Joshua Hansen

Joshua Jay Hansen, 31/2 years old, of Shelley, Idaho, was born to Steven Jay Hansen and Mindy Lee (Woolstenhulme) on March 9, 2005, with his twin brother, Michael Dean Hansen. Our little Josh was unexpectedly called home to our Heavenly Father's arms on January 19, 2009.

Josh was our thinker and strong-willed little boy. Since he was born, he was a fighter! When he and his brother were born early, they were given feeding tubes to help them eat. After Josh saw that Mike went home when his tube was out, he wouldn't leave his in. It seemed as though he was determined to be with our family and came home shortly after.

Josh loved to learn and worked hard at it with the abilities he was given. He had some setbacks because of development and speech delays, but you could always see in his eyes that he was absorbing everything! He loved the ABC song, counting, reading the sight words and he loved naming the colors. He especially loved blue and orange. We know our boy had so much he wanted to share and say, but couldn't get it out the way he wanted. Our little Josh loved Christmas time, particularly the song "jiggy bells" (his version of jingle bells) and of course Christmas movies. He would constantly replay them at the table with Mike.

He and Michael were complimentary to one another and loved to take turns acting out different parts of their favorite movies. Josh hated to be separated from Michael. Even when they weren't playing with one another, Josh noticed when he was gone and would be rearing to go when they were together again. Josh loved playing in the dark with his brother at nap time and bed time. There were several times when their room, mattresses and all, were scattered everywhere. They worked together on so many different adventures and always backed each other up.

Josh is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was part of the Shelley Fourth Ward and started to attend Primary and Sunbeams in January. He was always anxious to join the nursery group and would get upset if the leaders left Sacrament meeting without him. He was a big spirit in a tiny body. Everyone he came in contact with knew how much excitement, energy and light Josh had about him.

Josh loved playing with his cars and playing with toy animals. He would rarely go to bed without his elephants and his dinosaur. He loved slides, sledding, swimming and being swung around in the air. He was a little daredevil who tried whatever he could to get stuck and unstuck. This last year, he enjoyed going to the Shelley football games with his dad, brother and Grandpa Hansen. He loved sitting on Grandpa's lap and looking through the binoculars. Josh loved to sit with Grandpa Woolstenhulme and read books, he loved swinging and learning to be nice to the dog with Grandma Woolstenhulme, he looked forward to the time he got with Grandma Hansen, especially when she had snacks, and loved to undo the puzzles she was putting together for him. Josh also had a special connection with his aunts Melanie and Stephanie (Bean), who love him very much.

Josh was always full of life and had the smile to prove it. He will be greatly missed, but we know he will be in his Heavenly Father's care. We are anxious and look forward to the time when we will be with him again.

Josh was preceded in death by two great-grandparents, Wilma Joy Madsen Pence of Ashton and Donald Elwood-Walton of Shelley. He is survived by his twin brother and best friend, Michael Dean; parents, Mindy Lee (Woolstenhulme) and Steven Jay Hansen; his grandparents, Brent and Cheri Woolstenhulme of Idaho Falls and Larry and Susan Hansen of Shelley; great-grandparents, Marion Ellsworth Pence of Ashton, Boyd and Beth Woolstenhulme of Montpelier, Ardis Walton of Shelley, and Heber and Dorothy Hansen of Shelley; and many other cousins, aunts, uncles and friends.

Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 24, 2009, at the Shelley Fourth Ward Chapel, 184 N. Park Ave. The family will receive friends from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Friday evening at Nalder Funeral Home, 110 W. Oak St. in Shelley, and from 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. before the services at the church. Interment will be in Shelley Hillcrest Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.nalderfuneralhome.com.

Family Tribute