Helen Hansen Oral History Interview

In this interview, Helen Hansen first discusses her life in Nora, Nebraska, a town so small that she and her three siblings made up half of her primary school. When her family had to sell their land due to several droughts in the area, they moved to Camas, Washington. Her family was not religious, but after she chose to attend church in high school, she became baptized at age eighteen. Hansen then describes her life in high school where she worked for a newspaper office and joined several school clubs. She also notes it was around this time that her father passed away and that her brother and sister began working to support the family.

From there, Hansen recounts how she met and dated Eugene (Gene) Hansen shortly before he went into the military. She says that Pearl Harbor happened when he was supposed to be on his way home after his first year of service and that, as a result, she did not see him until years later. During this period, she continued to work for the newspaper, where she wrote obituaries for those who were lost during the war. Helen and Gene were reunited and married in 1945.

Helen then recalls moving to Corvallis because of Gene’s athletic scholarship to play football at Oregon State Oregon State College; her role in her husband’s life insurance company; raising four children; and being named First Citizen of Corvallis. She likewise discusses being a charter member of Altrusa, a Sunday school teacher, and a den mother for Cub Scouts. The interview concludes with Hansen's recollections of changes in Corvallis during the years that she has lived there.