Irma Karen Hansen
October 13, 1918 - October 23, 2019

"My mother was starched curtains and home cooking, clean bedsheets and beautiful penmanship. She played the organ like an angel. She loved the family that raised her and the family she raised. She was the baby in her family and her brother called her ?Tootie?. She had a little dog named Fido. My mother adored her children and gave us the very best she could of everything. She loved to dress us in beautiful clothes. She was so proud of us. She expected us to be educated and to appreciate music. She went to church more than anyone I know and lived what she learned there. Christmas was her favorite holiday and she taught us how to celebrate, and we did, every birthday and holiday, with our family. My mother met my dad at a dance and they continued to dance and have card parties with their lifelong friends for many years. We kids got to go along to the card parties and play and have pop. . .a big treat for us! My mother never had her own car until she bought her white Lincoln which she put 30,000 miles on in 20 years as she preferred to drive the red Ford suv my dad had driven. She usually didn?t go far from home but did go on 3 cruises and 2 trips to Denmark. She was always committed to her Danish heritage and joined her Danish friends in many activities at St. John?s Church. She spoke Danish fluently and was the interpreter on the Denmark trip the church members made together. My mother was always lovely. She was a perfectionist. She was kind and responsible. She was a blessing to all who knew her. I loved her and I know she loved me. That love will never die. "

"Aunt Irma! You will be missed. You mark the passing of the generation that connected us to the old world and for years after, my grandma, Mary Hansen Rasmussen died, you connected us to her! I remember spending nights out on the farm with Aunt Irma and Uncle Russel. Driving to "Mason" in a fancy car to go out to dinner. I remember walking shyly up to the front of the church when everyone was walking out the back to watch Aunt Irma play out the end of the service and close the book at St. John's. Witnessing piglet "get born" in the cold barn. After Uncle Russel's death in 1995 Irma was always part of the picture when I went to visit gramma. A trip to the Mall in Mason City was usually part of the plan, to find maternity clothes when I was getting to big for what I brought, and baby clothes when the babies came. What a loving, caring, positive force she was. And what a wonderful family of children, grandchildren and great grandchildren she has. I always feel especially close to all of you -- and that is due, I think to the very special person that she was. What a beautiful life!"

"From Shannon, ?I remember that grandma and grandpa felt so proud of their first grand baby. I had no idea how wonderful or significant this position would be. They had a dog named Pal. Multiple dogs named Pal. I remember airplane rides with Dawn, no parents, meeting grandma and grandpa at the gate in Iowa. Grandpa and grandma always made sure there was a pony to ride and a baby pig to name. I thought it was so special to get to spend this time with them both on the farm. Grandma was the best cook in the world, supper at noon, dinner in the evening, all with a sense of purpose and family. Grandma always had a special place in my heart. I didn?t get to see her as much as I?d have liked, but every time I did, it was special and meaningful and we laughed and we had fun. She was a special person. One of my fondest memories was picking Rhasberries at mom and Jerry?s, with a flashlight, as tomorrow would be too late. We laughed and picked berries, grandma held the flashlight while I picked. We told Jerry we got them all. Grandma, I love you. You will be truly missed. ~ Shannon"

"Wow! Aunt Irma. She was my second mother. And Uncle Russel was my role model. She was living with my parents when I was born and evidently I was the first baby she cared for. Full of fun I remember her at the fox farm teasing me about the little green mice. Later she accompanied me in singing solos and when I forgot the words we would simply start over. She and Uncle Russel came to Maine to Anne's wedding and they took a special trip to Boston just to hang out with me some time later. My mother, Mary, was fourteen when she was born and her mother was in her forties. My guess is that my mom had a lot to do with her upbringing. On the other side of life she was a constant companion to my mother in her, my mother's, old age. I had the privilege of visiting her a little more than a month ago. We had great fun piecing together her early years and of course talking about the family and all the things that had gone on in her early years. Aunt Irma was one of the most compassionate, loving, caring persons I have had the good lock to be associated with in my entire life. Her word to me was always "you are special". Well, she was "special" and I will miss her. David Rasmussen "

"Aunt Irma was so special to all of my family. My girls always anxiously awaited her Christmas cards. Our entire family?aunts, uncles, cousins and Bedstemor an Bedstefar ?spent so many holidays and birthdays together. We cousins would sometimes sing together for special events, with Aunt Irma accompanying us, of course. She played the organ for Bill?s and my wedding. She really did have a way of making each one of us feel special. What a gift and a blessing she was. I?ll never forget how good she was to my Mom, after my Dad passed away. We were blessed to have her with us for so many years. My love to all of you. Linda Hansen Jensen. "

"It was so great to see her for a visit in August and we wish deepest sympathies to the family. R.I.P."

"As a grandchild that grew up on the west coast, far from Iowa, it was a magical place to visit. We spent a Christmas on the farm, being pulled behind grandpa Russel?s tractor in inner tubes with sprays of glistening snow flying like diamonds through the winter blue sky. The best part of those cold outings was coming home to the farm, to the nice warm house and smell of white, buttery toast. Grandma Irma always let us each of us pick out our own favorite box of breakfast cereal (Corn pops), which was such a treat. Grandma had an amazing ability to make every feel welcome and her favorite person in the whole world. I caught fireflies in a jar at their house in Hampton, as Irma and Russel chatted vibrantly with my parents, aunts and uncles on the porch. These are my strongest and happiest childhood memories. I?m sooo lucky to have spent her last several birthdays with her, as she just got more funny, smart, precious, unique and ever-so grateful through the years. Such grace. Such a loss, but such a blessing. Lucky are we to have known, loved and been loved and taught by such a human. God bless sweet Grandma Irma as she has so generously blessed us."

"We have so many good memories of Aunt Irma that we will treasure. We will always remember the times when we were home visiting Gunnar. Aunt Irma would come to assisted living to watch the MN. Twins baseball games. Gunnar & Aunt Irma would sometimes converse in Danish. It was special to watch them together. We will miss our Aunt but the Hansen family is all back together again. "