Grandpa Hansen

(Pictured on his 87th Birthday)

I got a phone call the Wednesday before Thanksgiving that my Grandfather was taken to the hospital. He has had bladder cancer for 4 months and it has caused complications. I spent Wednesday night at the hospital and then went up again Thursday morning to check on him before I headed to work.  He looked pretty good on Wednesday night, but when I arrived the next morning he had taken a turn for the worse.  I thought it would be a quick visit, but I couldn't bring myself to leave him.  He was alone, cold, hurting, and miserable.  I called my sister in tears and asked her to come up.  She arrived quickly and we spoke with his doctor, the nurse, and ultimately a hospice case manager.  My grandfather was very confused, didn't want to talk at all about hospice or the possibility of a nursing home but it was more than obvious that the cancer was getting the best of him.  And at age 92, he was in need of help.  I called my Uncle Ron, (his son) and waited until he arrived.  My Uncle Ron was willing to take over and see that Grandpa got the care that he needed, but my Grandfather had a different plan.  He prayed and he asked that we pray too.  He asked that we would pray that our heavenly father would come take him so that he could die on his own as he has wanted for as long as I can remember.  He prayed right then and there.  I cried and we said our goodbyes.   My cute Grandpa held my hand and said, "Now remember, a good visit is 15 minutes long."   He hated that we were there all day, but when he was in pain, needed a drink or an extra blanket he would forget that he could call the nurse so I- we- didn't feel comfortable leaving him until someone else arrived. 
My grandfather's faith was amazingly strong.  He never hesitated to call on god if he needed help.  I am sad to say his prayer was answered that night.  He had a glass of milk, went to sleep and waited for his heavenly father who arrived with open arms I am sure.  It was hard, but was probably a blessing in disguise. 

I will miss you grandpa.  I will miss your beautiful blue eyes, the sweet way you said hello with your danish accent, your stories, your cooking, how you called me Anna Kirstine (as no one else does), but I am comforted at the thought of you and grandma together again with my dad.  I can picture you in your soft chair, smelling the sweetness of heaven as you had described so perfectly to me so many times.  Jeg elske die Grandpa. You will  be missed.

Jens Hansen 1918 ~ 2010 Grandpa Hansen passed away peacefully in his sleep the morning of November 19th, 2010. Jens Charles Hansen was born on March 21, 1918 in the tiny town of Horsens, Denmark, to Hans Hansen  Sorine & Ansine Kristensen. He grew up in the depression & survived two world wars. Jens served in the Danish Underground & was decorated for his service. He met his sweetheart, Anna Kirstine Pedersen prior to the war but postponed their marriage until May 19th, 1945 after the liberation of Denmark. They welcomed two spirits, Kirsten & Ronald into their home. Jens & Anna had been investigating the LDS church & joined shortly thereafter. Jens served as Branch President in Horsens and worked very hard to build the church in Denmark. In true pioneer spirit, Jens and Anna followed their Temple dream and prepared the family to legally immigrate to America in 1949. They settled in Utah, had two more children and he worked as a machinist. When Jens retired he was inspired to spend his time researching Genealogy and doing Temple work for his ancestors. In his last twenty years he filled 140 binders with over 40,000 names of his family's ancestors. He spent most of his waking hours working on this final mission call. Jens is preceded in death by his sweet angelic wife Anna, all of his brothers & sisters, his beloved son Hans John Hansen, and two grandsons, Jeffrey Aaron & Elijah Alexander Hansen. He is survived by his daughter Kirsten Hansen , sons Ronald& David Hansen, a beautiful bouquet of 28 precious grandchildren, and 36 great grandchildren. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, November 23 at Larkin Mortuary located at 260 E South Temple at 10:00 AM, with a viewing an hour prior. Interment will be at Salt Lake City Cemetery, just below and east of David O. McKay's grave site.