Age: 36 years, 8 days.
Walter was born to Christoffer and Martena Nelson Christensen Hansen and grew up on the family farm 6 miles east of Hamlin, he being the youngest of seven children, four-full siblings: Peter, Dorothy, Louie, and Oscar, one half-sister, Tilda, and one half-brother, John T. Christensen. Christoffer died when Walt was about 7 years old, so his brother Pete looked after him. Walt had pneumonia as a child and as a result, lived with one collapsed lung. As a child, Walt attended Greeley Center Methodist Church, going about a mile south through the field. (When this church joined with the Methodist church in Exira, the church building was sold. Then one of the first farmers to own a tractor in the area, Walt helped move the church to a new location north of Gardner's Store. The church became a corn crib with an apartment for a hired man).
Walt started high school but quit during his freshman year. He was caught smoking and punished with time off from school. Rather than accept this, Walt quit. Walt was considered to be quite intelligent and the school offered to drop his punishment if he'd come back. However, Walt decided that he'd do as many young men did back then, and just work at home instead. Walt was exceptionally good at math and could figure problems in his head more quickly than many could with paper and pencil. If someone was puzzled about a building or other situation, Walt was often the source people would go to for an answer. Walt kept things very neat.
Walter married Arlene Marie Blohm on February 17, 1933 in Elk Point, South Dakota. To this union, 5 children were born: Eugene Howard Hansen, Marilyn Kay Hansen, a stillborn infant daughter, Janice Ann Hansen, and Nadene Mae Hansen.
Walt drove a truck some and started farming for himself at age 17, on the home place. Walt enjoyed raising sheep, and also had milk cows, mixed Hereford calves, sows with pigs, and horses. He broke the horses to ride. Walt's family lived on the Hansen Farm until the spring of 1943, when they bought a 320 acre farm in Union Township, Guthrie county, Iowa, located 13 miles east of Audubon on F-32. Walt didn't feel well, so they were in Audubon in 1945 and then back on the farm in 1947.
Walt contacted polio and died in the epidemic of 1949. Other family members who were hospitalized with polio were his daughter Janice, his niece Rosann Barentson, and his nephews Virgil and Arthur Hansen.
Among Walt's favorite things were his wife and children, his sheep, a pair of twin colts, his tractor and truck, a radio, chocolate drops, oyster soup, going to livestock sales, and going to an occasional movie. Walt taught his children how to play Checkers, Chinese Checkers, and Pinocle. He always whistled "Sioux City Sue." Walt was a goal setter, and before his death, Walt said that he was going to have one of those new inventions--the television!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Audubon County Journal (IA)
Feb. 19, 1931, pg. 5
Greeley Township
Walter Hansen, youngest son of
Mrs. Tena Hansen, who has been
suffering with pneumonia for the
past several weeks, is still quite ill.
It has been necessary to insert a
drain tube in one lung. He is un-
der the care of a trained nurse.
Walter was born to Christoffer and Martena Nelson Christensen Hansen and grew up on the family farm 6 miles east of Hamlin, he being the youngest of seven children, four-full siblings: Peter, Dorothy, Louie, and Oscar, one half-sister, Tilda, and one half-brother, John T. Christensen. Christoffer died when Walt was about 7 years old, so his brother Pete looked after him. Walt had pneumonia as a child and as a result, lived with one collapsed lung. As a child, Walt attended Greeley Center Methodist Church, going about a mile south through the field. (When this church joined with the Methodist church in Exira, the church building was sold. Then one of the first farmers to own a tractor in the area, Walt helped move the church to a new location north of Gardner's Store. The church became a corn crib with an apartment for a hired man).
Walt started high school but quit during his freshman year. He was caught smoking and punished with time off from school. Rather than accept this, Walt quit. Walt was considered to be quite intelligent and the school offered to drop his punishment if he'd come back. However, Walt decided that he'd do as many young men did back then, and just work at home instead. Walt was exceptionally good at math and could figure problems in his head more quickly than many could with paper and pencil. If someone was puzzled about a building or other situation, Walt was often the source people would go to for an answer. Walt kept things very neat.
Walter married Arlene Marie Blohm on February 17, 1933 in Elk Point, South Dakota. To this union, 5 children were born: Eugene Howard Hansen, Marilyn Kay Hansen, a stillborn infant daughter, Janice Ann Hansen, and Nadene Mae Hansen.
Walt drove a truck some and started farming for himself at age 17, on the home place. Walt enjoyed raising sheep, and also had milk cows, mixed Hereford calves, sows with pigs, and horses. He broke the horses to ride. Walt's family lived on the Hansen Farm until the spring of 1943, when they bought a 320 acre farm in Union Township, Guthrie county, Iowa, located 13 miles east of Audubon on F-32. Walt didn't feel well, so they were in Audubon in 1945 and then back on the farm in 1947.
Walt contacted polio and died in the epidemic of 1949. Other family members who were hospitalized with polio were his daughter Janice, his niece Rosann Barentson, and his nephews Virgil and Arthur Hansen.
Among Walt's favorite things were his wife and children, his sheep, a pair of twin colts, his tractor and truck, a radio, chocolate drops, oyster soup, going to livestock sales, and going to an occasional movie. Walt taught his children how to play Checkers, Chinese Checkers, and Pinocle. He always whistled "Sioux City Sue." Walt was a goal setter, and before his death, Walt said that he was going to have one of those new inventions--the television!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Audubon County Journal (IA)
Feb. 19, 1931, pg. 5
Greeley Township
Walter Hansen, youngest son of
Mrs. Tena Hansen, who has been
suffering with pneumonia for the
past several weeks, is still quite ill.
It has been necessary to insert a
drain tube in one lung. He is un-
der the care of a trained nurse.
Age: 36 years, 8 days.
Walter was born to Christoffer and Martena Nelson Christensen Hansen and grew up on the family farm 6 miles east of Hamlin, he being the youngest of seven children, four-full siblings: Peter, Dorothy, Louie, and Oscar, one half-sister, Tilda, and one half-brother, John T. Christensen. Christoffer died when Walt was about 7 years old, so his brother Pete looked after him. Walt had pneumonia as a child and as a result, lived with one collapsed lung. As a child, Walt attended Greeley Center Methodist Church, going about a mile south through the field. (When this church joined with the Methodist church in Exira, the church building was sold. Then one of the first farmers to own a tractor in the area, Walt helped move the church to a new location north of Gardner's Store. The church became a corn crib with an apartment for a hired man).
Walt started high school but quit during his freshman year. He was caught smoking and punished with time off from school. Rather than accept this, Walt quit. Walt was considered to be quite intelligent and the school offered to drop his punishment if he'd come back. However, Walt decided that he'd do as many young men did back then, and just work at home instead. Walt was exceptionally good at math and could figure problems in his head more quickly than many could with paper and pencil. If someone was puzzled about a building or other situation, Walt was often the source people would go to for an answer. Walt kept things very neat.
Walter married Arlene Marie Blohm on February 17, 1933 in Elk Point, South Dakota. To this union, 5 children were born: Eugene Howard Hansen, Marilyn Kay Hansen, a stillborn infant daughter, Janice Ann Hansen, and Nadene Mae Hansen.
Walt drove a truck some and started farming for himself at age 17, on the home place. Walt enjoyed raising sheep, and also had milk cows, mixed Hereford calves, sows with pigs, and horses. He broke the horses to ride. Walt's family lived on the Hansen Farm until the spring of 1943, when they bought a 320 acre farm in Union Township, Guthrie county, Iowa, located 13 miles east of Audubon on F-32. Walt didn't feel well, so they were in Audubon in 1945 and then back on the farm in 1947.
Walt contacted polio and died in the epidemic of 1949. Other family members who were hospitalized with polio were his daughter Janice, his niece Rosann Barentson, and his nephews Virgil and Arthur Hansen.
Among Walt's favorite things were his wife and children, his sheep, a pair of twin colts, his tractor and truck, a radio, chocolate drops, oyster soup, going to livestock sales, and going to an occasional movie. Walt taught his children how to play Checkers, Chinese Checkers, and Pinocle. He always whistled "Sioux City Sue." Walt was a goal setter, and before his death, Walt said that he was going to have one of those new inventions--the television!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Audubon County Journal (IA)
Feb. 19, 1931, pg. 5
Greeley Township
Walter Hansen, youngest son of
Mrs. Tena Hansen, who has been
suffering with pneumonia for the
past several weeks, is still quite ill.
It has been necessary to insert a
drain tube in one lung. He is un-
der the care of a trained nurse.
Walter was born to Christoffer and Martena Nelson Christensen Hansen and grew up on the family farm 6 miles east of Hamlin, he being the youngest of seven children, four-full siblings: Peter, Dorothy, Louie, and Oscar, one half-sister, Tilda, and one half-brother, John T. Christensen. Christoffer died when Walt was about 7 years old, so his brother Pete looked after him. Walt had pneumonia as a child and as a result, lived with one collapsed lung. As a child, Walt attended Greeley Center Methodist Church, going about a mile south through the field. (When this church joined with the Methodist church in Exira, the church building was sold. Then one of the first farmers to own a tractor in the area, Walt helped move the church to a new location north of Gardner's Store. The church became a corn crib with an apartment for a hired man).
Walt started high school but quit during his freshman year. He was caught smoking and punished with time off from school. Rather than accept this, Walt quit. Walt was considered to be quite intelligent and the school offered to drop his punishment if he'd come back. However, Walt decided that he'd do as many young men did back then, and just work at home instead. Walt was exceptionally good at math and could figure problems in his head more quickly than many could with paper and pencil. If someone was puzzled about a building or other situation, Walt was often the source people would go to for an answer. Walt kept things very neat.
Walter married Arlene Marie Blohm on February 17, 1933 in Elk Point, South Dakota. To this union, 5 children were born: Eugene Howard Hansen, Marilyn Kay Hansen, a stillborn infant daughter, Janice Ann Hansen, and Nadene Mae Hansen.
Walt drove a truck some and started farming for himself at age 17, on the home place. Walt enjoyed raising sheep, and also had milk cows, mixed Hereford calves, sows with pigs, and horses. He broke the horses to ride. Walt's family lived on the Hansen Farm until the spring of 1943, when they bought a 320 acre farm in Union Township, Guthrie county, Iowa, located 13 miles east of Audubon on F-32. Walt didn't feel well, so they were in Audubon in 1945 and then back on the farm in 1947.
Walt contacted polio and died in the epidemic of 1949. Other family members who were hospitalized with polio were his daughter Janice, his niece Rosann Barentson, and his nephews Virgil and Arthur Hansen.
Among Walt's favorite things were his wife and children, his sheep, a pair of twin colts, his tractor and truck, a radio, chocolate drops, oyster soup, going to livestock sales, and going to an occasional movie. Walt taught his children how to play Checkers, Chinese Checkers, and Pinocle. He always whistled "Sioux City Sue." Walt was a goal setter, and before his death, Walt said that he was going to have one of those new inventions--the television!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Audubon County Journal (IA)
Feb. 19, 1931, pg. 5
Greeley Township
Walter Hansen, youngest son of
Mrs. Tena Hansen, who has been
suffering with pneumonia for the
past several weeks, is still quite ill.
It has been necessary to insert a
drain tube in one lung. He is un-
der the care of a trained nurse.
