Elaine Goldie Hansen, 81, of Alden died Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2018, at Parkview Care Center in Wells. A memorial service will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at Redeemer Lutheran Church. The Rev. Greg Ofsdahl will officiate. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Bruss-Heitner Funeral Home in Wells and will continue one hour prior to the service at the church Friday. Interment will be at Alden Cemetery. Bruss-Heitner Funeral Home in Wells is assisting the family. To leave an online condolence, visit www.brussheitner.com.

Elaine was born March 31, 1936, in Albert Lea, the daughter of Carl Magnus and Goldie Pearl (Anderson) Rasmussen. Elaine was baptized Aug. 16, 1936, and confirmed April 2, 1950, in the same church she married Donald A. Hansen on Oct. 27, 1954: the Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church in Alden, which is now Redeemer Lutheran Church.

Elaine worked for the United States Postal Service for over 40 years and served as a teller and then postmaster for 16 years, retiring in September 1996.

Elaine loved to entertain her family and friends, enjoying the preparation of the gathering as much as the gathering itself. She was a maker of delicious goodies and candies, over 26 varieties her family enjoyed — and a few they didn’t, so she threw away that recipe — although her favorites were nut goodies, peanut butter cups and cherry humps. Elaine enjoyed crocheting afghans for her family. She was an active member of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Alden, where she was a lifelong member.

Elaine is preceded in death by her parents and siblings Maurine (Martin) Lutteke, Ora (Alvin) Schmidt and Harley (Rosalie) Rasmussen; sisters-in-law Ann Tatarek, Pauline (Louie) Wach, Margaret (Harold “Bandit”) Dickerson and Marian (Merle) Halvorson; and brother-in-law, Carl Hansen.

She is survived by her loving husband of 63 years, Donald Hansen, of Alden; four children, David (Deanna) Hansen of Wells, Deb (Mike) Hayes of Alden, Jan (Joe) Herget of Brainerd and Christina Hansen (fiance, Jeremy Johnson) of Austin; 12 grandchildren, Jason (Crystal) Hansen of Paynesville, Jenny (Doug) Probst of Albert Lea, Kelli Sutter of Wells, Desiree Hansen (special friend, Roy) of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Nicole Hansen of Tomah, Wisconsin, Marissa Hansen of Glendale Heights, Illinois, Dominic (Jennifer) Hayes of Albert Lea, Adam Knutson of Mankato, Kelli (Andrew) Wonsmos of Rochester, Ashley Herget of Sartell and Alyssa (Vance) Walsh of Brainerd and Daniel Luna of Austin; 17 great-grandchildren; and sister-in-law, Betty Hansen of Blue Earth.