2024
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks
Week 28
Prompt – Trains
Bill's Great-Uncle, William Edward
Hansen is married to Bill's maternal grandmother's younger sister –
Carolina Emily Bachmann.
Bill is William Hansen's namesake. One
of Bill's earliest memories is the gift of a “hurdy-gurdy” that
Great-Uncle Bill had given him. Apparently Bill was around 2 or 3
years old.
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| 1955 - Great-Uncle William Hansen With Bill Hoffart |
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William and Carolina (aka; Lena) Hansen
were married on May 7, 1928 in Melville, Saskatchewan. This is where
they resided after the marriage. William (aka; Bill) worked with the
CNR (Canadian National Railway). CNR's divisional point was at
Melville because it was approximately halfway between Winnipeg and
Saskatoon. Tragedy struck Great-Uncle Bill on April 12, 1946.
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April 13, 1946
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William E. Hansen
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Bill Hansen was fitted for a metal
artificial leg at some point after. On one of his visits to the
Hoffart household in Saskatoon, young Bill remembers this cute story
of Great-Uncle Bill and his artificial leg. It was made of metal and
young Bill was looking at it. Bill discovered a hole in the artificial leg. Great-Uncle Bill told young Bill that
he had a real problem with that hole because the mice kept getting
into his leg. However Great-Uncle Bill told young Bill that it was
okay now because he put a mouse trap inside to catch the mice.
However Great-Uncle invited Bill to go ahead and stick his finger in
it. Bill remembers vividly that he never did put his finger into the
hole of Great-Uncle Bill's artificial leg.
I feel stories like this are priceless.
It tells me so much more about Great-Uncle Bill. I'm sure he was a
very fun loving fellow who enjoyed his life despite the tragedies
that he had to bear. He lost his wife, Lena to cancer in December of
1955. His only child lived in California working as a nurse since
1951.
I met him once or twice before his death in 1981. And I know he was a guest at our wedding. Unfortunately I recall very little of him from these encounters.
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William E. Hansen - 1956 circa.
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Wendy
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