SOLON — Since 2006 the Solon Senior Advocates have selected a Senior of the Year to coincide with May being recognized as Older Americans Month. 25 Solonites have received that distinction and this year Denny and Marilyn Hansen have joined their ranks. The Hansen’s were honored at an open house last Wednesday at the Solon American Legion Stinocher Post 460, an organization very familiar to the service-oriented couple.
Denny, a Vietnam-era veteran, is the Sergeant-at-Arms for the Legion, is a member of the Post’s Executive Board, Chairperson for the Capital Improvements Committee, and since 2019 has spear-headed the annual fish fry’s while being quick to point to the many volunteers who make the Friday night events successful. Marilyn has been a part of the Legion Auxiliary for 47 years and serves as their Chaplain in addition to helping with events such as the fish fry’s, Beef Days, Iowa Veteran’s Outdoor Experience (IVOE) outings and other gatherings and celebrations. She has also helped deliver wreaths to cemeteries and helps with Avenue of Flags at Oakland Cemetery for Memorial Day.
Both are natives of Buchanan County with Denny growing up near Lamont while Marilyn grew up near Winthrop, a distance of about 14 miles or so. “I lived about as close to her farm as I did to Lamont but we never knew each other (in high school).” Marilyn noted she attended East Buchanan while he went to Starmont. “We first met (at a party) when I was home on leave from the service,” but “she wouldn’t have nothing to do with me.” Their second meeting was more amicable, he said. “Next time I saw her was in Aurora.” He was home for Christmas from a truck driving job in Nebraska and went to a bar that had dancing on Friday and Saturday nights. “I saw her and asked her to dance, and we danced most of the night.”
As of this December they will have been married for 50 years and have two adult children – son Kyle and daughter Sharee (Seagren).
After renting what they thought would be a temporary house, and with a job change for Denny, the couple purchased their first house in Solon. “We decided we liked the town,” he said. At the time Marilyn was working at the U of I as a secretary to four professors in the field of social work. “It was very interesting because I was usually doing the case studies and it was amazing some of the things that were happening. When you’re new out of school you don’t realize how people struggle so much.” Marilyn had the opportunity to take a secretarial position with the Solon Community School District as a principal’s secretary and after 26 years she retired as the Superintendent’s secretary. Becoming part of the Solon community, for Denny, meant wanting to give back to the community. While home one afternoon Denny watched Solon volunteer firefighters put out a house fire and decided he wanted to join up. After a couple of years of waiting, he was brought up for a vote as a potential new member.
“It was May of 1980, I came home from work and Marilyn said, ‘Next time you hear the siren, go to the fire station.’ I asked why and she said, ‘You’re on the fire department.’” He soon started trying to get hired on as a career firefighter for the city of Iowa City (a process involving written and physical testing prior to interviewing). “It took me three times but I finally got hired in ’93.” 22 years later he retired as the department’s training officer, a position he also held with the Solon Fire Department for five years. Denny retired from both departments in August 2014 with 34 years on the all-volunteer Solon department.
On being named Solon’s Senior(s) of the Year
“We were shocked,” said Marilyn. “I had a pretty good idea he was going to get it because the person who nominated him asked me for information about him. But I was clueless. Totally clueless, I had no idea. I didn’t feel worthy. We were very humbled by it.”
“I’m embarrassed by the whole thing,” said Denny, “because I don’t like being out front, I like to just stay in the background and do my thing and let other people sit out front.”
“I just feel we’re on this earth to serve others,” said Marilyn.
The key to successful aging
“You’ve got to stay active,” said Denny. “Yup, stay active and keep moving, and exercise” added Marilyn who participates in chair yoga, Zumba, and goes to Elite Fitness three times a week. “And we walk,” she said.
Denny Hansen’s community involvement
Solon Fire Dept. – May 1980-August 2014. Five years as Training Officer, SFD representative to the Johnson County Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) Response Team and served on the truck committee writing specifications for new fire trucks.
Iowa Fire Service Training Bureau – Volunteered as an instructor for over 20 years for the annual State Fire School in Ames earning “Gray Beard” recognition (for instructors who teach for more than ten years). Named 2005 Instructor of the Year by the Iowa Society of Fire Service Instructors, 2013 Member of the Year by the Johnson County Mutual Aid Association and received the 2014 Recognition of Service award by the Iowa Fire Service Training Bureau.
City of Solon – Member and Chairperson for the Board of Adjustments, 1980-2016. Member of Planning and Zoning (P&Z) Commission 2016-2024.
Solon American Legion Stinocher Post 460 – Member since 1979, member of the Post’s Executive Board, Sergeant-at-Arms, Chairperson for the Capital Improvements Committee, Chairperson for the Lenten Fish Fry’s since 2019.
Iowa Veteran’s Outdoor Experience (IVOE) – Member (IVOE provides hunting and fishing trips for disabled veterans).
Marilyn Hansen’s community involvement
Solon American Legion Auxiliary – Member for 47 years, Chaplain for Auxiliary meetings, helps with fundraisers including the fish fry’s, Beef Days prep and serving, and football spaghetti dinner as well as IVOE meals and various other celebrations. Girls State Coordinator, helps with poppies sales, and has helped with the delivery of wreaths to seven cemeteries in addition to helping with the Avenue of Flags for Memorial Day.
Solon Senior Dining – Meal serving as-needed.
Solon Food Pantry – Helped with the SUMC garden with produce going to the pantry or senior housing.
Impact Life Blood Center – Nine-gallon doner.
Solon Care Center – Visits to residents.
Solon Parks and Recreation, Sidewalk Committee, and Solon Garden Club – Former member.
Solon United Methodist Church (SUMC) – Former Council Secretary, Membership Secretary, taught Sunday School, and has been on the Worship Committee.
Lakeview Elementary School – Volunteered with their reading program.