Elmer E. Hansen

Elmer E. Hansen 91 of rural Waterbury, Nebraska passed away on Thursday, February 18, 2010 at the Embassy Rehabilitation Center in Sergeant Bluff, Iowa following complications with pneumonia. Services will be at the Mohr Funeral Home in South Sioux City, Nebraska on Wednesday, February 24th at seven in the evening. A social with the family and a short service will be followed by a supper at eight. Interment will be family only at Rose Hill Cemetery at Emerson, Nebraska.Elmer was born September 13, 1918 at Waterbury, Nebraska. He was a son of Stephen and Lena (Bahr) Hansen of rural Dakota County. Nebraska. Elmer grew up and was educated in the local community through the eighth grade. He worked on the family farm until the beginning of World War II. He enlisted for service in the U. S. Army Air Corps at Fort Des Moines in 1942. His wartime unit was the 1257th Army Air Force Base, and his training was in mechanics. He served overseas in the North African Theatre of Operations until his separation from the Army at Fort Leavenworth in 1945 with the rank of a sergeant. He returned to the family farm and lived the remainder of his life in the local community. He had many interests tied to the natural environment and spent many years gardening with Norman Loetscher of Allen Nebraska. As a part of the Depression Generation, he was very conservative of his assets, and lived a life of thrift and conservation.Elmer was the last survivor of his immediate family, and was preceded in death by his parents; one sister, Martha; and four brothers, George, Harry, Kenneth and John.Survivors include two nieces, Karen Weidenfield of North Miami, Florida and Sharon Hansen of Phoenix, Arizona; and two nephews, Gordon Hansen of Waterbury, Nebraska and Calvin Hansen of Sioux City, Iowa.Honorary casket bearers will be Norman Loetscher, Dennis Stewart, Wes Johnston, Tom Servine, Tim Beacom, Cliff Rasmussen, Wilbur Hinz, Jack Fickle, and Marlen French. Casket bearers will be Mark Hansen, Brian Hansen, Joe Hansen, Scott Hansen, Dick Burcham and Neal Beacom.In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be directed to the Allen-Waterbury Rural Fire & Rescue Dept.