OCR Text |
Show Senior Pulse Salina Sun Gunnison Valley News Wednesday, August 12, 1998 Page 3 Area couple may just be oldest marrieds in state by Anita Lyons They met in choir. She's a soprano and hes a tenor. Lester and Alice Hansen were married November 1925, nearly 73 years ago, and they still like to talk about the fun of falling in love. Though they were both raised in Mayfield four blocks from each other, they I i ved on opposite sides of the creek, so they didnt really know each other until they met in choir. Lesterexplained that being from the north side of the creek he was a Norderite, and Alice on the south side was a Skinny ite. Alice tells the story that after choir one dark night she asked Lester and his girlfriend, Nellie, Alice Hansen toescortherhome. They wouldnt and she told them Ill be scared and run all the way home and be sick, but they wouldnt go with her. When she got home that night she told her parents, Ill never look his (Lesters) way again in my life. But, after the nextchoirpractice, Lesteroffered to escort AI ice home, even though Nellie didnt Want Jo.. - . Soorr. Lestet and Alice became" the couple. Lester, at age 24, was already ateacher. Because he was one of the top students at Snow College, hed been chosen to leave school early to fill a gap in the Mayfield school. He finished his schooling later, earning three teaching degrees. Elementary and Lester Hansen Secondary Education, and Industrial Arts. "I taught about all of them-- all but science, said Lester. Alice commented Just before they were married, fairy stories," the price of the car (but its about Lester bought a brand new car for drove to the Salt Lake Some of this sounds like true). They $500. Temple to be married and visited Is a supplement of the Salina Sun and Gunnison Valley News. It is Free to subscribers of the newspaper, and may also be picked up at area Senior Citizen Centers, as well as advertisers who would like to have copies to distribute. Inquiries, news releases, advertising should be sent to Senior Pulse, do Gunnison Valley News, , P.O. Box 189 Gunnison, Utah 84634. The Salina Sun and Gunnison Valley News are published each Wednesday for $18year in Sevier County, $24year in Utah, and $28year in US. Publishers: Jim & Lori Olsen Senior Pulse Editor: Jim Olsen The Gunnison Valley News office is located at 47 S. Main in Gunnison, Utah, address: newsgtelco.net Office Hours: Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Fax (801)528-763- 4 (801)529-783-9 For Article and advertising deadline Please feel free to contact Jim Olsen at the numbers posted above. The next issue is anticipated to be published in the month of July. city sites during their honeymoon. Lester and Alice bought a home in Mayfield for$700. They remodeled it and lived in it until two years ago, when they moved in with daughter, Joye, in Gunnison. Lester and Alice continued with their singing in choir and also performed as a duet. They sang at many weddings and funerals. Lester continued as a teacher, for 32 years in Mayfield, until the school closed there, then five years in Manti, and 8 years in Ephraim. He taught for a total of 45 years, retiring in 969. The couple are parents of five children. Junior (Lester) now a residentofCenterfield; Joye, who manages the Country Paradise Motel; Jewel, who died of Rheumatic Fever when she was seven years old; Dee Ann, who, as a twin, was two pounds when she was born; and Jay, the other twin who weighed four pounds and only lived four days after he was born. While daughter Joye was writing out the number of grandchildren he had, Lester commented, Youre working on our Christmas list. Lester and Alice have ten grandchildren, 28 and 9 great-gregrandchildren. My lands, we are getting old, said Alice. The Hansens are the oldest couple still together in Sanpete County, and probably in the state of Utah. Lester is 97 and Alice is 95. They remember the days before airplanes, telephones (there was only one in Mayfield for years), cars, indoor bathrooms, water systems (We drank out of ditches, said Lester), and cows than to let them starve. The government bought farmers cows for the meat. We had a purebred co w, a yel low jersey, and we j ust had to let it go, said Lester. Daughter Joye remembers coming home from school and finding the cow gone. Several people lost their homes and farms. Lestersteaching income of $65 a month enabled the Hansens to keep their home. There were months, though, that instead of a check from the school district. Lester received a promissory note. The Hansens paid Doctor Rees for his care of baby Dee Ann (in a homemade incubator) with one of those promissory notes. Lester was Bishop ofthe Mayfield ward at the time. Alice said he worried himself sick trying to assure that people were provided for. Collections were taken to help struggling families. People donated the eggs they gathered on Sunday, or buckets of grain. One way to raise money was to send an apron to every house. People would tie any change they could spare into the apron and then pass the apron to the next house. The Hansens remember World War II. Shoes, meat, butter, gas and sugar were rationed. Each household was allowed so many gal Ions of gas per child. The Hansens were membersofabeefgroup.Ofl2or at electricity. Alice com- mented that she has saved one of their coal oil lamps. We couldnt help but develop some appreciation for comthese conveniences, mented Lester, All those things are such a blessing. The Hansens remember how the dentist had to pedal with his feet to make his tool go around, but they were glad to have a dentist to go see, because dentists were scarce. They remember the depression. It came with a drought. Lester remembered, Our cattle actually starved to death. It was kinder to shoot the 15 farmers, one would donate a cow to be butchered every two weeks. The meat was divided up between everyone. We d id nt have a deep freeze," remembered Alice. "I would put the meat into a big pan with iceall around it until I could get it into bottles." Lester fought a battle when he underwent brain surgery five years ago. A dangerous blood clot was successfully removed, but Lester suffered as a victim of a massive stroke. He has relearned how to eat. walk, talk and write. Alice said ofLester,l got a really good man. I wouldnt trade him for anything. Hes as good as gold to me. Though they no longer sing in public, the loving duet carries on. Together on their 60th Wedding Anniversary, 1985. |