Dakota Reeves Hansen was born March 10, 1922 in Jamestown South Dakota.
She was the daughter of Walter and Hannah Fields Doty. She was raised primarily in the Swan and Knoxville areas. She married Ivan Reeves in 1941. To this union four children were born, Juanita, Sandra, Donna and Tom. They raised their family in the Pleasantville area, all four children graduated from Pleasantville High School. Dakota worked as a farm wife for many years and was then employed by the Knoxville Veterans Hospital in 1957. In 1967 she opened her home to veterans for home care.
On August 15, 1972 she married Emil Hansen. Together they ran their home caring for as many as 10 veterans. They would cook for them, care for them and offer them a sense of their own home. Dakota loved to cook for a crowd which included the veterans, the kids, the grandkids, her brothers, and whoever would wander through the door. Dakota and Emil retired July of 1993. They had big plans for their retirement starting with the motor home in the driveway. Dakota and Emil traveled. They spent many winters in Arizona, Florida, and traveled 2 different times to Alaska which was always her favorite. She would say it was the most beautiful place on Earth. Dakota and Emil would have the grandkids take turns going on shorter trips with them. When traveling the kids would see nature, meet new people and stop at all the truck stops along the way. Dakota’s favorite part of their travels was seeing family members and friends along the way and sharing in their lives. Dakota thrived when spending time with her family, cooking for them, talking with them, or redirecting them when the need arose.
Dakota was grandma to 13 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great grandchildren. One of her greatest joys was spending time with her grandkids whether it was one of them or all of them. They would spend time spending the night, carrying on the “tea-party” tradition, cooking, making them noodles or threatening them with refrigerator stew for supper. She would share her words of wisdom freely and often the kids would listen to her more than their parents. She had many words of advice or maybe just an opinion, grandma’s opinion, of course for all of us.
Dakota passed away on December 16, 2009 at West Ridge Nursing Home at the age of 87 years, 9 months and 6 days. In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by her husband Emil Hansen, grandson Edward Coggeshell, sisters; Mary Tate, June Terry, Nellie Howe, and brothers; William, Samuel, and Steven Doty.
She leaves to mourn her passing, Juanita (Gary) Mosher-Pleasantville, Sandra (Paul) Coggeshell-Milo, Donna, (Robert) Kendall-Tracy, Tom (Nancy) Reeves-Prairie City, 12 grandchildren, 20 grandchildren, 2 great-great grandchildren. Her siblings; Alice Walker-Pleasantville, Louis Doty-Cosmo, MN, Walter Doty-Oskaloosa and Delbert Doty of Tres Pinos, CA.