Words from her brother, Darrell Hansen (CLHS 1956)
She passed away on June 8, 1960 at the age of 20. Said she was a cashier at Montgomery Ward in Waterloo. She worked in the credit dept there, not a cashier.
She lived just a few blocks from downtown Waterloo. Judy usually walked to work. One morning on the way to work, she had to stop and rest. When she got to work she collapsed, took her to the hospital in Waterloo where they diagnosed her with acute lymphatic leukemia. They had her transferred to Iowa City, she was there about 2 weeks and passed away. Donna went down and stayed with her as I had to work. Donna came home, we planned to go down to see her on the weekend. She called us and mentioned that her vision was blurring in one eye.
She also mentioned a young Doctor would come in and play cards with her in the evening. Never forget his name--Dr. Luce. Donna got a call from Iowa City that we better hurry down as she took a turn for the worse---this was the next morning. I worked at John Deere, I was told by the foreman to get home. Straightened out the 2 lane from Waterloo to Iowa City with our 57 Chevy.
When we arrived, headed right for her room---she wasn't there--figured they had moved her. Was told to wait in another room, Dr. Luce came in and told us Judy had expired, never forget that, he was crying. Anyway, they had Judy in a room across the hall----Donna couldn't believe she was gone. We went in the room and she was laying there, just tore our hearts out, Donna and Judy were pretty close.
Had a funeral in Waterloo at the Lutheran church in the AM, body was transported to Clear Lake---where we had another funeral in the Lutheran church same day in the afternoon. Was a rough day for us, she is buried in Clear Lake next to Mom and Dad.
Darrell
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Judy and Johnny Bell (CLHS 1960)
Our last memory of time spent with Judy was in Webster City, Iowa. Donna and Darrell Hansen, their two sons, Rob and Randy and Judy came over from Waterloo to visit Gary and I and our 2 sons and daughter.
We went to a family reunion (Gary's maternal side of family). We all ate too much. Judy ran and played with the kids. She visited with various of the relatives. She especially enjoyed talking to Gary's grandmother Murphy.
We all agreed that was the happiest we had seen Judy in quite a while. It is a sweet memory.
Gary & Sue Dickerson
