Obituary for Hans E. Nielsen
Hans Nielsen was born in Gadbjerg, Denmark.
He was always interested in working with wood--even as a child he carved small trucks and other toys for himself and sold them to the other school kids.
Hans achieved master carpenter status in Denmark, apprenticed after attending Architectural College there.
He had the dream to immigrate to the US, which he was able to do in 1951 when he moved to south Minneapolis, where his uncle had settled.
Hans was a skilled furniture builder but made his living with residential construction, building houses all over the first-tier suburbs
and doing renovations at historic homes and churches.
Hans was also interested in sailing, seasonally building sailboats and winning races with them.
His interest in aviation prompted him to take flying lessons early and become a pilot. He then built his plane and became partners in a flying club, eventually owning his own hangar.
Hans was a longtime member of the Danish folk dance group, Dannebrog, in Minneapolis, teaching and performing with them, especially at the Festival of Nations and local Scandinavian events. He kept contact at home in Denmark, too, regularly visiting both sisters.
After retirement, he continued to work with wood by building violins and Hardanger fiddles, the Norwegian national instrument. He had also built all the furniture in his home!
Hans was extremely independent, which may have been a factor in his long life!
Many thanks to the team who helped Hans along the way, Gloria Eby and Rodney Vizor, Ruth Lemire, Barbara Franklin, Chuck Threet, and Mary Hegge.
A Memorial Gathering will be held from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, Friday, December 16, 2022, at KOZLAK-RADULOVICH CHAPEL (1918 University Ave. NE, Minneapolis, MN). Memorials preferred to the Izaak Walton League, Brooklyn Park, Minn., or the donor’s choice.
www.kozlakradulovich.com
“A Celebration of Life”
612-789-8869
He was always interested in working with wood--even as a child he carved small trucks and other toys for himself and sold them to the other school kids.
Hans achieved master carpenter status in Denmark, apprenticed after attending Architectural College there.
He had the dream to immigrate to the US, which he was able to do in 1951 when he moved to south Minneapolis, where his uncle had settled.
Hans was a skilled furniture builder but made his living with residential construction, building houses all over the first-tier suburbs
and doing renovations at historic homes and churches.
Hans was also interested in sailing, seasonally building sailboats and winning races with them.
His interest in aviation prompted him to take flying lessons early and become a pilot. He then built his plane and became partners in a flying club, eventually owning his own hangar.
Hans was a longtime member of the Danish folk dance group, Dannebrog, in Minneapolis, teaching and performing with them, especially at the Festival of Nations and local Scandinavian events. He kept contact at home in Denmark, too, regularly visiting both sisters.
After retirement, he continued to work with wood by building violins and Hardanger fiddles, the Norwegian national instrument. He had also built all the furniture in his home!
Hans was extremely independent, which may have been a factor in his long life!
Many thanks to the team who helped Hans along the way, Gloria Eby and Rodney Vizor, Ruth Lemire, Barbara Franklin, Chuck Threet, and Mary Hegge.
A Memorial Gathering will be held from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, Friday, December 16, 2022, at KOZLAK-RADULOVICH CHAPEL (1918 University Ave. NE, Minneapolis, MN). Memorials preferred to the Izaak Walton League, Brooklyn Park, Minn., or the donor’s choice.
www.kozlakradulovich.com
“A Celebration of Life”
612-789-8869