Virgil Hansen, 83 of Winner, SD passed away on Saturday, Aug 14, 2021 at the Ava’s House in Sioux Falls, SD.
A private family interment will be held on Sunday, Aug. 22, 2021 at 11:30 a.m. at Virgil’s favorite pasture west of Winner. A public fellowship memorial lunch will follow at 12:30 p.m. at the Witten Baptist Church in Witten, SD.
Virgil Lee Hansen was born on Sept. 8, 1937 in O’Neill, Neb. to Milo “Butch” and Berniece (Eddie) Hansen. He was the oldest of four children: the late Joan Carroll, the late Robert “Bob” Hansen, and Peggy Douglas of Witten, South Dakota.
Virgil lived his entire life in the Winner area except for his time of enlistment in the United States Army. From an early age he worked at helping his father on the family farm one mile south of Jordan corner. He graduated from Winner High School in 1956 and went to the army shortly thereafter. His company receiving orders to board a troop transport in preparation for the invasion of Cuba during the Cuban missile crisis highlighted his time in the Army. After an otherwise uneventful enlistment at Ft. Hood in Texas, he returned to farming and ranching in the Winner area. The drought of 1974-1976 forced the eventual sale of his small herd of registered Angus cattle. From that time forward Virgil focused on wheat farming with a few other rotation crops.
On Sept. 8, 1979 Virgil married the widowed Twila (Harter) Worden. Twila brought two stepchildren into the marriage: Yvonne (Worden) Mitchell of Pringle, South Dakota, and Scott Worden of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. They enjoyed almost 42 years together. Virgil and Twila spent many hours assisting his father, Milo, in the restoration of antique tractors and cars. Aside from the dozens of machines they worked on, it is notable that they purchased an unrecognizable tractor buried in the sand hills of Nebraska in 1980 for $600. This tractor turned out to be an Interstates Tractor Company 10-20 Plowboy that is extremely rare; it was restored and ultimately sold in 2020 for $50,250 even after years of later neglect.
During the winter months they would take trips to Arizona for spring training or off to California, Virginia, or Florida following Scott around during Scott’s naval enlistment. A favorite memory for Virgil was a tiger cruise he was able to take with Scott aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. Many trips were also made to keep up on the activities of their grandchildren in Mitchell and then Utah or Sioux Falls.
Other than his love of the land and farming, Virgil also had a love for animals. He was especially fond of his dogs Pee Wee and Bear and his cat Sparky. Once Virgil had a steer that was so tame, he would let him out of the cattle pens to graze in the house yard. The steer would follow Virgil or Twila around the place like a dog and once even followed Twila into the farmhouse.
In his later years Virgil began to experience health problems beginning with a significant stroke in 2018. A serious car accident in 2020 resulted in stays in the Winner Nursing Home and then Elder Inn. Finally in July of 2021 it was discovered that Virgil was in late-stage liver and kidney failure along with other complications. He was transferred to VA hospital in Sioux Fall until it was discovered that his condition was unrecoverable. His final days were spent at the Ava’s House hospice center in Sioux Falls where he passed away on Aug. 14, 2021.
Virgil was preceded in death by his parents, one brother, and one sister.
He is survived by his wife Twila, sister Peggy, stepchildren Yvonne and Scott (Annamaria), grandchildren Kelly (Mitchell) Grosdidier (Jeremy) of Sioux Falls, Katie (Mitchell) Niehoff (Adam) of Mitchell, Brooklynn Schoenfelder of Mitchell, Jasmine Worden, Jonah Worden, and Jorgia Worden all of Sioux Falls, great-grandchildren Dylann Grosdidier, Jaxon Grosdidier, Greysen Niehoff, and Eli Niehoff. Virgil is also survived by a brother-in-law, Melvin Harter (Wilma), a sister-in-law, Elaine Kemnitz, and by many nieces and nephews.
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