Edward Hansen
November 9, 1915 — August 14, 2011
Edward Hansen, son of Hans T. and Mary (Petersen) Hansen was born November 9, 1915 on the family farm northwest of Jacksonville, Iowa. He was baptized and confirmed at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Jacksonville. He attended Jackson No. 2 country school through the eighth grade. After his schooling, Edward began working for his dad for room and board only. At the age of twenty-one, Edward received thirty dollars a month plus room and board and all the work around the farm was done with horses.
On November 9, 1941, Ed was united in marriage to Leota Gearhart at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Jacksonville. Four daughters were born to this union: Bonnie, Loraine, Ilene and Mary Beth. Prior to his marriage, Ed was renting the Andrew Poldberg farm and this is where Ed and Leota began their married life. He purchased his first pair of work horses, Belle and Beauty for two hundred and fifty dollars. Ed delivered the Des Moines Sunday paper in his 1937 Ford two door V-8 sedan with Leota riding with him most Sundays. They then moved to the Hans Marcussen farm west of Kimballton and farmed there until 1949, when they moved to the Hans Petersen farm for one year. Ed and Leota then moved to the Lars Petersen farm in 1950 and later moved to the Chris O. Christensen farm northwest of Jacksonville in 1963.
Ed always farmed with John Deere equipment, with one exception; a Ferguson tractor he purchased in 1953. His first piece of equipment that wasn�t horse drawn was a John Deere H tractor that had a two row cultivator, a 212 plow and a converted horse-drawn disk. In addition to farming, Ed worked at the ASCS office for thirty years, was township and county committeeman for nine years, a real estate broker with Leonard Steen Realty and was a director at Landmands National Bank in Kimballton and Audubon for twenty years.
Ed loved his ponies and pony hitches often showing them at the Shelby, Audubon and Pottawattamie County fairs beginning in 1960. He was known for giving ponies to his grandchildren and other family members and friends - anyone who asked actually. He enjoyed playing pitch and he and Leota were members of a neighborhood pinochle club. Ed was also a very staunch democrat often telling his daughters to "vote a straight ticket." Ed and Leota also enjoyed traveling after their retirement with trips to Europe and Hawaii and various places through the United States. They built their new home in Harlan in 1987 where Leota lived until she passed away in 1988.
In 1990, Ed was united in marriage to Catherine Linde and they continued to make their home in Harlan. In April of 2006, Ed and Catherine became residents of the Elm Crest Retirement Community in Harlan and this is where he died on August 14, 2011 having attained the age of ninety-five years, nine months and five days. In addition to his parents and wife of forty-seven years, Leota, Ed was preceded in death by his infant daughter Mary Beth; his sisters Mabel and husband Everett Greve, Myrtle and husband Glen Klindt and Hazel and husband Norman Hansen and brothers Thomas and wife Mabel and Russell and wife Dorothy Hansen.
He is survived by his wife of twenty-one years, Catherine Hansen of Harlan, Iowa; his daughters: Bonnie and her husband Robert Myers of Shelby, Iowa; Loraine and her husband Kenny Towne of Hancock, Iowa and Ilene and her husband Verne Nelson of Harlan; two step children: Cheryll and her husband Brownnie Polley of Carlisle, Iowa and John Linde and his wife Roxanne of Harlan; sisters-in-law: Shirley Gearhart of Great Falls, Montana; Myrna Poldberg of Harlan; Shirley McDermott of Atlantic, Iowa; brothers-in-law: Charles Gearhart of Harlan and Stuart Gearhart of Reno, Nevada; fifteen grandchildren; nineteen great grandchildren; six great-great grandchildren; four step grandchildren; eight step great grandchildren and five step great-great grandchildren; nieces and nephews; other relatives and many friends.
Pastor Ron Rasmussen officiated the 11:00 AM funeral service on Wednesday, August 17, 2011 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Jacksonville, Iowa. Honorary casket bearers were Laurie Hoepner, Susan Hulsebus, Brenda Boyle, Andrea Turk, Darci Towne, Amy Towne, Cari Nelson, and Natasha Nelson. Serving as casket bearers were Charles Myers, Steven Myers, Darren Towne, Dale Towne, Nathan Nelson, Mark Nelson, and Scott Nelson. Interment was held at the Jacksonville Cemetery in Jacksonville, Iowa.
The family requests memorials be made to
Bethlehem Lutheran Church
1010 Umbrella Road
Harlan, IA 51537
PDF Printable Version
On November 9, 1941, Ed was united in marriage to Leota Gearhart at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Jacksonville. Four daughters were born to this union: Bonnie, Loraine, Ilene and Mary Beth. Prior to his marriage, Ed was renting the Andrew Poldberg farm and this is where Ed and Leota began their married life. He purchased his first pair of work horses, Belle and Beauty for two hundred and fifty dollars. Ed delivered the Des Moines Sunday paper in his 1937 Ford two door V-8 sedan with Leota riding with him most Sundays. They then moved to the Hans Marcussen farm west of Kimballton and farmed there until 1949, when they moved to the Hans Petersen farm for one year. Ed and Leota then moved to the Lars Petersen farm in 1950 and later moved to the Chris O. Christensen farm northwest of Jacksonville in 1963.
Ed always farmed with John Deere equipment, with one exception; a Ferguson tractor he purchased in 1953. His first piece of equipment that wasn�t horse drawn was a John Deere H tractor that had a two row cultivator, a 212 plow and a converted horse-drawn disk. In addition to farming, Ed worked at the ASCS office for thirty years, was township and county committeeman for nine years, a real estate broker with Leonard Steen Realty and was a director at Landmands National Bank in Kimballton and Audubon for twenty years.
Ed loved his ponies and pony hitches often showing them at the Shelby, Audubon and Pottawattamie County fairs beginning in 1960. He was known for giving ponies to his grandchildren and other family members and friends - anyone who asked actually. He enjoyed playing pitch and he and Leota were members of a neighborhood pinochle club. Ed was also a very staunch democrat often telling his daughters to "vote a straight ticket." Ed and Leota also enjoyed traveling after their retirement with trips to Europe and Hawaii and various places through the United States. They built their new home in Harlan in 1987 where Leota lived until she passed away in 1988.
In 1990, Ed was united in marriage to Catherine Linde and they continued to make their home in Harlan. In April of 2006, Ed and Catherine became residents of the Elm Crest Retirement Community in Harlan and this is where he died on August 14, 2011 having attained the age of ninety-five years, nine months and five days. In addition to his parents and wife of forty-seven years, Leota, Ed was preceded in death by his infant daughter Mary Beth; his sisters Mabel and husband Everett Greve, Myrtle and husband Glen Klindt and Hazel and husband Norman Hansen and brothers Thomas and wife Mabel and Russell and wife Dorothy Hansen.
He is survived by his wife of twenty-one years, Catherine Hansen of Harlan, Iowa; his daughters: Bonnie and her husband Robert Myers of Shelby, Iowa; Loraine and her husband Kenny Towne of Hancock, Iowa and Ilene and her husband Verne Nelson of Harlan; two step children: Cheryll and her husband Brownnie Polley of Carlisle, Iowa and John Linde and his wife Roxanne of Harlan; sisters-in-law: Shirley Gearhart of Great Falls, Montana; Myrna Poldberg of Harlan; Shirley McDermott of Atlantic, Iowa; brothers-in-law: Charles Gearhart of Harlan and Stuart Gearhart of Reno, Nevada; fifteen grandchildren; nineteen great grandchildren; six great-great grandchildren; four step grandchildren; eight step great grandchildren and five step great-great grandchildren; nieces and nephews; other relatives and many friends.
Pastor Ron Rasmussen officiated the 11:00 AM funeral service on Wednesday, August 17, 2011 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Jacksonville, Iowa. Honorary casket bearers were Laurie Hoepner, Susan Hulsebus, Brenda Boyle, Andrea Turk, Darci Towne, Amy Towne, Cari Nelson, and Natasha Nelson. Serving as casket bearers were Charles Myers, Steven Myers, Darren Towne, Dale Towne, Nathan Nelson, Mark Nelson, and Scott Nelson. Interment was held at the Jacksonville Cemetery in Jacksonville, Iowa.
The family requests memorials be made to
Bethlehem Lutheran Church
1010 Umbrella Road
Harlan, IA 51537
PDF Printable Version
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