Trygg John Hansen, 65, publisher of the Cadott Sentinel and The Cornell & Lake Holcombe Courier, died Jan. 9, 2011, at his home in Jim Falls.
Hansen was born in Jacksonville, Fla., and was a 1963 graduate of Murray High School in St. Paul, Minn. In 1967, he graduated from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn. At St. Olaf, he majored in history, lettered in hockey and was captain of the hockey team. From 1967 to 1969, he was in the U.S. Marine Corps, serving in Vietnam. During training at Quantico, Va., he began his career in journalism, serving as assistant editor of the base newspaper.
Hansen studied journalism at the University of Minnesota from 1969 to 1972. During that time, he worked in photo labs and did freelance photography. In 1972, he began working as a writer for the Cornell Courier and soon became editor. He purchased the Courier and the Cadott Sentinel in 1974 and had been publisher since, holding that position longer than anyone else.
He was proud of the surrounding communities and his newspaper and felt that he continued the service of his predecessors. Two previous editors and publishers, Howard Sims and Walter Brovald, were professors Hansen studied under at the University of Minnesota and had set a high standard for community journalism.
Hansen is survived by his mother, Charlotte; brothers, Mark (Brenda) and David (Karen Lilley); along with additional family and friends.
