Shanna Minert

Shanna Minert of Ogden passed away Jan 2, 2023, from a rare illness that scarred her lungs. She was 74.

Shanna was born in Ogden on May 10, 1948, the 2^nd daughter to proud parents Ruby and Hal Minert, lived her whole life in the Ogden area and was a lifelong member of the First United Methodist Church of Ogden.

Young Shanna had an abundance of natural gifts. She was a good-hearted, fun-loving spirit and cute as a button. She did well at her studies and enjoyed the numerous youth activities offered at the Methodist Church and was an eager member of Job’s Daughters.

The Friendships and camaraderie Shanna experienced at the church benefitted her immensely, helping quell the occasional hurt feelings from the exclusion that happened in those times from not being a member of the predominant religion of the area. These church experiences were remembered by her, her entire life.

Shanna had only one sibling, her sister Ellen. Shanna and Ellen were very different from each other, perhaps from being 5 years apart, but perhaps more; Shanna looked like Ruby and Ellen looked like Hal.

For Ruby and Hal, seeing their relatives was a joy, and they made sure their children knew all their cousins and visited with them often. Even as money was tight, they always found a way to go on trips to see family every summer. From Kansas to Nebraska to Idaho, they went often.

One location with particularly fond memories is a little town on the Idaho border called ‘Naf’, where Ruby’s sister and husband, Ro and Lenore, had a sheep ranch complete with bunkhouse, ranch hands and lots of cousins. This was a favorite of everyone, in no small part due to the genuine love that radiated from Ro and Lenore.

Shanna’s family life was full of love from her parents, with a good dose of staunch guidance from her German father and a softer approach from her mother. This balance guided her well throughout her life and molded a practical yet caring nature in her.

Ruby and Hal Minert were not passive in their children’s upbringing and Shanna, unlike her sister, did very well at ‘following the rules’. And there were plenty. But in all her time growing up, Shanna never drew the ire of her father to the point of his harshest rebuke- being called ‘a ninny’ as did her sister on several occasions. She was a very good child.

Although more passive, Shanna did learn to speak up for herself and be independent very well as would prove necessary later in life.

In 1966 Shanna graduated from Bonneville High School and decided to enroll in courses in clerical work at Stevens-Heneger college, which was a popular technical school at the time.

Upon completing her coursework, Shanna found employment at the Defense Depot Ogden and began a career that would last until retirement.

Shanna began her career performing clerical tasks for managers, but it soon became apparent that she had talent in many areas of defense logistics operations and began applying her talents in more demanding areas. However, Shanna eventually hit a roadblock with a manager who acknowledged that while her work did warrant advancement, he felt that advancing her any further would be taking a job away from someone who had a family to support, and she was a single person.

But Shanna cleverly found a way to circumvent this roadblock by taking a position at Hill Air Force Base for a short period of time, then returning to DDO under a different manager who didn’t block her advancement.

Shanna had, by all accounts, a very rewarding career after this and made many friends working at DDO which she always spoke of as a nice place to work until its closing when she retired, having attained a high ‘GS level’ with a very good retirement income.

During her life, Shanna also got great personal satisfaction in holding positions in several fraternal organizations, as did her parents. Her mother Ruby was in the Order of Eastern Star and Nile Club and her father Hal was a Mason and Shriner.

Shanna excelled in these organizations and served for decades, becoming Worthy Grand Matron, Grand Secretary Emeritus, Recorder and Treasurer of Miriam Chapter #14 O.E.S. and served various positions in the Nile Club.

After her father’s passing, Shanna made yearly donations to Shriner’s hospital and the Ogden Rescue Mission- a charity he gave money to at Christmas that none of us knew about.

Shanna loved her hometown without question, but she also liked to travel, saw Europe and went on several cruises as well as her trips to see family in other states.

And Shanna liked holidays. She loved any occasion to send cards. Christmas, Easter, Valentines’ Day; Shanna sent cards all over- so many cards, in fact, that she got her own software and card stock because she was spending hundreds of dollars regularly as card prices skyrocketed. Once again, she didn’t let anything get in her way of what she felt was important- something she learned from her parents.

Shanna never married but did a great job as a mother to her nephew Blake Fowers when he hit some rocky points in his life, allowing him to stay with her more than once; something which helped him immensely and to which he is eternally grateful. Shanna would have been a great mom.

About 5 years ago, Shanna called paramedics early one morning because she couldn’t breathe. It took a very long time for doctors and specialists to diagnose her problem, but when they did it was discovered that about 85% of her lung tissue was scarred.

There is no cure for lung tissue that is scarred, and she was informed that her lungs would never recover, and the condition would eventually be terminal. Nevertheless, in the 5 years that Shanna’s disease slowly robbed her of her ability to breathe, she never complained. Not once- this, no doubt due to the values her parents, fraternal memberships and church instilled in her.

Shanna became reclusive in these last few years, preferring people remember her at her best.  But be assured, Shanna valued all of her friends very much. She spoke often of warm memories that she gathered all her life.

Viewing and Funeral Services will be held at the First United Methodist Church, 1339 W 400 N, Marriott-Slaterville at 1pm and 2pm respectively.

If you knew Shanna, we would love to see you.