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InnThis Week’s Edition of The Payson Chronicle

 

Mourning the Passing of Our Friend

 

JEANNINE COLE VAN AUSDAL

Jeannine Cole Van Ausdal passed away peacefully on August 22, 2026. She is survived by her daughters, Karyl Swift and Sheila Breen (Guy Walker) and was preceded in death by her husband of 77 years, Leo Neil Van Ausdal and her sons Dennis Kirk (infant) and Roger Neil.

She was born in Hurricane, Utah on May 4, 1929, the fourth of thirteen children born to her parents, Frank Forrest Cole and Elma Hinton Cole. She was delivered by her grandmother, Wilhelmina Hinton, who was the resident midwife for Hurricane and the surrounding area. Wilhelmine and her husband, Thomas, were the first settlers in Hurricane and she loved visiting them. Jeannine’s family lived in Nephi so visiting Hurricane was a rare and special event.

Jeannine lived and went to school in Nephi. She was president of the Pep Club in high school and also worked for a local photographer. One of her favorite activities was telling scary stories to her siblings at night. They would all hide under blankets so they could stifle their screams and avoid waking up their parents. When she was 13 years old, she met the love of her life, 15-year-old Neil Van Ausdal, who lived 26 miles away in Santaquin. They saw each other when they could and married the day before Jeannine’s 18th birthday. They lived in Orem for a short period of time, then purchased a lot in Santaquin for $300 and Neil built the house that they lived in until shortly before Neil died in 2025. They raised their three children there and Jeannine was active in the LDS church, serving as Relief Society President and then Primary President for several years.

When their youngest child entered junior high, Jeannine was recruited to go to school and become an engineer for Mountain Bell. She was the first woman engineer in the state of Utah, and was proud to pave the way for others to follow. She was responsible for planning and supervising the laying of fiberoptic cable in northeastern Utah. She retired in 1988 after 20 years of service.

Neil and Jeannine loved to camp and teamed up with friends from Santaquin to attend the Death Valley ‘49ers Encampment for many years. They also spent time in Quartzsite with some of the same friends where they would ride ATV’s and hike. Then they settled into Desert Cypress Mobile Home Park in Wickenburg and spent winters there for 25 years before shifting to staying with their daughter, Sheila, in Phoenix for the last five years before Neil died. Jeannine then lived with Sheila and her husband, Guy, until she passed. They also attended the annual Van Ausdal reunion at Boulder Mountain, Utah for 40 years. This was one of their favorite activities: spending time with family, telling stories around the campfire and being in the beautiful outdoors in southern Utah.

Jeannine was a master carver. It was a hobby that she started after she retired from Mountain Bell and she had a natural gift for carving walking sticks, wind spirits, and animals. Her bear carvings were exceptional, but it was her walking sticks that took first place in every competition in which she entered them. She and Neil teamed up to carve totem poles, golf ducks and other projects. Their cabin in the Uintah mountains is identified by the beautiful totem pole that marks the entrance to the driveway at Manor Lands.

She was proud of being from a large family. Only four siblings survive her: Gayle Pardew, Lannett Ortiz, Lanny Cole (Connie) and Roxanna Brereton. She is preceded in death by Keith Cole, Nadine Schneider, Elwin Cole, LaRae Green, Carma Johnson, Carolyn Crumb, Erma Oakley and Welsey Cole. We will miss her more than we can say, but she should be busy catching up with Neil and her family.

No services will be held.