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Walter Edward Hansen, 98, West Branch
Obituaries · July 20, 2017
Walter Edward Hansen, 98, of West Branch, Iowa, passed away on July 14, 2017, in the home where he was born and lived all his life.
Funeral services were held Tuesday, July 18, at the Friends Church in West Branch. Visitation was Monday, July 17, at the Henderson-Barker Funeral Home in West Branch. After cremation, his ashes will go home to the farm. A memorial fund has been established. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.hendersonbarkerfuneralhome.com.
The son of Hans and Essie (Plough Hatfield) Hansen, Walter was born Sept. 30, 1918, in rural West Branch, Iowa. He got his eighth-grade education at Owl Point (Gower #1) country school and was surprised by an honorary high school diploma in 2012. He married Vesta Newlin on March 24, 1962, in Des Moines, Iowa. They were married for 49½ years when she passed away in 2011.
Walter farmed northeast of West Branch on the farm his father established in 1909. Before his eyesight failed, he could always be found out working on various projects to keep everything working well and looking good. He had a playful sense of humor and always managed to have a timely joke to tell. He liked history and was a wonderful story teller, often telling stories about his father’s immigration from Denmark and life on the farm.
Walter was active in the local community where he was a member of many organizations through the years, serving on many different boards and committees. These included the Cedar County Farm Bureau, the Cedar County Conservation Board, Cookson Home, Springdale Mutual Insurance Company, the Cedar County Historical Society, Iowa Corn Growers, and the Iowa Beef Producers. He was a Gower Township Trustee for 50 years and worked at the voting polls for many of those. He was also a very active and faithful member of the West Branch Friends Church for many decades, most notably as clerk of the meeting and trustee.
He is survived by his two daughters, Lucy Hansen (James Kasper) of Tipton, and Carolyn Hansen (Chris Handley) of West Branch; brother-in-law Owen (Doris Jean) Newlin of Des Moines; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Paul; and sisters Irma Budd, Betty Feldman, and Esther Pierce.
The family would like to thank Dr. Champion and all the staff at Iowa City Hospice for their compassionate care.
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