Tanna Lee Bryson's Obituary
Tanna Lee Bryson, 79 years old of Heber City, Utah, passed away unexpectedly on April 16th, 2023.
Tanna was born on July 8th 1943 in Joliet, Illinois to Vernon & Lurene Dinges. She was their third child, following older brothers Vern and Dale and preceding her younger sister Kay and brother Don (nicknamed “Mike” by his father). When she was still a child, the family including Grandma Park, made the trip out west, relocating to southern California and living in the town of Downey.
After a short stay at Aunt Jean and Uncle George’s, Tanna’s parents bought a home first in Downey and later in La Mirada. This is where she would grow up and attend school. She attended Lynwood Academy High School, and this is where she would meet her future husband in 1959. She graduated in 1961 and went on to marry Bill Bryson on August 30th 1963.
After high school, Tanna enrolled at La Sierra College where she attended for one year. Later she would work as a bank teller, an experience that gave her many interesting stories to tell in her later years.
Tanna & Bill had four children. Their first son, William Franklin passed away after only 14 short months. They also had a daughter, Deborah Kay, who passed away at the age of 22. William had congenital hydrocephalus and Deborah had multiple other congenital issues. Due to the previous children’s health concerns, the couple decided to pursue adoption to expand their family. They adopted their son, Todd in 1969, followed by their son Robbie in 1974.
Tanna was a stay-at-home mother focused on raising her two sons. She was passionate about helping others and never shied away from providing advice, a helping hand, and even caregiving for others even when it was unconventional.
When her sons were older, she refocused on a professional career serving as a buyer for Natural Wonders for many years. In retirement she would work at a furniture store before eventually owning and operating Consignment Furnishings in Dublin. Tanna got her strong work ethic from her father Vern.
In later years, Tanna & Bill would purchase a second home in Lakeway, Texas to be closer to their grandchildren. In 2018 they would leave Dublin behind & build a home in Heber City, Utah with a scenic view of the mountains.
“Grandma” leaves behind four grandchildren, Todd’s son Will and Robbie & Katie’s girls Claire, Sydney & Harper. She was known to grant any baking or cooking request her granddaughters asked of her, whether it was allowing fictitious baking challenges with made up ingredients at her kitchen counter or encouraging them to make a “surprise” dish for dessert. It was once said that Grandma wouldn’t even care if her grandchildren burned down her house as long as they were okay. She’d just reply, “it’s okay, we can re-build it.”
Tanna is survived by her husband Bill Bryson, sister Kay Jones, brother Don Dinges, son Todd, grandson Will, son Rob & his wife Katie Bryson, and the three granddaughters Claire, Sydney & Harper. She was loved by her family and will be missed terribly.
Services will be held at Nelson-Berna Funeral Home in Rogers, AR on Friday, April 21st at 10am – 12pm, followed by a graveside service at Pinnacle Memorial Gardens.
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