Gloria Jean “Jeannie” Hansen, 70, of North Platte, passed away February 21, 2015, surrounded by family at Great Plains Health after a bout with cancer. Born January 19, 1945, she was adopted by Leonard and Marjorie Folchert of Wellfleet, Nebraska.
She attended elementary school in Wellfleet and high school at the UNSA campus in Curtis. She was united in marriage with Lawrence Delane Hansen June 10, 1962, at First Evangelical Lutheran Church in North Platte. The first five years of married life were spent on the family ranch south of Maxwell. In 1968 they purchased from Jeannie’s parents the property near Wellfleet where she had grown up, and they lived there until 1989 when they bought a ranch in Cherry County, relocating to the Sand Hills. In 1996 they purchased a ranch southeast of Alliance. In 2002, wanting to return to the region where both had grown up, they traded the ranch at Alliance for a ranch at Stapleton. At that time Jeannie and Lawrence moved into a home north of North Platte.
She served as Sunday School teacher, was on the County Extension Board and 4-H Council, also serving as leader of an area 4-H club, was a member of Opal Springs Extension Club, the Cow Belles, and later worked in the cafeteria at Hyannis High School. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother, legendary for her pies and other culinary skills.
She was preceded in death by her parents, brother John Spencer, brother-in-law Ned Hansen, sisters-in-law Cora Jane Hansen and Roberta Hansen, brother-in-law Stanley Grandstaff, and other family members.
She is survived by husband Lawrence Hansen and three children, Tom (Jill) of Wellfleet, Travis (Melody) of Stapleton, and Tammy (Ron) of Costa Rica; six grandchildren and one great grandchild; brother George (Marge) Spencer, brother-in-law Vernon Hansen, sister-in-law Florence (John) Shetler, and many other family members too numerous to list.
Memorials are suggested to the Callahan Cancer Center and online condolences may be shared at www.adamsswanson.com. Funeral services will be 11:00 a.m. Thursday February 26, 2015 at First Evangelical Lutheran Church with Reverend Frank Fitch III officiating. Lunch will be served and burial will follow at the Curtis Cemetery. Visitation will be Tuesday and Wednesday from 9:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m., with family receiving friends on Wednesday from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., at Adams and Swanson Funeral Home which is in charge of arrangements.