Kenneth Vaughn Hansen, age 94, of Sioux Falls, formerly of Wall, South Dakota, died on Monday, March 18, 2024 at the Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls.
A visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. with a Christian Funeral Vigil beginning at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 21, 2024 at Saint Patrick’s Catholic Church in Wall.
A Christian Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, March 22, 2024 at Saint Patrick’s Catholic Church in Wall.
A Christian Funeral Committal with military honors will be held at 1:00 p.m. at the Masonic Cemetery in Philip.
Kenneth Vaughn Hansen was born December 18, 1929, twenty-six miles northeast of Philip, SD, along with a twin brother to their parents Ralph and Alvina (Eckerman) Hansen. Kenneth grew up working on his parents’ ranches and doing construction work building dams. He graduated from Philip High School and played football on the 1947 undefeated and unscored upon team.
Kenneth enlisted in the Air Force on January 1, 1951. He did basic training in Texas and attended the Radar Maintenance School in Mississippi before heading overseas in the early part of July 1952. During the Korean conflict, Kenneth was assigned to a remote early warning radar site in Japan. The radar site monitored all aircraft over and around North Korea. Kenneth’s overseas tour of duty ended in July 1954 and he received an early honorable discharge.
He was united in marriage to Mary Ellen O’Dea on August 17, 1955, and to this marriage they were blessed with three sons: Keith, Gary, and Eric.
Kenneth attended Springfield College for two years before returning to Philip where he went to work for Ringer’s Refrigeration and Appliance in 1958. He and his family moved to Wall in 1969 and started Ken’s Refrigeration. Kenneth retired in 1995 and turned the business over to his son, Eric.
Survivors include three sons and their spouses: Keith (Meg) Hansen of Sioux Falls, SD; Gary (Tammy) Hansen of Wayzata, MN; and Eric (Natalie) Hansen of Wall; along with six grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
Kenneth was preceded in death by his wife Mary Ellen on March 19, 2016; his parents; daughter-in-law Shar (Gary) Hansen; nine brothers: Wallace (Bud), Russell (Bob), Cecil, Virgil (Dobie), Ralph Jr. (Tody), Dean, Dale, Philip and twin brother Keith; two sisters Margret (Sis) Hollenbeck and Bonnie Kanago.
Arrangements are with Rush Funeral Home of Wall.
