Maybelle Olphine Hansen was born in Alden Township of Polk County, Wisconsin on August 11, 1915 to Otto and Selma Peterson. She was baptized in September, 1915 and confirmed at the Little Falls Lutheran Church. At the age of 9, Mae contacted tuberculosis and was sent to a sanatorium in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She was in the sanatorium for 1 ½ years and while there her father passed away. Upon returning home it was advised she not attend school, but be in the fresh air as was suggested for the treatment of TB. Mae started her work career at the age of 12 helping with housework at a neighbors home. As a young woman she also took care of Mrs. Friday's home in New Richmond, and helped raise the two children. She also worked for a dry cleaners in New Richmond. Mae was married to Carl Hansen on June 1, 1946. They worked on the Friday Canning Farm in New Richmond, WI, for a period of time, where Angie and Yvonne were born. In the early 50's they moved back to Little Falls to take over the family farm where Randy was born. Mae was an avid reader, belonging to the book of the month club and Carl made a bookcase to hold all the hardcover classics that she read. She was busy at home being a farmer's wife, sewing clothes for herself and the girls, baking bread from scratch, tending a huge garden, canning and freezing food, and serving coffee and fresh baked cookies to anyone who stopped to visit. The love of Mae's life – second only to her family and loved ones – was collecting recipes. She LOVED to read and clip recipes and had a talent for baking and cooking to go along with that. She was, in her later years, a Skip-Bo player and would play cards for hours if she could. When circumstances dictated Mae moved into Amery and resided at Water's Edge, spent many months living with family and most recently lived at Our House Assisted Living in New Richmond, WI. Mae has been a member of the Little Falls Lutheran Church her entire life and was very active singing alto in the church choir and participating in the Ladies Aid and the quilting group. Mae died peacefully on Wednesday, September 17, 2014 at the age of 99, at Willow Ridge in Amery, Wisconsin, with her family by her side.
Preceeding her in death are her parents, her husband Carl, brother Clarence Peterson, sister Sylvia Anderson, and two sisters both named Alice Peterson who died at very early ages. Also preceeded in death by sisters Eveline Wittick and Norma Kimker, brothers Erwin Hansen, and Vince Hansen. She is survived by her three children, Angie (Larry) Mueller, Yvonne (Chuck) Cabella and Randy (Renee) Hansen, 10 grandchildren, Richard (Amy) Shelby, Dan (Kris) Shelby, Doug (Denise) Shelby, Heather (Doug) Goyett, Jeff (Gina) Mueller, Michelle (Brian) Hovet, Josh Hansen, Mike (Danielle) Hansen, Jordan (Jamie) Hansen, Ashley Burns(Donovan), 17 great grandchildren, and brother Val Hansen and sister Bernice (Lyle) Fox as well as many nieces and nephews; all of us considering ourselves lucky to have had her touch our lives.

Funeral services will be held at the Little Falls Lutheran Church in rural Amery on Saturday , September 20, 2014 at 2:00 pm. There will be a visitation at Williamson-White Funeral Home Friday, September 19, 2014 from 4:00 to 7:00 pm and at the church one hour prior to the service. Interment will be at the Little Falls Cemetery.