Berniece Ann “BC” Hansen
HANSEN, HARNEY, VAN COILLIE, DORRELL, CROW, BINNS, TROYER, WILLIS
Posted By: Sarah Fletcher (email)
Date: 2/6/2022 at 07:22:49
Berniece Ann “BC” Hansen, 94 passed away peacefully after a short illness on Monday, January 17, 2022 at Legacy Pointe senior living community in Iowa City.
Berniece was born in Madison County and grew up in Winterset, Iowa. Her mother died when she was a young teen and her father worked for Civilian Conservation Corps during the Depression as she and her siblings persevered through many of life’s challenges. She was tough yet kind, gentle and compassionate. She attended Winterset High School and played guard on the girls’ basketball team, was a cheerleader and named Homecoming Queen her senior year.
Berniece met the love of her life, Bud Hansen, in Winterset and after World War II they were married in 1947 and moved to Iowa City. She established an in-home daycare where she lovingly molded children’s’ lives for decades, including her two grandchildren. Berniece became known to many as “BC” which was a name created by her daycare children who had difficulty pronouncing her name, Berniece. Many of her daycare children and their families have continued to be an important part of her life long after going to “BC’s House”.
BC and Bud were avid Hawkeye fans and were season ticket holders for football and men’s basketball. One of their favorite Hawkeye events was attending the Rose Bowl in 1982. At the time when they gave up their season tickets for football, they enjoyed tailgate parties for every game at their daughter’s house. They remained season ticket holders for basketball until just a few short years ago. They were also loyal Little Hawk fans at City High following their grandsons’ sports of football, wrestling, and baseball.
BC and Bud were long-time members of St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Iowa City where they once served as deacons and BC was active in the women’s ecumenical bible study group. The couple also looked forward to every Saturday morning to join their friends at Hy Vee for breakfast. BC continued this tradition after Bud passed away in 2018 up until the onset of the pandemic in 2020. They were also faithful patrons of Pagliai’s Pizza and Midtown Restaurant every week.
In 1985 and 1989, BC and Bud landed their dream job of becoming grandparents and were blessed with two grandsons. One of the highlights of their lives was being the ring bearer and flower girl at their youngest grandson, Drew and Sarah’s wedding in 2017 just nine days after becoming great grandparents to Brock and Heather’s daughter, Nora. BC and Bud celebrated 71 years of marriage in 2018 when Bud passed away just seven days later.
BC will be remembered as a great woman who cared and loved deeply. Those left to cherish her memory include her son Mike Hansen and daughter Soni Harney of Iowa City, and her daughter Sue Hansen (Tom Van Coillie) of Fairfield, Iowa, grandsons Brock (Heather) Harney of La Crosse, WI and Drew (Sarah) Harney of Tiffin, IA, great grandchildren Nora Claire and Conor Vincent Harney of La Crosse and Jack Philip and Cole Michael Harney of Tiffin, sisters-in-law Ruth Dorrell of Winterset, IA, Darlene (Graham) Crow of San Antonio, TX, and Shirlee Hansen of Portland, OR and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Bud; her parents, Warren and Rachel Dorrell, sister Margaret and brother-in-law Lenard Binns, brother Rex Dorrell all of Winterset; son-in-law Phil Harney of Iowa City, sister-in-law Arlene and brother-in-law Carroll Troyer of Iowa City, brothers and sisters-in-law Melvin and Viva Hansen and Vona and Jack Willis all of Des Moines, IA; and brother-in-law Jack Hansen of Portland, OR.
Visitation will be Friday from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, 140 Gathering Place Lane, in Iowa City. The funeral service will begin at 1:30. Burial will follow in Memory Gardens Cemetery in Iowa City. Regardless of vaccination status, the family kindly requests that those attending please wear masks. Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service in Iowa City is handling arrangements.
The service will be available Friday on You Tube Live: https://bit.ly/berniece-hansen
The family wishes to express its sincere appreciation to the medical team of doctors and nurses and the palliative care team at UIHC, and the care team at Legacy Pointe and Iowa City Hospice during BC’s final days. We are beyond grateful. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Iowa City Hospice and because of BC’s love of children and the Hawkeyes, the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital.
Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service
Johnson Obituaries maintained by Cindy Booth Maher.
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