Dixie Lorraine Thompson Hansen

Dixie Hansen passed away peacefully at home in Pierce, Colorado, surrounded by family on Sunday, October 26, 2025. It is impossible to capture all the moments and people she touched in her 86 years of life.

Born on October 13, 1939, Dixie was the youngest child of Fred and Georgia Thompson. She grew up in the Scottsbluff, Nebraska area with three sisters and three brothers, spending her childhood exploring the wide-open spaces of the Nebraska panhandle.

In time, Dixie made her way to Cheyenne, Wyoming, where she met the love of her life, Bill Hansen. They married in 1959 and later settled in northern Colorado on the family dairy farm. As a farmer’s wife, Dixie’s days were full and her heart fuller, raising five children with endless love, patience, and humor.

As her children grew, Dixie found new ways to care for others. She earned her Licensed Practical Nurse certification and later completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing. Her career led her to Head Start of Weld County, where she worked to ensure children were healthy and ready to learn. Her leadership and compassion soon took her beyond Colorado, as she traveled nationally to oversee Head Start programs across the country. Dixie also shared her care through volunteer work with the American Red Cross, serving on the front lines of relief efforts from wildfires and floods to the aftermath of 9/11 in New York City.

Retirement became another adventure. After losing Bill in 2021, Dixie continued to travel the world and embrace each day fully. At home, she filled her time with creativity—making quilts for great-grandchildren, painting gifts for family, baking her favorite treats, and sharing stories around the table. She cherished her time with the First Lutheran Church of Ault, the VFW Auxiliary, and the Red Hat Ladies, where friendship and laughter were always close by.

Dixie was preceded in death by her parents and siblings. She will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by her five children: Pat Hansen of LaSalle; John (Jeanice) Hansen of Firestone; Lillie (Steve) Denny of Crystal Lakes; Stella (Edward) Cypher of Aurora; and Shawn (Cres) Hansen of Norfolk, Virginia. She was a proud grandmother to nine grandchildren—Justin and Jared Crowley; Michael and Mark Dahlgren; Kassidi Boening; Jillian Sakariason; Keanan and Kendra Cypher; and Jessica Reichert—and adored as “GG” by her 16 great-grandchildren. Her faithful companion, Aleigha the shih-tzu, brought her joy and comfort in recent years.

Dixie’s legacy of love, service, and laughter will continue to live on through every life she touched.

Visitation will start at 10AM followed by 12PM service at First Lutheran Church in Ault CO