Keli Rene Hansen

Keli Rene Hansen

In today's day and age, one way you can really get to know the heart of a person is to go through the camera roll on their phone. With its ease and accessibility, people are able to take snapshots of all the things they cherish, love, and the memories they hold dear. It has been a great joy to go through our mom's pictures the last couple of weeks and to have her share memories while she could. And although Mom's Samsung wasn't around to chronicle her whole life, what we saw is a life worth celebrating, a life well lived, and a life full of love.

Her beginnings are, of course, not chronicled on her phone. She was born on June 29, 1958 to Peggy Andersen Hansen and Rollie Hansen. She was baptized and confirmed right here in Jacksonville where she attended Sunday school and learned all about her Lord. With her siblings and parents, along with her grandparents and cousins, love looked a lot like laughter. She was raised in a house full of warmth, where tenderness and humor lived side by side. Those qualities of love and laughter she experienced as a child were ones she brought with throughout her whole life.

In high school Keli was no stranger to athletics and socialization. She was a proud Lady Dane, and had cell phones been around during this time, you would have easily found her camera roll full of pictures of friends as they hung out at softball games, basketball games, or at track and field meets. When she wasn't busy with sports, she could be found hanging out on rooftops or having good natured fun. Her joy was infectious and she loved sharing it with others. After high school she attended DMACC and Iowa State, where more fun was had and memories made, but not documented.

Over the next 25 years, she dedicated her time to her kids. We, her three kids, Julisa (Jeff), Jeanna, and Adam (Molly) were blessed to see the full measure of a mother's love in how hard she worked, and how much she sacrificed to make sure we had all we needed and more. She told us her favorite memories were coaching us and watching us in our sporting events, and later becoming very capable adults, spouses, and parents. But we also can share many memories of the quiet moments too. The day to day laughter and love that are too insignificant to be talked about, but the love that was so deeply felt.

As we recollect this life well lived, we saw some of her happiest times toward the end of her life. We watched her go back to serving others and not just her kids. :) She proudly started her own business, Hansen Title in 2011, where she was able to go and do the things she loved, make some money, and meet so many people. She moved back to Elk Horn where she was able to spend time and care for her parents, especially treasuring her Sunday outings with Peggy. But she also expanded on her purpose as well. She followed in her father's footsteps (dare we call it a political dynasty???) with his love of their small town, where she became mayor from 2021 to 2023ish, leading with pride and love for her Danish heritage and the people in this tight knit community. She also became very active in her church and social groups as she would help at her church and provide meals for holidays. She was a helper and a friend always. Her friend group was so special to her, and laughter always filled her heart and her voice as she would tell us of her latest adventures with these wonderful humans who loved her so. This devoted group of friends showed up, called, or messaged until the very end.

If you base joy on the number of videos and pictures on her phone, being a grandma was clearly her greatest title. She so loved being called grandma, and filled that role with visits, teasing, spoiling, and love. The number of videos and pictures she has of Devaney and Miles Novotny and George Fitzpatrick is enough to require more storage. Her heart overflowed with love for these kids, and they will carry that love with them forever.

If you trust the lens on her camera, there is no doubting that her proudest moments in life were the relationships she had with others. She was rarely in front of the camera, but that film roll shows that her favorite times in this life were when she was able to be with her family and friends, experiencing the beauty of God's great earth and the outdoors, and when she was able to serve people in her community with meals, hugs, or helping hands. And although her body gave out on her on April 20, 2026, her pictures, heart, and legacy live on as we celebrate and cherish this life well lived.