My Great-Grandpa

My Great-Grandpa Hansen is a man that I have heard about many times, but never had the chance to meet. I have long wanted to know the truth about his incredible accomplishments. You may imagine the eagerness I felt as I read my grandma's most recent email in which she answered many of my questions about him.

She started out by declaring that it was “wonderful having Lyndon E. Hansen as a father”. While they were on vacation he would tell her brother and her about his experiences from bicycling trips across Europe and his travels to Asia with a dance band. My grandma recalled how much he enjoyed it when she combed his hair while he drove.

My great-grandfather was a man of many talents. He could speak 18 languages fluently, and 25 others with varying levels of ability. A total of 43 languages in his repertoire was extremely beneficial for his world travels. He would frequently teach my grandma and her brother words in different languages, and how to recognize from which country a person's name was derived.

He also was a remarkable musician and an exceptional music teacher. He could play every instrument in the orchestra. “He believed,” My grandma said, “ That in order to be able to teach these instruments, he needed to be able to have a good working knowledge of each one.” Of all the instruments he played, his favorite was the violin. My grandma expressed how marvelous it was to hear him play. She said that his passion for life came through his music, as well as everything else he did. He often told her: “Whatever you end up doing in life, always strive to do your very best.”

After absorbing what my grandma had experienced, it made me proud to be related to such a man. His passion for learning is something I would love to emulate. He will always be an inspiration to me, and I will continue to strive to do my best to honor him.