Helen Hansen of Omaha died Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2005 of complications from Alzheimer’s disease. Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Monday, Aug. 15 at First Lutheran Church in Blair. Graveside services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at the Jacksonville, Iowa, Cemetery.

Visitation will begin at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 14, at Campbell-Aman Funeral Home with the family receiving friends from 7 to 8 p.m.

Helen Hansen was born in rural Jacksonville, Iowa, to Peter and Clara (Rasmussen) Olsen. She was baptized and confirmed at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Jacksonville. She moved to Blair, where she lived until she moved Parson’s House Retirement Home in Omaha.

She had twin passions: children and music. She taught elementary vocal music in every elementary school in Blair for more than 35 years, teaching three generations of students. In addition to classroom teaching she directed a series of operettas for sixth grade students, a swing choir, and an annual spring concert for more than 500 fourth, fifth and sixth grade students. She directed the youth choir at First Lutheran Church for many years. She performed with Opera Omaha, and was a frequent performer at wedding and other events.

She received her bachelor’s degree from Dana College and her master’s degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She was active in many professional organizations, serving as an officer for the Blair Education Association, the Nebraska State Education association, and teacher’s sorority, Alpha Delta Kappa.

She was married to and divorced from Gerald Hansen.

She is survived by her son, and daughter-in-law, Randall and Ginger Hansen of Omaha; daughter and son-in-law Deborah and Lon Giberson of Marlton, N.J.; six grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and brother, Harold Olsen of Harlan, Iowa.

She was preceded in death by a sister, Edna Larson, and a daughter, Cynthia Loy.

Memorials are suggested to the Alzheimer’s Association.

~There is an additional obituary published in the Omaha World Herald August 12, 2005. It does not include any additional information.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~

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