Jess Hansen

Jess R. Hansen, age 34, of Milbank, passed away from respiratory failure on August  30, 2020, at Sanford Hospital in Sioux Falls.

Services will be held on Friday, September 4, 2020, at 2:00 p.m. at American Lutheran Church in Milbank.  Masks are required.  The family will not have a visitation the evening before, due to COVID.  The service will be lived streamed and recorded and viewable on this website.

Pastor Justin Neugebauer will officiate and burial will be in the Milbank City Cemetery. Urn bearers will be: Ryan Hansen and Roger Hansen.  Honorary bearers will be: Jared Mathiason, Adam Pauli, Adam Keller, Brock Jackson, Andrew Smith, Steven Spors, Linda Vipond, Employees and Friends from Wells Fargo Bank, Employees and Friends from Montage, and all his many friends.

Jess Randall Hansen was born on November 29, 1985, in Watertown, SD.  He was the son of Ralph and Nancy (Gunderson) Hansen.

Jess spent the majority of his life in the Milbank area.  He attended Linda Vipond's daycare in his younger years, where his first friendships were formed. Jess graduated from Milbank High School with honors in 2004 and went on to graduate from SDSU in May of 2008, with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics. After college, Jess moved to Sioux Falls where he was employed at Wells Fargo. While living in Sioux Falls, Jess enjoyed coaching his softball team. He moved back to Milbank in 2017 and was employed at Montage. Jess was an avid fan of professional sports; he enjoyed watching the Minnesota Vikings and Twins, gaming on the computer, and playing with the family dog and friend, Teddy. Jess was a very kind and loving person with a big heart and even bigger sense of humor. He made many lasting friendships in his life and will be truly missed.

Grateful for having shared Jess’s life are his parents: Ralph and Nancy Hansen of Milbank, SD; his sister, Raquel (Dan) Gorecki Clear Lake, MN, along with their children: Jacob Gorecki of Clear Lake, MN, and Emma Gorecki of St Cloud, MN; sister, Heather Hansen of Milbank, SD, and her son, Brandon Hansen of Watertown, SD; also many cousins, aunts, uncles, and loving friends.

Preceding Jess in death are his paternal grandparents: Percy and Geraldine Hansen; his maternal grandparents: Carl and Rhoda Gunderson; uncles and aunts: Orville and Barb Anderson, Roger Gunderson, and Robert and Carol Hansen.

Jess's family suggests memorials be given to the Milbank Baseball Stadium Fund, c/o Milbank Community Foundation, 904 E 4th Ave, Milbank, SD, 57252;  or to Unity Square, c/o Milbank Community Foundation, 904 E 4th Ave, Milbank, SD 57252.