Mardell Hansen

Anna Mardell (Hoegh) Hansen passed away peacefully in her sleep on Thursday August 8, 2013, at her home in Elk Horn, Iowa, at the age of 85.

She was born January 6, 1928, at her parents' home in Audubon County to Christena (Jorgensen) Hoegh and Edward Hoegh.

Mardell (as everyone called her) went to country school at Smokey Hill in Audubon County. She had to give up high school when she became ill with Typhoid Fever and also to help on the family farm. She always wanted to complete her education, so as a young mother she went back to class and received her GED.

On April 14, 1946, she was united in marriage to George Roger Hansen at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Atlantic, IA. Mardell loved her husband very much. They were married for 67 years. To this union seven children were born.

Roger and Mardell farmed together north of Atlantic for 33 years. She loved to be outside and combined several acres of corn. They grew a large garden, including sweet corn, strawberries, asparagus, etc. Mardell did a lot of canning and was a great cook, giving all those goodies to her kids and grandkids.

Mardell taught herself to play the organ. She could play beautifully by ear. She also could play the accordion. Roger, being a drummer, along with Mardell spent hours entertaining residents at many nursing homes. They played great music, with residents always singing along.

Roger and Mardell enjoyed traveling after retirement. They traveled in their camper to the 48 contiguous states. They also enjoyed living in the Southern Missouri-Arkansas area for a few years. They came back home in 1985 to enjoy their children and grandchildren. They spent a lot of time at birthday parties, graduations, weddings, celebrating births and many other memorable events. She enjoyed her friends and neighbors, belonging to the Kid-A-Bit Club for many years.

Mardell liked to sew. She made quilts for all her grandchildren. She loved flowers and birds and watching "The Price Is Right". She also loved to fish in her younger years.

She loved to play games, especially dominoes. Mardell loved life. She had a fun sense of humor, always slapping her knee when she laughed. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her and loved her.

Mardell was preceded in death by her parents, Christena and Edward; her infant son, Steve in 1955; brother, Dale Hoegh, and sister-in-law, Jean; brother, Emery Hoegh; sister, Velma Hansen and brother-in-law, Ralph Hansen; and son-in-law, Mark Miller.

Mardell is survived by her husband, Roger; her brother, Calvin and sister-in-law, Phyllis Hoegh of Elk Horn, IA; sister-in-law, Izy Hoegh of Atlantic, IA; six children: Judith Schrader of Elk Horn, IA, Ken Hansen of Council Bluffs, IA, Connie Steen (Scott Marshall) of Greenfield, IA, Jeff Hansen of Iowa City, IA, Lori Harris (Gary Boswell) of Corning, IA, and Darla Hansen of Elk Horn, IA; 13 grandchildren, several great-grandchildren, step-grandchildren, step-great and step-great-great-grandchildren; nieces and nephews; and other friends and family members.

Funeral services will be held at 3:00 p.m., Monday, August 12, 2013, at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Atlantic, Iowa. Burial will be in the Atlantic Cemetery. Refreshments will be served and family will greet and visit with friends in the church fellowship hall following the committal service.