James H. Hansen, 70, of Licking, Mo. (formerly of Rawlins, Wyo.) passed away quietly in his sleep on Aug. 27, 2015, at the St. James Veterans Home in St. James, Mo.
Jim was born July 25, 1945, to John and Edith (Hallett) Hansen in Willow Springs, Mo., the youngest of three children. As a teenager, Jim moved from Missouri to Wyoming to join his older brother, Clayton, and began working for the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) as a telegrapher.
In 1965, Jim was drafted to Vietnam as part of a Missouri unit. He served as a door gunner on Huey helicopters, earning a Purple Heart and Air Medal.
Following his military service, Jim returned to Wyoming to work first as a telegrapher and then as an engineer for the UPRR, where he remained for 35 years. Following his retirement, Jim and his wife, Kerry, returned to live in Missouri in 2000.
Jim will be remembered for his love of horses (from wild horses in Wyoming to Missouri Fox Trotters) and farming, his love for his family and friends, his willingness to help others and his great wit and sense of humor.
Jim leaves his wife of almost 30 years, Kerry (Bean) Hansen of Licking, Mo.; his two daughters, Barbara and her husband Paul Runez of Mesa, Ariz., and Leslie and her husband Dominique Rupp of St. Prex, Switzerland; three grandchildren, Ethan Carter, Caroline Beguin and Viviane Rupp; his sister, Mary Ann (Hansen) and her husband Clyde Wiley of Ft. Worth, Texas; as well as cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.
Jim was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Clayton.
Private services will be held at a later date in Missouri and Wyoming. The family asks for no flowers.
Memorial donations may be made in Jim’s name to the James Hansen Memorial Fund, Missouri Veterans Home, 620 New Jefferson, St. James, MO 65559. The memorial fund has been established to help other Veteran’s specifically in the B Core. Please note on the donation that it is for the “James Hansen Memorial Fund.”
PAID