Henry Hansen Story
Julie Parker was on his committee one year when this was to be done and she was a bit more generous with 'church' money than Hank was so they got into a terrific argument. He stood his ground and she wasn't one bit intimidated. She got the ceiling done to her satisfaction--$60.00 worth of crepe paper streamers and it was beautiful, but he grumbled for a while over the cost! Often when he felt more lights were needed or more anything, he just bought what he needed, or built it from his shop here at home. Later when the Stake would ask me where their stuff was, it was a real shock to them to learn that it never was theirs. He built the very popular arched trellis for Susan when she had a Ward assignment to decorate the gym and no funds. That trellis has been loaned (and even rented) countless times for weddings and stake and Ward programs of all kinds. On the day I write this, May 23, 1996, it is being used at the High School for the very successful play "Cinderella." Bob and Sue Nelson have taken it under their wing, and keep it available to any and all who want to use it. He later on built a pony cart for 'Star' and used it many times and places (until his insurance company found out and put a stop to it). Now it also has turned out to be an asset at wedding receptions. It has been used 3 times already and I'm sure more to come. I think Hank would be pleased.
Over the years he had dreams of other business adventures. Mostly he just talked about them and never got around to reality. One that he did start was a level making project. He bought all the stuff (including a drill press). Made one level and never got around to any more. He also had an idea that he would build (and sell) houses, or rent them. He even put money down on a piece of property in downtown Tigard, Commercial Street. He and the owner didn't agree on the terms so he demanded his money back and got it. May have been one of his biggest mistakes as property spiraled upward afterwards but he never worried about it. He started a fireplace screen business and it was going well. He hired a young man we met at church and he followed up on all the fireplace jobs with custom built equipment. This worked for a year of two, then Hank began to realize there was no money in the account--after some anxious days went by he was able to prove that his helper was signing the checks and using the money--had in fact financed a new car! He was able to get a confession out of him and made him promise to tell the Bishop (but we both knew he didn't). He did continue to work at the job to 'repay' what he had taken but it wasn't for very long and I think he moved away to escape any guilty feelings he may have had meeting us in Church. Typical of Hank's dealings, in-as-much as he never took legal action and remained friends with the guy. And, later on, after he had moved away, he even came back to see us! It was then Hank got 'even!' We had a young goat that was giving us all kinds of problems so guess who got him? Hank laughed for days about finally getting even--talked him into that 'darling' pet for his kids. Justice was served.
He served a term on the local (Durham) school board. Mostly he didn't have time for civic affairs. He did have a city ball them for a time--got Pumilite to sponsor them. He coached and played of course. He also took over the responsibility of building and maintaining the ball field at church. When the Tigard chapel was built we had room for a diamond. Every Spring he went to work on that field while the weeds grew in his! He couldn't resist telling me how 'perfect' his infield, or outfield was, even when he should have figured out that it was news I didn't want to hear. He spent many hours with his tractor working every weed and lump out of that ground. Shortly before his death, the men in the Ward 'officially' named that ball ground "Hansen Field". He got to see the sign they put up just once but he was very pleased and honored.
At the time of the building of the Tigard Chapel, the Church was handling things very differently. They had open bids on the total job and while Hank did submit a bid on the brickwork, he didn't get the job. None of the locals could compete with the Utah contractors. So our building was done with another contractor. But every spare minute Hank had was spent watching over that project. He was determined to make sure they took no short cuts. He actually found one area he felt was below standards, simply called the inspector and asked for an inspection and the 'problem' was corrected. They may have even known who made that call or may not, I never knew, but I do know he made friends with all of those bricklayers and the contractor's son, who was approximately our age, became his good friend and when the job was done came to our home for dinner on their last evening in Oregon. We exchanged occasional letters for years afterward.
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A dune buggy was another ambition he had and when Dean was about 10 years old he bought a wrecked Volkswagen and together they built a cute little yellow buggy. The kids drove it everywhere but on the highway. Barbara actually got to use it, but when Dean turned 16, Hank suddenly sold it--was afraid it was dangerous for his highway driving. By the time our sons took their driving license tests they were pretty experienced and I remember one 'officer' who questioned that--between the tractor and the dune buggy, the trucks, and the fork lift, they didn't need much road training. Hank would drive in at night and get out of his trucks and let Dean park them. He had 2 one ton big old trucks at one time and Dean couldn't see out the windshield without standing on his knees but he could drive them.
Another adventure he had was his fishing boat. Along with two friends, Vern Taylor and Nolan Brown, he purchased a real, though old, fishing boat. They kept it moored in the summertime at Illwaco. In the winter time it was in our shop. He had some happy times on that old boat, in spite of the fact that he was very subject to sea-sickness and was never well when he went out. And caught few fish. Over the years his salmon fishing luck sort of ran out. Early on, with his first little boat, he had great success and we ate lots of salmon. Gradually it became harder and harder and he had little time or patience to fish when nothing resulted. So I had to get my fish from other sources. I think he may have enjoyed the companionship of his partners even more than the fishing. When the boat was 'new' he bought each of them sailor hats and himself a captains hat. But since he spent every trip down in the hold trying to sleep off sea-sickness, his 'crew' really gave him a hard time. He loved it and so did they. Along the way he met a young man who was a canoe builder and Hank got than bug. Pretty soon he had an offer to all fathers and sons in the Ward to come to our shop and with his help (and pattern) they could have a canoe. It was a successful and a very satisfactory project. It went on for over a year and there were over 20 canoes completed. I've forgotten the exact number, but any father/son who wanted one got it. They were beautiful and well made canoes and very inexpensive.
He had the desire to teach an apprentice bricklayer and was able to find an ambitions young man, Rick Thorpe. They worked together for many years and eventually Rick went contracting on his own. He and Hank had many differences and sometimes disagreements, but later on Rick was openly and deeply grateful for the thorough training and job skills he learned from Hank.
The economy of our work was either going up or down. There are no steady pay checks for construction workers. In the beginning Hank defied the union rules and worked whenever he could. Later on he became fearful of 'fines' and refused to take any more chances. I believe they put the pressure on him (and others) to work union hours and because he had union insurance and retirement benefits by then he felt he had to comply. He paid his dues and retirement funds faithfully but I had the assurance that he would never really retire--he liked his work too much and was just too strong and healthy to quit. He enjoyed his horse even more after Susan became old enough to ride with him. Over the years he had owned a number of horses, ponies, burros, as well as the various beef animals we raised. But it was Susan who convinced him that they needed a trailer and it was Susan who actually found one and made the deal while we were out of town. They had some good trips to the nearby trails, to the beach and also a couple of hunting trips. He had, in the beginning, one hunting with his father-in-law but those times weren't much fun. Gradually he replaced him with Ken Vermillion, Dr. Green (from the West Hills Ward-can't remember his first name), then George Michael, Bardell Bailey, Terry Smith, John Nelson, Jim Jones and various others along the way. They also took along any sons who would go. David did in the early years but at age 16 or so he actually killed a deer and that was his last time. Dean was a great bird hunter and they had some successes with duck and pheasant hunting, but the elk and deer were few and far between. Nonetheless, that never was a consideration about whether or not they would go. Of course they would and somehow the stories began to come back of the great fun hunting was.
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