Hansen, Olaf Christian --- 1917-2000

JENSEN, HANSEN, OLSON, SWARTZ, CORFITS, CRANDALL, CHRISTENSEN, OVERTON, PEDERSEN

Posted By: Volunteer
Date: 5/12/2014 at 09:03:07

Olaf Christian Hansen

Olaf Hansen, 83, of Cresco, died Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2000, at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester, Minn.

Funeral services were held Saturday, Sept. 16, at 2 p.m., at First Lutheran Church in Cresco. The Rev. Gary K. Lee is pastor. Gail Hermodson, intern, conducted the services. Military services were conducted by V.F.W. Post No. 4561 and American Legion Post No. 135 of Cresco. Burial was in Oak Lawn Cemetery. The Conway Funeral Home handled arrangements.

Olaf Christian Hansen was born March 14, 1917, at Hardy, Nebraska, the son of Hans and Leontine (Jensen) Hansen. He was baptized and confirmed at Bethany Lutheran Church in Ruskin, Neb. He graduated from Hardy High School in 1935 and then attended Dana College. He then went into farming and moved to LeRoy, Minn., in March of 1940. Olaf worked for Ed Shear and then Enoch Sorenson, south of Ostrander, Minn.

On Feb. 4, 1942 he was drafted into the United States Army and took his basic training near Puget Sound, Everett, Wash. He served 4 years in the 25th Infantry Division Signal Corp. He fought at Guadalcanal, New Georgia Islands, New Caledonia and the Philippines at Luzon Island. He had 165 consecutive days of combat, returning to the United States in August 1945.

On Oct. 17, 1945 he was united in marriage to Marjorie Alice Olson in LeRoy, Minn., and started working for the Hawkeye Tri-County Electric Co-op in November of 1945. He retired in March of 1982. He served a term as a city councilman. He was active in the V.F.W., the Senior Citizens group and the Lutheran Brotherhood. He enjoyed going to races, visiting and just being with people.

Survivors include his 3 daughters, Loretta (Dave) Swartz of Rosemount, Minn., Jeanne (William) Corfits of Rochester, Minn., and Anne Marie (James) Crandall of Rapid City, S.D.; 8 grandchildren, Lesli Smith, Angela Ferguson, Jason Swartz, Matthew, Ryan and Alaina Corfits, and David and Joel Crandall; and 2 sisters, Lillian Christensen of Nelson, Neb., and Florence Overton of Omaha, Neb. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Marjorie, who died Aug. 17, 1988; 2 brothers, Joe and Rudy; and 2 sisters, Christina Christiansen and Julia Pedersen.

Newspaper clipping from the Decorah, Iowa newspaper The Journal.