Laurena Hanset

Feb 6, 1920 through March 1, 2011

Rena was born in Grinnel, Iowa to Alvis and Ada Elliott. She was 3rd born of 7 children. Soon after her birth the family moved to the outskirts of Akron, Colorado where her father became a dry land farmer. The children were raised on the farm and the memories of that time in her life were particularly fond ones.

Soon after high school she married Faye Wood. They had 2 children, Donna Lee (Wood) Klimper (deceased) and Helen Pauline (Wood) Howard (deceased). That marriage ended in divorce.

During World War II she moved to Portland, Oregon and worked in the Kaiser Shipyard. After that she worked at West’s Hardware in NE Portland. She met Merle Victor Hanset during that time and they were married. They had one child, James Leon Hanset. From 1959 to 1979, Rena worked for Hanset Sheet Metal.

Rena was a devoted mother, grandmother, great grandmother and great great grandmother. Her Christian faith and her strong will were driving forces in her children and grandchildren’s lives.

Rena loved sports. She was a water skier, bowler, and golfer. She owned a semi-pro women’s fast pitch softball team. She was a football fanatic and read the sports page every day.

She volunteered for many positions at her church, Portland Foursquare. She also volunteered at Meals on Wheels and at many nursing homes.

She adored her husband Merle. They explored the western hemisphere in their Beechcraft Bonanza airplane. Rena loved and received tremendous love and support from Merle’s family, David & Erma Hanset, Susan Hanset and Rick Surratt, Carol and Jake Maurer, Betty and Gwen Terhaar, Doris Hanset, Marily and Gordon Earsley and Kathy Hanset….and many more.

Rena was all about family. She taught us to love one another, to take the good with the bad, to follow through on commitments, and to have fun.

Rena was fiercely competitive. She loved to play cards all of her life. In her later years, nothing made her happier than playing “Kings in the Corner” with family and friends. Rena was a force of nature. She towed a lot of us behind her. We will feel the wake she left for years to come.

Her husband Merle died in 2005. She leaves behind her siblings Eldora Sherman, Helen Fox and Bob Elliott, son James Hanset, 15 grandchildren: Bob and Leslie Klimper, David and Cindy Klimper, Kendal and Michelle Klimper, Kristina and Gordon Barnwell, Jim Klimper, Lisa and Walter Charboneau, Laurie and Latti Rose, Kathy (deceased) and Kenny Black, Patty & Kenny Walter, Ed and Tonya Howard, Brian and Brianne Howard, Marama and Chris Callies, Mark and Mona Reeves, Luke and Kelsey (Curtis) Hanset, , 34 great grandchildren and 14 great great grandchildren. We will all miss her very much.

The following services will be held Monday, March 7, 2011, at Portland Foursquare Church, 2830 Northeast Flanders Street. Viewing, 11:30 am – 1:00 pm; Funeral, 1:00 pm.

Arrangements under the direction of Lincoln Memorial Funeral Home, Portland, OR.