Wayne Louis Hansen was born April 7, 1934, in Shelton, to Louis and Irene (Meyer) Hansen and passed away March 18, 2021, in Staplehurst, at the age of 86 years, 11 months and 11 days. Wayne was baptized on April 29, 1934, and confirmed April 27, 1947, at Zion Lutheran Church, nine miles north of Shelton. He grew up in Shelton, where he attended school and moved with his family to Staplehurst at the age of 14.
Wayne was drafted into the United States Army in August of 1956 and served two years before being transferred to the Army Reserves for four years. He was honorably discharged on Sept. 11, 1962. Wayne was working for Rolfsmeier Construction in McCook, where he was working on the Red Willow Dam when he met Marjorie Keyser. On Sept. 17, 1960, they were united in marriage at Peace Lutheran Church in McCook and to this union, five children were born. Wayne worked for Brandt Construction and later for Hartmann Construction. He then went on to work at Blue Valley Co-op, where he drove a truck hauling fertilizer, feed and grain before retiring in 1999. After retirement, he worked for the Seward County Roads Department which started as part-time, but turned into full-time work driving a truck and moving dirt.
Wayne was a good provider and a very hard worker. Faith was very important to him. Wayne was a long-time member at St. John Lutheran Church. He was a former member of the Staplehurst Town Board, Staplehurst Fire Department and school board member at Our Redeemer Lutheran School.
Wayne was preceded in death by his parents; three sisters, Delores (Edward) Schlager, Twila (Fred) Greckel, Eunice Suhr; sisters-in-law, Betty Morris, Norma Keyser; brothers-in-law, Wiley Wagner, Dean Barber; mother-in-law, Helen Pinner; father-in-law, Maurice Keyser.
Survivors cherishing his memory include his wife, Marjorie Hansen; children, Timothy Hansen, Roseville, California, James Hansen, Staplehurst, Darrin and wife, Tammy Hansen, Anchorage, Alaska, Andrew and wife, Jacque Hansen, Stilwell, Kansas, Stephanie and husband, Paul Messerli, Austin, Texas; grandchildren, Samantha, Sabrina, Max and Maggie Hansen, William and Ella Messerli; step-grandchildren, Patrick and Paul Durfee; one great-grandson, Randy Pardike; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Alfred Suhr, Seward, Dorothy Barber, Bertrand, Jerry Keyser, Wichita, Kansas, Cookie Bradley and husband, Harold, Holdrege, Mike Keyser, Wichita, Kansas, JoAnn Wagner, Barnard, Missouri, Patty Sisnero and husband, Rudy, Frederick, Colorado, Thomas Keyser and wife, Jennifer, Fairbury, Craig Keyser, Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Visitation is from 1 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, March 25, at Zabka-Perdue Funeral Home in Seward, with family receiving friends from 6:30 to 8 p.m. A Celebration of Life is at 10:30 a.m. Friday at St. John Lutheran Church with a graveside service and inurnment following at the Seward Cemetery. Memorial contributions are suggested to St. John Lutheran School. Condolences may be left for the family at www.zabkafuneralhome.com.
