Dorothy Jean Nelson Christiansen Wilson, known affectionately as Dorothy Jean in her youth and Jeannie as an adult, passed away peacefully in the early morning hours on April 30th, 2024, surrounded by family.
Born on September 7th, 1941, in Mount Pleasant, Utah, she was the eldest child of Leslie Evan Nelson and Mildred May Black Nelson.
Her childhood was spent in the small towns of Spring City and Dugway, Utah, where she formed cherished memories, especially with her beloved grandparents, LeRoy, and Hazel Black. Their home was a sanctuary for her until her grandmother's passing, leaving a profound impact on her.
Upon graduating from North Sanpete High School in 1959 at the age of 17, She embarked on a journey of self-discovery, venturing to Salt Lake City to pursue her dreams. It was there that she began her professional career, initially finding employment as a teller at Zion's Bank. One particular incident at the bank left a lasting impression on her-a would-be robber approached her window, only to be dismissed with a nonchalant "too busy". As he proceeded to the next window, she promptly alerted the authorities. Her quick-thinking helped thwart a bank robbery, and the story was on the front page of the newspaper.
While living in Salt Lake, Jeannie also worked at her uncle, Monte Nelson's restaurant, Luigi's House of Pizza and put herself through Beauty School.
Her talent and passion for hairstyling eventually led her back to her hometown of Mount Pleasant, where she opened a station, sharing a salon with the local barber. It was here that fate intervened in the form of Odell "Digger" Christiansen, the dashing bachelor coach at the local high school. He came in for his usual hair cut from the barber, when the barber suggested he was "too busy" and that he should get his hair cut by Dorothy Jean instead. The first haircut was in December of 1961, and they were married for time and all eternity, three short months later, March 30, 1962, in the Manti Utah temple.
They bought their first home on main street in Mount Pleasant and put a beauty salon in the basement. Jeannie's Salon of Beauty had a nice ring to it, and that is when she started going by Jeannie.
The newlyweds wasted no time in starting a family, welcoming four children-Robert Odell, Lana Jean, Dennis Kay, and Lori Ann-within the first six years of their marriage. Then five years later they welcomed their baby girl, Lynette.
As their family grew, so did their adventures. Summers were spent helping Jeannie's parents run a motel in Kanab, where the children eagerly embraced their roles as makeshift innkeepers, learning the value of hard work and camaraderie. They also loved spending time exploring the area. They loved going to the sand caves and the movie sets of How the West was Won and the Six Million Dollar Man.
Jeannie stopped doing hair full-time and went to work for her friend Diane at Country Squire selling dresses. Her impeccable taste and flair for fashion made her a natural fit. She worked there for several years and then went to work at Beck's Appliance. At Beck's she had the opportunity to work for many years with her son, Dennis. It was fun for her to spend time with him at work and at home. When she managed Beck's Nephi store, she even put Lori and Lynette to work. She enjoyed working in Nephi and developed some cherished friends there.
Jeannie and Odell love to camp and spend time in the mountains with their children. In the winter, they loved to go sledding and snowmobiling - a passion she passed on to her sons, Robert, and Dennis. When the grandkids started coming, they went to as many ballgames and performances as they could. Jeannie was their biggest cheerleader. She cherished every moment spent with her family and friends, creating memories that would last an eternity. Most recently she loved reminiscing about those times with her friend Joan.
As their nest started to get empty, Jeannie went to work at Wasatch Academy as an Admissions secretary. Her compassion extended beyond her family to the students she mentored, forging deep connections with international students.
Tragedy struck in 1997 when her beloved husband, Odell, suffered a debilitating fall that left him paralyzed. Without hesitation, Jeannie assumed the role of his primary caregiver, devoting herself wholeheartedly to his care for over six years until his passing in 2004. She was an amazing example of selflessness, love, and sacrifice.
She loved to travel and had a map with stickers showing all the places she had been. She had a goal to travel to all 50 states and she did it! Some of her favorite trips were with Lana, traveling to Paris, Hawaii, and New York. She also loved Prince Edward Island, Branson, and Tennessee in the fall.
In 2007, fate once again intervened when her daughter, Lori, introduced her to Wayne Paxton Wilson. They dated for two years and were married for time in the Manti Utah temple on January 17th, 2009. Wayne and Jeannie both had a strong love of the gospel and wanted to serve a mission together. They were called to serve in the Boston Massachusetts temple. They loved living and serving in Boston. They jampacked a lifetime of memories in their nine and a half years of marriage. They loved to go out on the 4-wheelers, watching grandkids in their various activities, going on cruises, train excursions, helicopters rides, and spending time in the temple. Jeannie was widowed a second time in August of 2018.
Jeannie was a giver and loved to serve others. She was always crocheting beanies and made thousands of them to give away. She put a lot of pride in her work and was determined to always give it her best effort. She loved to give gifts anonymously so people would feel loved without giving herself credit.
Jeannie had a firm testimony in the restored gospel and loved the Savior Jesus Christ with all her heart. She was a lifetime member of The Church of Jesus Christ and served in many ways throughout her life. She loved serving as the Relief Society President; however, her favorite was working for many years as a leader for girl's camp. She also loved the theatre and enjoyed helping with the road shows. In her later years her passion was working in the temple and indexing. Her indexing numbers were in the hundreds of thousands.
Jeannie spent the last two years in assisted living facilities. The first year was close to Lori and the second year was close to Dennis. They and their families feel extremely blessed to have been that close to spend time with her daily and will cherish it forever.
Jeannie is survived by her five children, Robert (Mindy) Christiansen of St. George, Utah, Lana (Stan) Hardy of Logandale, Nevada, Dennis (Tricia) Christiansen of Mount Pleasant, Utah, Lori (Todd) McBride of South Jordan, Utah, and Lynette (Trent) Harmon of Nephi, Utah.
She is also survived by twenty-seven grandchildren, forty-two great-grandchildren, four stepchildren and their families, two brothers, one sister, five brothers-in-law, six sisters-in-law, and many nieces and nephews.
Preceded in death by her eternal companion, Odell C Christiansen, her second husband, Wayne Paxton Wilson, granddaughter Tiana Christiansen, parents, Leslie and Mildred Nelson, sisters, Geraldine and Karen Robin, brother, Kay, stepsons, and countless other family members.
The family would like to offer a special thanks to all the amazing caregivers at GoodLife in Mount Pleasant for the love and compassion they gave to their mother.
A viewing will be held Tuesday May 7, 2024 at the Mount Pleasant North Stake building at 461 N. 300 W., Mount Pleasant, Utah at 12:00 pm. The funeral services will begin at 1:00 pm at the same location. Interment in the Mt. Pleasant City Cemetery.
