Jerald Edward Hansen, 84, of Birmingham, Mich., passed away Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023.
My dad, Jerald Edward Hansen, was born to Bernece (Burckhardt) Hansen and James Hansen in the small town of Russell, Minn., March 22, 1939. He was the second youngest of five children: Audrey Olson (deceased); Donald (deceased); Beverly Carl (deceased) and Carolyn Mundt. He was a restless and mischievous young man at Russell High School playing basketball, football, and occasional hooky.
He was a traveling soul from his early years. Joining the service after high school took him many places including Mississippi, Colorado, Germany, and a short trip to France in a helicopter to hover briefly over the Eiffel Tower and dart under the Pont Neuf bridge on the Seine River… a story he loved to tell (and one that also almost got him and his pilot-friend in big trouble).
The places he lived and jobs he had after the service were so varied — some very brief, some very odd — and he often surprised me with yet another story of how he drove from California to Seattle to work at a tire shop and then left when he had enough money to move on. Whether it was working for Sears in downtown Chicago or opening new Bridgeman’s Ice Cream Shops across the Midwest (the job where he met my mother Chele, his wife of 39 years), the adventure in his early years was both diverse and true to his comfort with new challenges and always moving along.
He was very proud of his days in Apple Valley, Minn., as the foreman of E.H. Gunderson’s masonry and construction company working on the wealthy Lake Minnetonka private homes and notable commercial high-rise towers of the emerging Minneapolis skyline.
When my mother wanted to buy a roadside motel on old Route 66 in Sayre, Okla. — he took the challenge, became the mayor and city manager, spent time on city council, and many other enterprises that small towns insist of their restless residents.
His chapter in resort management started in Branson, Mo., as head of sales, then head of operations, then general manager. Bankers began asking him to take over distressed resort properties in their stewardship; and ultimately, he landed at Lost Valley Lake resort where he worked for more than 20 years as general manager for the founder and owner of the sprawling rural oasis in the middle of central Missouri.
These adventures and experiences gave him wisdom — one of his qualities that most will remember. My dad knew just a little bit about just about everything. He was resourceful, reflective, respectful, and slow to spark a conversation — but quick to make it a good one. Most people that share their experiences with my dad reflect on his casual wit and the important advice they received in small doses when most needed.
He was a very good father to my older sister Tiffany Pellegrino (deceased) and myself, Cory — and my brother-in-law Jim Pellegrino. He was an exceptional grandfather to all four grandchildren: Jimmy and Justin Pellegrino, and Kingston and London Hansen.
While his time with my mother Michele (Morrison) had some years apart; He was there by her side when she passed in 2010 and they enjoyed a very full life together. Their big group of fun friends during winters in Laughlin, Nev., was a special focus in their time together and gave them great memories in all their later years.
To all who knew him, he will be remembered most through the stories: “That one time when they worked with him;” That one time while they were growing up;” That one time when they needed him;” That one time when they almost…”. Many stories, many memories, and much love and admiration.
My dad was a ‘slip-out-the-back-door’ kind of guy. He wasn’t interested in a lot of attention or reflection at his expense. His wishes were for all of us to focus on our lives ahead, making the most of following our own path — as he so well demonstrated during his. Let us remember, reflect, and then do as he would wish.
Farewell Dad.
