HANSEN, Ruth Jessica 1915-2003

HANSEN

Posted By: K. Kittleson
Date: 2/7/2009 at 10:43:43

BOLAN, WORTH COUNTY, IOWA - Ruth Jessica Hansen, age 87, of Bolan, died Monday (Jan. 13, 2003) at the Lutheran Retirement Home in Northwood, Iowa.

Memorial services will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at the Trinity United Methodist Church in Bolan with the Rev. Robert Cumings officiating.

According to her wishes and to help with the advancement of eradicating diseases, her body was donated to the University of Iowa Hospital Anatomy Department in Iowa City.

The family of Ruth Jessica Hansen has requested that memorial contributions be made to the Trinity United Methodist Church in Bolan in her memory.

Conner Colonial Chapel, 1008 First Ave. S. in Northwood, is in charge of the arrangements.

Ruth Jessica Hansen was born on Nov. 29, 1915, in Grand Mound, Iowa, the second of six children born to Martin and Martha (Paulson) Petersen. The family moved to Northern Iowa where Ruth attended country school and graduated from Plymouth High School.

She was united in marriage to Arthur H. White on April 26, 1936, at the Little Brown Church in Nashua. He preceded her in death in 1964. She and Art moved to Bolan in 1940 and became owners of the Bolan store, which they operated until his death.

She was united in marriage to George Hansen in September of 1966 at the Little Brown Church in Nashua. After their marriage, they continued in business together until his death in August 1999.

When the residents of Bolan were featured on the David Letterman show, Ruth was one of the spokespersons for the community. After the show aired, she received mail from all over the United States.

Ruth collected antiques for many years and eventually opened an antique shop in Bolan. She also took flying lessons and learned to fly her own plane. She enjoyed the camaraderie of her fellow pilots and the flights they took together.

She attended auctioneer school in Mason City and at the time, she was the oldest student ever registered at that school.

She was a member and very active member of the Trinity United Methodist Church in Bolan, and was very active in the ladies groups.

Left to cherish her memory are her daughters, Phyllis Young, of Denver, Colo., and Carla White, of Fort Collins, Colo.; six grandchildren, Heather Young of Taos, N.M., Craig Young of San Francisco, Calif., Kirk Young of Denver, Colo., Angela Clark and her husband, Kevin, of Des Moines, Dale White of Forest City and Jessica White of Taos, N.M.; three great-grandchildren; three step-children, Bootie Kapler and her husband, Ike, of Cresco, Harold Hansen and his wife, Margie, of Davenport, and Norma Seligman and her husband, Andy, of Tipton; and their children and grandchildren; a sister, Phyllis Pearson and her husband, Don, of Omaha, Neb.; and a brother, Marty Petersen, of San Diego, Calif.; as well as many nieces and nephews, and other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents; two husbands, Arthur White and George Hansen; a son, Lee A. White, and three brothers, Ralph, Raymond and Robert Petersen, and a stepson, Leon Hansen.

Conner Colonial Chapel, (641) 324-1543.

Mason City Globe Gazette, Jan. 16, 2003