Paul Ernest Hassman, 108
Paul Ernest Hassman, age 108, of New Hampton, Iowa, passed away peacefully at the New Hampton Nursing & Rehabilitation Center on Thursday, February 10, 2022.
Funeral services for Paul will be held at 10:30 AM on Thursday, February 17, 2022 at the Harvest Church in New Hampton with Pastors Doug Harvey and David Byrd officiating. Arrangements are by the Conway-Markham Funeral Home.
Because of COVID-19, the family requests that friends and family attending wear masks. If you are unable to join the family at the church, please join the family via Facebook through Conway-Markham Funeral Home’s Facebook page. Burial will be at the New Hampton Cemetery.
Visitation will be held from 4:00- 7:00 PM on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 at the Conway-Markham Funeral Home in New Hampton and will continue at the church one hour prior to the funeral service on Thursday. Online condolences may be left at www.conway-markhamfh.com.
Born near New Hartford, IA on January 23, 1914, Paul was the fourth child of five children (three boys; two girls) of German immigrants Carl and Wilhelmina “Minnie” (Gribbe) Hassman of Bramloge and Neustadtgödens (East Frisia) respectively. Paul often quipped, “I couldn’t be more German than if I was born there [Germany].”
When Paul was three years old, the family moved to a farm bordering the Wapsipinicon River in Richland Township of rural New Hampton. One of Paul’s jokes was, “We weren’t born in a log cabin, but we moved to one as soon as we could.” Another joke was, “My first job was parking covered wagons.”
Paul attended grade school at the nearest country school on the west side of the river. He attended New Hampton High School, graduating in 1933. Paul worked at the Northern Lumber Yard and also worked two summers for the DeKalb Company in DeKalb, IL. Paul was the head crew member of a corn harvesting crew. Paul attended Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa in 1936 and 1937. There he met the love of his life Lucille Reavis, from Ft. Smith, AR. Lucille received a home economics degree in 1938; taught one year; and then married Paul on May 21, 1939 in Ft. Smith, AR. Paul and Lucille went on to raise a large family. Eight children were born from 1940 to 1956.
Their first married year, Paul and Lucille lived near Williamstown, IA and Boyd, IA and farmed both places. In 1940 they moved into New Hampton where Paul expanded his trucking business. MoorMan’s feed was delivered to thirteen Northeast Iowa counties. Paul also bought and sold grain. Hassman Elevator and Trucking remained in business until the early 1970’s. Paul began working as a licensed real estate agent. He sold lots, houses in town, and farm properties. Privately, Paul built and sold duplexes. He was part-owner of the Kumeth Baby Bed Company.
After retirement Paul had more time for hobbies. He completed ten RAGBRAI rides. His daily fitness passions included walking and bicycling around New Hampton. Paul’s favorite board game was Scrabble; friends came often to play with him.
Paul was an enthusiastic American Red Cross blood donor; he donated hundreds of pints.
Paul’s lifetime community involvements, accomplishments, and honors are legion, beginning with his win of “Iowa State Wrestling Champion” in the 155-pound class in 1933; and election to Iowa’s FFA vice president position in 1934-1935. It was not uncommon for high school graduates to continue in FFA. To provide more information about Paul's broad spectrum of honors and achievements, a more detailed life biography will be made accessible on the Internet.
Paul’s wife Lucille died in 1991, and Paul lived for thirty-one more years remembering and warmly speaking of her. He lived on South Broadway across from the New Hampton Public Grade School. Paul quipped, “Living by a school will keep me young.” He moved into Kensington Place, an assisted living facility, in 2012; in July 2019 he became a resident of the New Hampton Nursing & Rehabilitation Center. Paul also is preceded in death by his parents Carl and Minnie; his siblings Clarence Hassman, Elmer Hassman, Helen Schilling, and Mabel Rietveld; his oldest son Dean in 2000; and a daughter-in-law Thelma (Raymond) Hassman of Hudson, WI in 2017.
Paul is survived by Sarah McDowell Hassman (Dean) of Denver, CO; Mary (John) Argeropoulos of Marquette, MI; Gordon (Sarah) Hassman of Playa Del Ray, CA; Raymond Hassman of Hudson, WI; Rebecca (Leonard) Splittstoesser of Houston, MN; Gene (Linnea) Hassman of Cedar Rapids, IA; John (Kathleen) of Cedar Falls, IA; and Kevin (Janice) of New Hampton, Iowa. Paul has fifteen grandchildren; 41 great grandchildren; and one great great grandchild.
Pallbearers are six grandchildren; the remaining nine grandchildren are honorary pallbearers.
Memorials may be directed to One Vision, formerly Opportunity Village, an organization that Paul supported many years by raising money during the Opportunity Village walks in May of each year. The family of Paul wishes to extend sincere thanks to staff of the New Hampton Nursing & Rehabilitation Center; staff of the Howard County Community Hospice and Home Health Services; and members of the Harvest Church and the local Rotary organization who continued to befriend Paul into his 109th year.
Paul’s faith was very strong and a guiding force in his life. Paul's Christian example is a strong legacy.
