 |
|
 |
|
THOMAS HANSEN, a successful farmer and stockman of Benton county, owns three hundred and twenty-seven acres of land in section 7, Jackson township, which he purchased in 1901, formerly the J. S. Stanley farm. Mr. Hansen was born in Schleswig, Germany January 21, 1858, and is a son of Carsten and Dorothy (Manther) Hansen, who brought their family to the United States in 1862, locating first in Scott county, Iowa. In 1869 they located in Tama county, in Oneida township, where they owned and operated a farm until the death of Mr. Hansen in 1898, at the age of eighty-two years. He was a successful farmer and a member of the Lutheran church, as was also his wife, who died in 1905, at the age of eighty-one. They had twelve children, among whom were the following, namely: Thomas; Henry, of Dysart; Hans, a farmer in Carroll township, Tama county; Peter, of Hartley, O'Brien county; Harvey, of Dakota; Mrs. John Wulf, of Traer; Mrs. William Sackett, of Tama county; Mrs. Gus Aggers, of Pipestone county, Minnesota,; and Mrs. Thomas Peterson, also of Dakota. A half-sister of Thomas Hansen, Mrs. Hans Lemmers, lives, at Everly, Clay county, and a half-brother, Carson Hansen, is deceased and his widow lives near Sioux City, Iowa.
Thomas Hansen was reared in Iowa, and received a good common school education; he chose farming as his occupation and has been very energetic and ambitious in getting ahead in the world. He raises and breeds short-horn cattle, also buys, feeds and ships cattle and hogs. He handles a large number, selling two to three carloads of cattle and two cars of hogs annually; he favors the Duroc Jersey breed of hogs. Before locating in Benton county he had spent seventeen years farming in Tama county. He is a Democrat in politics and has served as school director. He and his wife are members of the Lutheran church. Mr. Hansen stands well in the community, where he is considered a representative, public-
spirited citizen.Mr. Hansen married, March 5, 1884, Christina Simonson, who was reared in Iowa, and they have four children, all living at home, William C., Dora, Matilda and Albert. Mrs. Hansen was born in Davenport, Iowa, in 1865, and is a daughter of Christ and Christina Simonson; the latter died in May, 1908, at the age of sixty-five years, and Mr. Simonson is retired and lives at Dysart, Iowa. Besides Mrs. Hansen, they had another daughter, Annie, who married Nicholas Anderson, and is now deceased. Mr. Anderson now resides in California. Mrs. Hansen has half-brothers and sisters as follows: Mrs. Emma Buck, of Dysart; Mrs. Mary Temple, of Dysart; Charles, of Dakota; Albert, of Clutier, Iowa; William, of Reinbeck; and two deceased, Lizzie and an infant of the same name.
 |
