Etta May "Skip" Hansen

Etta May “Skip” Hansen, 88, of Washington, devoted wife, mother, seamstress, cook and miracle healer of scraped knees, passed away at 10:15pm Friday, October 3, 2014, at Washington Christian Village in Washington, IL. She passed peacefully and without fear. She loved her family and spent her life making things better for all of them. She loved the sounds of children playing and in her heaven there will be many babies and little children in need of her care. Skip was born December 21, 1925 in her home in Chilhowee, Missouri, of Walter Oren and Minnie May Albin Riddle. Before her third birthday, her mother passed away but she had the love and support of her father and many siblings. Her lucky day was when her father remarried to Ruby Genevieve (Craven) Riddle and her tender spirit raised Skip in a loving and caring household. During WWII Skip corresponded with various servicemen and by chance one of those she grew to know via letters was Louis Howard Hansen, whom she married March 25, 1946. Louis was not only a devoted husband for over 68 years, but he obviously was an excellent letter writer. Skip leaves behind her husband, Louis H. Hansen of Washington, IL; three sons and daughters in law, Dennis L. (Peggy) Hansen of Bethany, MO, Phillip W. (Debra) Hansen of Washington, IL, and Bruce L. (Judith) Hansen of Fairfax Station, Virginia; ten grandchildren, Francine A. Hansen of Kansas City, MO, Denise D. Nagy of Raytown, MO, Nicole A. (Jacob) Bowen of Lees Summit, MO, Joseph E. and Robert M. Rodriguez of Kansas City, MO, Nathan C. (Heidi) Burchette of Morton, IL, Nicholas W. Hansen of Washington, IL, James E.L. Hansen of Kansas City, MO, and Erik B. and Cory A. Hansen of Fairfax Station, VA; along with six great grandchildren, Evan H. and Carson D. Rudolph and Sophie J. Bowen of Lees Summit, MO, Kyle W. Nagy of Raytown, MO, and Samantha C. and M. Lupe Rodriquez of Kansas City, MO; brother, Norman (Maribelle) Riddle of Pella, IA, and sister, Doris(James) Sparks of Newton, IA, along with many cousins, nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents and her daughter, Linda (Ray) Dixon. Skip was gifted in all crafts and whatever craft she endeavored, she mastered. Her skilled hands and careful eye for detail made her an expert seamstress and she taught herself the most difficult tailoring techniques. She didn’t do it for money or career; she did it for family and some self-satisfaction. We would all tease her about how much fabric she was storing, but the light in her eye when she got excited about a project made you appreciate the genius of this fine lady. She loved animals and for the most part she never spoke ill of any persons. Her humility was natural and even though she was a beautiful lady she carried herself as a plain woman and mother. She thought of herself as a typical Scots-Irish hillbilly with humble roots. Truth was she was descended from a rich family heritage of hard-working farmers, pioneers and woodsmen who came to this country before the revolution and helped clear the wilderness. A celebration of Skip’s life will begin at 11:00am, Saturday, October 11, 2014 at Deiters Funeral Home & Crematory in Washington. Visitation will be one hour prior at the funeral home. Interment will be at Glendale Cemetery in Washington. Because of all the friends and family in the Kansas City area and the long standing relationship Skip and Louis enjoyed with St Paul’s Lutheran Church, there will be an additional memorial service at the church, 17200 E 39th Street in Independence, MO at 4:00pm on Saturday, October 18, with visitation a half hour prior. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association. Skip’s memorial website is available at www.deitersfuneralhome.com, where condolences may also be sent to the family.

Etta May "Skip" Hansen

December 21, 1925 - October 3, 2014