Joe Hansen: A real cowboy and a life on the ranch

He has two artificial hips and he's 89 years old. But that doesn't stop Joe Hansen from riding a horse — something he's done all his life. Hansen, who now lives at the senior housing on East Fifth Street in Rifle, was born and raised on a 160-acre ranch his family homesteaded on Divide Creek south of Silt and 13 miles up Dry Hollow Road, which to this day is called “Hansen Hill.” The family was one of the original homesteaders in the Divide Creek area in 1903 and raised alfalfa-grass hay, wheat, potatoes and ran about 200 head of Hereford cattle. Hansen was the oldest of five children. Ranching has been in Hansen's family for generations. His father, Dick, grew up on a ranch as did his grandfather. Hansen has been a cowboy all his life. “I started riding when I was four,” Hansen remembered. “All of us kids did. I started cowboying for my dad when I was eight. My dad and his dad were cowboys before we were.” Hansen was active in 4-H and attended the rodeo at the Garfield County Fair every year. In 1952, he won champion in calf roping with the Silt Roping Club and received a large silver belt buckle with his name engraved on it...CitizenTelegram