Retired Staff Sgt. Eldon Dean Hansen, 88, of Horton, Kansas, passed away on Sunday, Aug. 9, 2020, at the Mission Village living center in Horton. He was born at the Horton Hospital on Feb. 4, 1932, to Harlof C. and Caroline Laverentz Hansen, and was raised on a farm near Willis.
He graduated from Horton High School in 1951 and took a course from Industrial Training Institute in Chicago in TV servicing to work on televisions. He married Charlene Vogel on Oct. 11, 1953. A son, Gary Wayne, was born to that union. He was a member of the Horton United Methodist Church.
Eldon attended many schools over the years to keep up on the new technology. He started his own business in a converted garage, and when it got too big for that, he and Charlene purchased the hardware store downtown, and made it into Hansens Hardware & TV, where he sold televisions, appliances, air conditioners, hardware, etc. He sold the store after being downtown for over 55 years, and semi-retired. He was interested in keeping up with the computer when his companies all went this way.
Eldon worked his way through the chairs at the Elks Lodge in Hiawatha and was Exalted Ruler three different times. He was a member of the Abdallah Shrine, Hiawatha Lodge #35, Mt. Horeb Chapter #43 Royal Arch Masons, Hiawatha Commandery #13 Knights Templar, and a past member of the NEK 90s motorcycle corps.
He was a member of Battery B in the Horton National Guard for 26 years, training young men on communications equipment. He spent a month in Arizona every winter for 10 years, enjoying his time off from work. He did lots of traveling over the world having earned his trips through sales and service with his suppliers.
He loved his grandkids, Andrew John, Kristopher Benton, and Jackson Wayne. He spent many hours with them as they were growing up, teaching them about a rural community and allowing them to do things that they werent allowed to do in the city. Any stray cat in town knew they could come to see him, as they would be fed, petted, and taken care of. He loved all of his cats, and hated to part with any of them. He adopted them out, rather than give them away. There were always several around for him to spoil.
Preceding him in death were his parents and his brother, Harold Hansen. He is survived by his wife, Charlene, their son, Dr. Gary Hansen, his wife, Dana and grandsons, Andrew, Kristopher, Jackson, one great granddaughter, Nora Jo, his sister-in-law, Marilyn Hansen and several nieces and nephews.
A graveside service will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 12, at the Horton Cemetery. Friends may call at the Dishon-Maple-Chaney Mortuary, 909 Central Ave., Horton.
A special message may be sent to the family at www.dishon-maple-chaney.com Memorials may be made to the Endowment Fund of the Horton United Methodist Church and may be sent in care of the mortuary.