Meet Arthur K. Hansen of Middlewoods of Newington

Although he was born in Haugesund, Norway, Arthur K. Hansen, better known as “Chuckken”, grew up in Glendale, Long Island. He attended Newtown High School in New York and was an active cross country runner. Additionally, he played softball and was a very good student.

Read on to learn more about Arthur and his time living at the UMH community, Middlewoods of Newington. 

When asked about his military experience, Arthur explained, “I am a Veteran of the United States Army, 99^th Infantry Battalion 5^th Rangers. I was drafted in December of 1943 and was trained in the Ski Troops and dropped in France. My main job was to wait for the King of Norway to return. I was security. I liberated multiple concentration camps in Lipsitz, South Germany and landed in Normandy on June 11, 1944, which was 5 days after D-Day.” Arthur earned two Bronze stars (Combat and an Infantry Badge) for his incredible service to his country.

Arthur met his wife, Ruth Loaker, through her brothers. He reflects, “Two of my friends, Paul and John, were brothers and one night, I asked if they wanted to go dancing. They said they did not want to go, but Ruth overheard and said she would go with me!” The rest was history!

After the war, Arthur fixed cameras and binoculars.  He also worked as the Manager of Accounting and Reporting Systems for the Post Office for 37 years. As Arthur’s grandmother always said, “keep your nose to the grind and work hard because there’s no such thing as easy money.” Continuing to live by this motto, Arthur worked hard every day and on the side, enjoyed hobbies such as fishing, bowling and traveling to Europe.

Since January of 2016, Arthur has been a resident of Middlewoods of Newington. When asked about his time at this award-winning senior living community in Newington, Arthur had a lot to share:

“I love living at Middlewoods of Newington and love the community here. I love the people who work here. I can still do anything I want here. I love the food (but I wish they served wine with dinner!). 

I enjoy talking with staff and residents but also enjoy keeping to myself and I stay in touch with my children and grandchildren.

Before I moved to Middlewoods, life was pretty similar. It’s like a little village here. When we moved to Newington in the 50’s, it was a village.  Mortensen was the Mayor.  This is ‘Heaven’s Country.’  My wife loved this town and so do I. I enjoy living at this location because the community is familiar and so is the area. I had privacy when I lived at home and I continue to have privacy now, which is of the utmost importance to me. 

Since moving here, my life has changed in that I am not alone and I have friends and a community I can socialize with, and opportunities and activities available when I chose to join in. It’s comforting to know I can rely on people because we help each other here.

I think it’s wonderful to live in an assisted living community because you’re with people with similar backgrounds, in a similar age group, and we check in with each other. The staff is so helpful and you can rely on help when help is needed.”

We are so thankful for these kind words about our community and are so thankful to have residents as special as Arthur living at UMH.

Though Arthur’s entire story is incredible, Arthur shared something really profound that I think is worth sharing and remembering. He said, “Growing old has its benefits. When you’re a kid, you run into stumbling blocks and have to figure it out.  As you age, the stumbling blocks begin to disappear because people want to help you. Also, you gain more respect as you age.”

I generally feel as though our society has a negative view on aging. However, people like Arthur are able to prove that aging is a beautiful thing. You acquire new experiences, meet many new people, overcome endless challenges and learn about the journey of aging. These valuable life lessons can then be absorbed by younger generations.

I, for one, have thoroughly enjoyed learning more about Arthur and how UMH has been able to provide him the lifestyle and home he was looking for.    

Keep an eye out for next month’s Resident Spotlight story to learn more about the residents of UMH!