Jean Christensen Hansen passed away peacefully on October 1, 2025, in Corvallis, Oregon, just three months shy of her 103rd birthday. While her family mourns her passing, we are at peace knowing she lived a long, joyful life and is no longer dealing with the challenges of her amazing number of years.
Jean was born on December 27, 1922, in Springfield, Massachusetts, the youngest of four sisters. Her father was a Danish immigrant and the family was raised with many of the traditions he brought with him including food, celebrations, songs, the Danish language, and a strong love of family.
Her earliest years were spent happily making memories with her family. At a young age she began taking dance lessons including ballet and tap studying with Mr. and Mrs. Borman, who were both big in the national Russian ballet until they fled to the U.S. seeking asylum. Their dance studio was above her father’s restaurant and the couple spent many holidays with Jean’s family over the years.
She also took piano lessons studying classical, modern, and jazz and played throughout her life. She could even be caught now and then sitting at the piano even to the age of 102 despite being unable to see the music.
She had a lifelong love of animals. Early on, she raised many pets and always told stories of her many cats and dogs and how all the neighborhood kids would gather at her house to play with them. To the end a visiting dog would light her up like nothing else.
Later, as she got to high school age, she and her sisters helped at her father’s restaurant after school and on weekends. When World War II began, the sisters put their college plans on hold as they were needed full-time at the restaurant.
At the end of the war the family travelled for two weeks by ship to Denmark with the intention of staying, but returned to the U.S. after about a year.
Back in Massachusetts, Jean worked in a clothing store and then at a bank where she worked her way up to become one of the first female loan officers in the state. During this time Jean became pen pals with Arne Hansen, a Danish friend of her brother-in-law who was living in Oregon. They wrote for about a year and a half and met three times before he proposed by phone. She said yes, and shortly after, a diamond ring arrived by mail in a standard envelope.
After marrying Arne in 1960 in Hartford, Connecticut, the two drove across the country and settled for a while and started their family.
Jean worked at Citizen’s Bank in Corvallis until they adopted their daughter Debbie in October 1961. A month later and to their surprise, they found they were expecting and daughter Linda was born in July 1962.
Soon after, the family relocated back to the East Coast but for just a short time. They missed Oregon. They would move several more times back and forth across the country for the next thirteen years, torn between family they loved and the state they loved, finally settling for good in Corvallis in 1976.
Jean then started working at the OSU library and bookstore, and as the accountant for her husband’s small engines business. She also volunteered at the OSU thrift shop and later the ARC thrift shop. She was very involved with St. Mary’s Catholic Church. She participated in many groups including taking communion to people at local nursing homes.
Jean and Arne were wonderfully active socially, hosting friends made through church, work, square dancing, and volunteer activities. They hosted regular card and dinner events at their home and enjoyed time at the homes of others.
After Arne’s passing in 2007 Jean continued her outreach until moving to Philomath to live with her daughter Linda and husband Brian in 2013. There she developed routines of walking, playing cards, playing the piano, reading the paper, and just being with her family. She loved the holidays and other celebrations that brought family and friends from all over. And she especially loved the constant companionship of the family dog Lucy, who she spoiled at every chance. She lived out her days joyfully and it was a blessing to her family to have her close til the end.
To be born in 1922 means that Jean saw huge changes in our country and culture and she often told stories of life that had us shaking our heads. But to her, it was just life. Throughout, she kept her sweet disposition, her culture, and again, love of family.
Jean was predeceased by her parents Frederick and Alice Christensen, her husband Arne, her daughter Debbie Railsback, and her sisters Connie (Henning), Shirley (Victor), and Florence (Ray). She is survived by her daughter Linda Skaar (husband Brian), son-in-law Mark Railsback, grandchildren Audrey (Blair), Conlin (Jessica), Bryson (Katelyn), Dana, and Noelle (Eli), and two great grandchildren.
A service will be held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Corvallis on October 25 at 11 a.m., followed by a reception at the church commons room.