Andrew R. Hansen, 21, of Bennington, died Thursday, Dec. 27, 2007, following a car accident.

A funeral Mass was held Monday, Dec. 31, at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Omaha. Interment was at Prospect Hill Cemetery in Elkhorn.

Andrew Russell (Drew) Hansen was born Sept. 13, 1986, in Wichita, Kan., to Russell and Sharyl (Russell) Hansen. He and his family moved from Wichita to Lincoln and then Omaha, before settling in Bennington. He attended grade school at Grace Abbott Elementary, attended Millard North High School for one year, and then went to Bennington High School where he graduated in 2005.

As a young boy, he was very active in sports. He could often be found participating in baseball, football, basketball, or track. He also enjoyed skateboarding or playing video games with his friends.

He was also a very musical young man. He had a wonderful singing voice, and was active in his high school band and marching band as a talented saxophonist. He showed his special ear for music when he reworked a musical arrangement for the band in his senior year.

His first job after high school was driving truck for ValCor. He also worked at Sam & Louie’s Pizza, Arby’s, and most recently, as a cook at Village Inn. He was also taking classes at Metro Community College with hopes of being an auto mechanic.

He enjoyed playing recreational softball and basketball, listening to and singing all different kinds of music, and hanging out with his friends. He had developed a new hobby as well, photography, especially scenic pictures.

He loved being around people, especially family and friends, he loved wrestling with his dog, Jake, and he loved mustard on everything he ate. He was a young man who was full of ideas and opinions, full of energy, and full of life.

He is survived by his parents, Russ and Shari, and sisters, Kelsey and Sami, all Bennington; grandparents, Medelon Hansen of Blair, Elton and Loretta Russell of Scottsbluff, and Carroll Hansen of Watertown, S.D.; five aunts, five uncles, 14 cousins and his dog.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to either Drew’s sisters’ college fund, or the Bennington Athletic Club Boosters.

Reichmuth Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

~~~Obituary courtesy of Washington County, Nebraska Genealogical Association; newspaper clippings on file at the Public Library, Blair, Nebraska

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