NIELS H. HANSEN LAID TO REST

Neils H. Hansen was born near Asseus, Denmark on October 17th, 1844. He passed away at the family home in Blair Wednesday morning, October 14th, 1931.

He grew to manhood in his native country, coming to the United States in 1872. He worked in Chicago shortly after the big fire, helping to rebuild that city. After leaving there he traveled extensively throughout the United States and Canada; his desire for travel having lingered with him since his youth and early manhood when he served in the Danish Army. In 1876 he settled on a farm near Marshalltown, Iowa, where he was united in marriage on August 21st, 1880 to Miss Johanna Hansen from his birthplace. Here they lived until 1885 when they moved to Chadron, Nebraska; but drouth and hardships in the west at that time sent them eastward again in the fall of the same year. They stopped at Blair for the winter, and moved on to a farm south of Kennard the following spring where they resided until 1912 when they moved to Blair. He had been active until two weeks before the end came, keeping a lovely garden. He was a home man and a lover of his family. Reading was his hobby until failing eyesight prevented it. He was deeply interested in all historical events.

Funeral services were held from the family home at two p.m. Saturday, October 17th, 1931, with Rev. Ernest L. Decker of Omaha officiating. Two selections were rendered by Mrs. Blanch Hancock and Miss Gertrude Mead. Interment at Blair Cemetery.

Those left to mourn his passing are his widow, two sons, Albert B. and Christian B.; and five daughters, Anna K. B. Neilson and Abigail Beernstrup of Blair, Mary B. Smith of Stanton, Mich., Dorothea B. Dolan of Arlington and Bertha B. Fischer of Omaha. A sister, Abigail Stowell of Ellsworth, Kans, and a brother, Mads in Denmark, also twenty four grandchildren.

~~~Obituaries courtesy of the Washington Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file at the Blair Public Library.~~~

FindaGrave Memorial #10675130