Life of good deeds earns Spring City man

‘Citizen of the Year’ award

7-9-2020

SPRING CITY—Known as man of “good deeds,” longtime resident Vanoy Hansen has been chosen as the Spring City’s Citizen of the Year for 2020.

According to Mayor Cynthia DeGrey, Hansen’s propensity to always volunteer and his desire to welcome others was singled out at a city council meeting on July 2.

Hansen has always had a desire to help others, DeGrey said. He has provided countless hours of service to our community using his own equipment and providing his own fuel. He volunteered to mow the city streets for one year. Using his own equipment each winter he plows the sidewalk to the elementary school and plows the drives of 54 other families in town.

He provides constant care and assistance to his sister Barbara and another neighbor, Virginia Thomson year-round, DeGrey said.

He is known as the self-appointed welcoming committee for Spring City and enjoys sharing stories about Spring City’s history with new residents as well as taking them on a trip northwest of town each winter to view the large number of eagle nests.

Hansen has spent hours researching and collecting names on Spring City’s veterans for the new Veterans Memorial that was completed a couple of years ago, DeGrey said.

He is just the type of person who, when he sees something that needs to be done, just goes ahead and does it, DeGrey said. He does not wait to be asked, he does not expect to be recognized or thanked for his service—he just quietly goes about his day looking for opportunities to serve in whatever ways he can. “That pretty well sums up Vanoy; he’s our resident ‘good deed doer,’” DeGrey said

Hansen is the oldest son of Bernice and Willard Hansen. His siblings include Howard Hansen, deceased, Barbara Hansen Strate and Richard Hansen. Another sibling died at childbirth. Hansen attended elementary and junior high school in Spring City and then attended North Sanpete High School.

Hansen attended one year at Snow College before serving an LDS mission. When he returned home from his mission, he attended USU until he was drafted into the U.S. Army, where he served two years. Upon his honorable discharge from the Army he finished his education at SUU in Cedar City. He married Evon Olsen of Ephraim and they moved to Orderville, where he taught elementary school. When he returned to Spring City, he taught school one year at Moroni Elementary and then finished out his teaching career at Mt. Pleasant Elementary. He retired after teaching for 32 years.

Hansen and his wife Evon have also been asked to serve as the Grand Marshalls for the July 24 Pioneer Day drive-thru town parade.