Condolences for Willliam "Bill" Hansen

My tribute to Bill. In 1962, the Bangor Township 4-H Club presented the play, Mind Over Mumps, at the La Crosse County competition, directed by Bill Hansen. We had a stellar cast, Lois Evan, Carol Mashak, Nancy Zinn, Gary Jones, Sabina Bosshard, and me. We won at the county level, the district, and received a Blue Ribbon at state. Bill was an outstanding director, and a huge influence in the Extension and 4-H area for many years. Thank you Bill!! Gary J. Althoff

Bill, I will miss you. I loved talking to you about gardening with my plants and how they were doing and if any other suggestions. I learned a lot for my flowers and gardens. I remember when you and Linda? (I think that was her name), showed up for the garden tour and taking a tour of the farm, sense the garden was not in the same spot every year and it was not near the buildings. I remember when they showed up at the house and asked, "Will, where is it this year." Bill, rest in peace, you deserve it. Had achievement night, handing out the gardening plagues and seeing the smile on his face has he was handing them out to the participates. My sympathies to the family.

I had the opportunity to work with Bill for the first 12 years of my career with UW-Extension in La Crosse County. He was truly “Mr 4-H” and from my perspective he knew everything about the program that anyone ever needed to know. He was always a hard worker and wanted to make sure the 4-H program was the best it could be. He really enjoyed working with youth and adult volunteers and encouraged many youth to get involved to get the most benefit from the program that they could. So many youth further developed their leadership and other life skills from the opportunities Bill helped to provide them. He had broad knowledge of many projects and served as a volunteer 4-H leader along with his job at UW-Extension. In recent years I mostly saw Bill at some of the area county fairs where we happened to be judging. 4-H was truly a life long passion. Rest in peace Bill

Bill knew Becky from UW-L student days. When 4H dog project was in need of leaders Bill reached out to us. For 30+ years we enjoyed the best kids & dogs of La Crosse County. Always, Bill was a stalwart friend, supporting the project and people when needed.

All of us in La Crosse County 4-H are deeply saddened by his passing. Personally, I enjoyed his supportive conversations, his historical lessons, the happiness and passion he had when he talked about 4-H and his work with youth. He was such a wonderful person and a legend for us (and probably still will be for years to come). Wishing his family peace, comfort and the knowledge that his heart touched us all, and we will continue to remember him for years to come.

On behalf of the West Salem FFA and Salem Seekers 4-H Club, I send my deepest condolences to Bill's family and loved ones. I had the privilege of interviewing Bill twice with my friend, Lexi Marinelli, as part of an oral history project through Daryl's podcast, *Farm Tales and Cow Pies*. The project's goal is to preserve the stories, history, and traditions of agriculture in our area, and Bill was the perfect person to help us do that. He had countless stories to share, valuable life lessons to pass on, and a genuine passion for agriculture, 4-H, and the people around him. Even when we interrupted his dinner time, he never minded. Instead, he was happy to sit down and tell us another story. You could tell he truly cared about making sure those stories lived on for future generations. One of my favorite memories was telling him that I had been selected to be a camp counselor at Upham Woods this summer through 4-H. He was absolutely ecstatic because he had done the very same thing years ago. Seeing how excited he was for the next generation reminded me just how much 4-H meant to him. He also loved talking about his flowers, and it was easy to see the care and pride he put into them. Although I only had the chance to meet with him a few times, he was one of the most humble, kind, and caring people I have ever met. I feel incredibly grateful that I had the opportunity to hear his story and help preserve a small piece of it. His passion for agriculture, 4-H, and helping young people is something I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Rest in peace, Bill. Thank you for sharing your stories with us. They will continue to inspire others for years to come.

It was so sad to hear this news. Bill and my father, Fred, were friends for more than 50 years. They shared countless Packers vs. Vikings games, plenty of homemade wine communions before kickoff, and even more laughs. There were always plenty of good-natured compliments flying back and forth between those guys! Bill, what an incredible legacy you leave behind for all of La Crosse County and the 4-H groups you supported over the years. I always looked forward to seeing you at the La Crosse County Fair—it was one of the highlights of every summer. Thank you for everything you did for the community and for being such a great friend to my dad. Now you two can have your communion together up there. Rest in peace, Skinny.

My sympathy to Bill's family. I got to know him during the 12 years I was a regional editor for The County Today newspaper and covered the La Crosse Interstate Fair and other 4-H events. I lived in Bangor and enjoyed driving past Bill's country acreage with all his beautiful flowers.