Hansen, Melissa Jean (Mrs. Fredrick "Rick") 1971-2019

HANSEN, PEDERSON, VANBRUGGEN, HARVEY, SIMEK

Posted By: Marjorie Brunsting-Volunteer (email)
Date: 6/13/2021 at 20:33:36

Melissa J. Hansen, 48, of Sioux Falls, SD passed away Sunday, July 14, 2019 at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls. Her funeral service will be 10:30 AM Friday, July 19 at Memorial Lutheran Church, Sioux Falls, with burial at Woodlawn Cemetery. Visitation begins at 5:00 PM Thursday, July 18 at George Boom Funeral Home & On-Site Crematory, Sioux Falls, where the family will greet friends from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM with a time of remembrance and sharing at 7:00 PM.

Melissa Jean Van Bruggen, daughter of Darrel and Pam (Pederson) Van Bruggen, was born June 26, 1971 in Hawarden, IA. Melissa attended West Sioux High School in Hawarden, IA graduating in 1989. She then went on to receive a bachelor's degree from the University of Northern Iowa, graduating in 1993.

Melissa was united in marriage with Fredrick “Rick” Hansen on August 6, 1994 in Hawarden. Melissa was employed as a coding coordinator with Avera Medical Group in Sioux Falls, SD.

Melissa was a loving wife to Rick and mother to Brendan and Sydney and her “fur baby”, Oscar. Family was always first for Melissa. She enjoyed traveling to watch her kids in everything they did. She also enjoyed embroidering tea towels in her spare time. At Christmas time, the house would be decorated with her snowman collection. Melissa especially enjoyed her therapy sessions (lunch) with her coworkers. Melissa was a master of making lists...if anything needed to be done, it would be on a list.

Melissa was a very involved member of Memorial Lutheran Church. She spent several years teaching Sunday School and was a member of the Tone Chime Choir.

Grateful for having shared her life are her husband, Rick; two children, Brendan Hansen and Sydney Hansen, both of Sioux Falls, SD; her parents, Pam Harvey and her husband, Monte, Hawarden, IA, Darrel "Dutch" Van Bruggen and his wife, Kathy, Spencer, IA; her grandmother, Ann Van Bruggen, Hawarden, IA; two siblings, Tasha Fitzgerald and her husband, David, Janesville, IA, Ryan Harvey, Coon Rapids, MN; three step-siblings, Cari Bishop and her husband, Michael, Minneapolis, MN, Chris Dodd and his wife, Tammy, Hartley, IA, Adam Dodd, Pottsboro, TX; her parents-in-law, Mavis and Gene Simek, Sebring, FL; two sisters-in-law, Lori Martin and her husband, Randy, Prairie City, IA, Nancy Knecht and her husband, Dave, Iowa City, IA; nieces, nephews, special cousins, aunts, uncles; and many other relatives and friends.

Melissa was preceded in death by her grandparents, Albert Van Bruggen and Marita and Harvey Pederson; and her father-in-law, Fred Hansen.

Source: George Boom Funeral Home online obituary.