Elizabeth Hope Lauritzen Dickson

Elizabeth Hope Lauritzen Dickson, 88, passed away peacefully at Legacy House of Ogden on July 1, 2026.

Elizabeth, who preferred using her middle name, Hope, was born on February 26, 1938, to Elizabeth (Moyes) and Richard Dawn Lauritzen in Short Creek, Arizona. She had fond memories of growing up on the family farm until she was eight years old. When the family moved to Hurricane, Utah, Hope quickly made friends and became a favorite babysitter to the neighborhood children. At the age of 15, she and her family moved to Salt Lake City, where she loved working summers at the Willard/Marriott Hot Shops Restaurant.

Hope attended Dixie Junior College in St. George in 1956 before enrolling at the University of Utah to study child development and elementary education. She later received her teaching certificate from BYU and taught school for one year before traveling to Boston with her friend, Lila Allen. She returned home from Boston in 1962 with wonderful experiences—and with her future husband, Neil. Mom would often say, “If it wasn’t for Lila, none of you would be born.”

Elizabeth Hope married Neil S Dickson in the Salt Lake Temple in 1963 and immediately began building the family she had always dreamed of. Gary was born just nine months and 21 days later. Twelve more children followed between 1964 and 1982.

After living on the north side of Ogden until 1977, Neil and Elizabeth moved to their home on 34th Street in Ogden, where they spent the next 35 years nestled in the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains, close to Weber State University, where Neil was a professor of mathematics. It was the perfect place to raise their large, active family, and the “Dickson Home” remains one of the most cherished places in the memories of their children and grandchildren. There were many miracles on 34th Street. In 2014, a year after our dad passed away, Mom moved from her home on 34th Street to Colonial Court in Ogden. She intentionally chose a home directly across from the Ogden Utah Temple, making it easier to attend frequently and continue the temple service that meant so much to her.

“Just keep NEIL-ing and HOPE-ing”

Hope was most proud of her posterity and devoted her life to supporting her husband and raising their family. The family motto became “NEIL-ing and HOPE-ing,” and Mom’s great faith and love of God carried her through the busy years of motherhood. During the years of child-rearing and homemaking Hope excelled at sewing, cooking, quilting, and baking bread. As her children grew older, Hope enjoyed taking long walks, worshiping frequently in the temple, and later in life, teaching preschool.

Hope was a lifelong learner. She loved reading and studying a wide variety of subjects and instilled in her children a love of books and learning. During the years of raising her family, countless days were spent at the library, where her children were encouraged to check out as many books as they wanted.

Mom was also an avid journal writer, meticulously documenting the years of raising her family and preserving their story in many volumes. For her own enjoyment and to share with her posterity, she wrote stories, plays, and poems that reflected her creativity, humor, and love for her family. She carefully created numerous photo albums and scrapbooks and made family pictures a priority, preserving the precious memories and beautiful seasons of family life for generations to come.

She also had a deep love of music.

Later in life, she taught herself to play the piano and faithfully practiced every day—even while living at Legacy House.

Mom was a devoted, lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She loved studying the scriptures, cherished the temple, and in later years could often be found serving and worshiping in the Ogden Temple several days each week. It was a sacred and peaceful place for her. She taught her children to love the Lord and looked for every opportunity to bear her testimony. Throughout her life she served faithfully in many Church callings and continually supported Dad in his many responsibilities. Dad was called as bishop at just 32 years old with four young children and while Mom was pregnant with their fifth. Life was always busy in the Dickson home, but Mom capably handled everything that needed to be done with patience, faith, and grace.

Our family would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the staff at Legacy House for the exceptional care they provided during the final year and a half of Mom’s life. We often joked that it was the first time she had truly been able to rest during her adult years.

Hope is survived by 11 of her 13 children: Mike (Jenni) Dickson of South Weber; Julie Rae of Ogden; Roger (Jen) Dickson of Ogden; Denise Jacobson (Steve) of Washington Terrace; Lee Ann Nielson (Jeff) of Layton; Darrell (Sarah) Dickson of South Weber; Russell (Christie) Dickson of Farmington; Tamara Nickerson (Charles) of Idaho Falls, Idaho; Susie Layton (Bryan) of Billings, Montana; Bruce (Melinda) Dickson of Holladay; and Darin Dickson of Ogden. She is also survived by 51 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Neil, and her sons, David Dickson and Gary (Ann) Dickson of Liberty. We know their heavenly reunion was a joyful celebration.

A viewing will be held on Sunday, July 5, 2026, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Myers Mortuary, 845 Washington Boulevard, Ogden, Utah.

A family graveside service and interment will be held on Monday, July 6, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at the South Morgan Cemetery in Morgan, Utah.

Hope’s greatest legacy is the family she loved so deeply and the quiet, faithful life she lived each day. Through her unwavering testimony of Jesus Christ, her selfless service, gentle example, and enduring love, she influenced generations. Her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren will forever remember her strength, her deep faith, and the way she made home a place of love and learning. She will be dearly missed until the joyful day we are together again.