege of serving two Stake Missions, on the Stake High Council for eleven years under three Stake Presidents and serving in the Monticello Temple for seven years.
Things Juan enjoys now are reading, keeping up on world affairs, watching a lot of Westerns (as per Staci), and fighting the prairie dog population. 
Juan says, “I know I’ve had a charmed life living in Monticello and wouldn’t change it for anything.  The people of Monticello have always been there for one another and I am truly grateful to have spent my life here.”