Louise Hansen

Mary Louise Hansen, known to all as Louise, was born on Christmas Eve, 1946, to James and Virginia Larsen. She passed away peacefully on May 26, 2026, surrounded by the family she loved so deeply.

Louise spent much of her life rooted in Shoshone, Idaho — a small town of 1,400 that shaped her character and to which she always returned. Her earliest years were spent in a lava block farmhouse nestled between the Little Wood River and the tracks of the Union Pacific Railroad, one and a half miles west of town. When she was nine, the family moved into Shoshone, where her parents operated Larsen’s Service, a gas and grocery store on the south end of town. Home and store were connected by a five-foot hallway and an often-open door, meaning the Larsen family lived something of a public life — a detail Louise recalled with warmth and a smile.

The public schools of Shoshone provided eleven years of excellent education. The family briefly relocated to Twin Falls for her junior year, but following the death of her father, they returned to Shoshone, where once again, they “lived at the store.”

Louise went on to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Brigham Young University – Provo, where she also married Mel Trammel and welcomed her son, John. She began her teaching career in Idaho Falls before settling in Richfield, Idaho, where she married Dale Sluder. After three years teaching in Richfield, she followed a teaching opportunity to Shoshone — and in characteristic fashion, purchased a house there while Dale was away for the week working for Union Pacific. Their daughter Shari was born, and Louise stepped away from the classroom to be home with her. Three years later, she was invited to teach in the very school she had attended as a child, a full-circle moment she cherished. She taught there for ten years. After thirteen and a half years of marriage, she and Dale divorced, though they remained good friends until his passing.

During her final year teaching in Shoshone, Louise met Launy Hansen, whom she would come to call the love of her life and her eternal companion. Launy brought with him five children — Raymond, David, Gary, Ken, and LaRynda — whom Louise loved and admired. Together, Launy and Louise lived in Rupert and then Shelley, Idaho, where she continued her teaching career. In those years she earned a Master’s Degree in Education from Idaho State University — all while making countless memories touring the countryside together on a Gold Wing motorcycle trike with Launy’s brother and sister-in-law, Neal and Kay. It was a season of adventure and joy. Sadly, after thirteen years of marriage, Launy passed away. Louise retired from teaching shortly thereafter and moved to the Boise/Meridian area to be near family, where she lived until her passing.

Louise was a gifted and devoted musician. She played the piano and organ throughout her life, offered piano lessons to many children in her home, and accompanied the high school choir and theatrical productions. Music was both her gift and her offering to those around her.

Beyond music, she had a great love of learning, gardening, quilting, scrapbooking, and the simple pleasure of a good drive through the countryside. She treasured her faith, her friendships, and above all, her family.

Louise was preceded in death by her husband Launy, her parents, her brothers Cliff and Steven Larsen and her sister Loma Hillman. She is survived by her son, John Trammel, and his family; her daughter, Shari Sluder Panter, and her family; her stepchildren Raymond, David, Gary, Ken, and LaRynda Hansen, and their families; her sisters Jeanne Bateman and Terri Ricks; and many beloved members of her extended family.

She was a teacher, a musician, a companion, and a constant. She will be deeply missed.