Obituary of Gary Hansen

A funeral service for Gary Hansen, 74, of Spirit Lake, will be held Wednesday May 22, 2024 at 10:30 AM at the First Presbyterian Church in Spirit Lake. Burial will be at Milford Cemetery. Visitation for Gary will be on Tuesday, May 21st from 5:00-7:00 PM at Turner Jenness Funeral Home in Spirit Lake. To view the livestream of Gary's service, please use the following link: https://fpcspiritlake.org or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXCI79I0k38

Gary Lynn Hansen was born to Verne and Kathryn Hansen on September 17th, 1949, in Spencer, IA. He attended Okoboji Country School in his youth and graduated from Milford High School in 1968. After graduating, he moved to Sheldon, where he attended a vocational school and graduated in auto body repair. In his early years, he enjoyed playing baseball and was in Little League with his brother, with his father as their coach. He also enjoyed riding horses, shooting hoops, and go-karting around the farm. Additionally, he showed livestock in 4-H and won numerous awards with his animals.

He was united in marriage to Shirley Derflinger on October 7th, 1972, at Calvary United Methodist Church in Arnolds Park. They made their home in Spirit Lake, where they raised their only child, Jennifer. He worked many years at Stylecraft, where he held various positions until retiring.

In his spare time, Gary enjoyed camping, motorcycle riding, golfing & bowling league with his brother, single dances, cheering for the Chicago Cubs, attending rodeos, Jackson car races, ticket night at the VFW, and breakfast with friends. His greatest blessing was his four grandchildren, whom he adored.

Gary passed away peacefully on May 12th, 2024, at Accura HealthCare in Spirit Lake, IA. He is preceded in death by his wife Shirley, infant son Corey, and his parents Verne and Kathryn Hansen.

He is survived by his daughter Jennifer Ryker (Jacob) of Waukee; grandchildren Oriana, Ariyah, Azuriah, and Asher Ryker; sister Nancy Zink (Charles) of Brookings, SD; and brother Ken Hansen (Julie) of Milford. He also leaves behind nieces Tamara Even (Todd) of Hartford, SD; Pam Crain (Jeff) of Sioux Falls, SD; Melanie Lunn (Cory) of Brookings, SD; Jamie Nalos (Sheldon) of Vancouver, WA; Kristin Dennis (Jonathan) of Highlands Ranch, CO; and nephew Brian Hansen (Becca) of Kansas City, KS. He is also survived by cousins Jane Hussey (Denny) of Spencer, IA; Donna Walker (John) of Ellensburg, WA, and Jean Moeller (Cliff) of Atlanta, GA; along with many friends.