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Betty Hansen, 86, of Sheldon and formerly of Spencer, died on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024, at Sanford Health Sheldon Care Center.
Funeral services will be held on Friday, Jan. 19, at 1 p.m. at Grace United Methodist Church in Spencer. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service. Burial will be in Buena Vista Memorial Park in Storm Lake. Warner Funeral Home of Spencer is in charge of arrangements.
Betty Lou Meyer was born on Jan. 2, 1938 in Marathon, to Leo and Verlette Meyer. Betty attended school in Marathon where she graduated high school in 1955.
On Jan. 8, 1956, she was married to her lifelong partner, Cliff Hansen, at Marathon Methodist Church by Rev Bob Smith. Following their marriage they moved to Pipestone, Minn., where their first daughter Dawn, was born. They moved to Nemaha in 1958 until 1973 to farm and where their two other daughters were born, Shawn and Candace. During this time, they had horses and participated in activities with them. Betty looked forward to the day she could ride her horse on her own when their youngest daughter went to school. They moved to an acreage north of Newell where Betty worked at the Newell retirement home until the family purchased and moved to their farm in Marathon in 1974. Betty then got a job closer to home and worked at the Sioux Rapids Dental Office for 34 years until she retired.
She traveled with Cliff all over including overseas. Betty’s hobbies over her years included sewing, playing piano, spending time with their many dogs and cats, reading, planting flowers, walking, riding horses, attending their children’s, grandchildren's, as well as extended family members activities, and visiting family and friends. In 2011, they retired to Spencer.
Betty is survived by her daughters: Dawn Valenti of Florida; Shawn (Dan) Purcell of Waukee; and Candace (Tobin) Smith of Sheldon; grandchildren: Jeremiah Johnson of Des Moines; Jenny Johnson of Grimes; Lane Smith (fiancée Catie); and Colin Smith from Sheldon; great-grandchildren include: Ella Synawong of Waterloo; Laila Johnson and Roman Wardlow of Grimes; Saydee Johnson from Waukee; and Remi Johnson of Des Moines; nephew Brian Bland from St. Paul, Minn.; and several cousins.
