Fanny Agnes Hand, 105, of Topeka, passed away Monday, December 18, 2023.
Fanny was born in Wilson, Pennsylvania, the third child of George and Karin (Von Hadeln) Stürup.
They were Danish and from the Copenhagen, Denmark nobility. They had 4 children, Inger, Jens, Fanny, and Nina Stürup.
When Fanny was still a little baby, they moved to Ashtabula, Ohio, where her mother became an opera singer. Her father saw the Depression coming so he bought a farm in New York State (3 miles from Bemus Point, NY, extreme western New York). She loved living on the farm, and especially loved her horses.
In 1944, she joined the Army (as a WAC). She worked in the Parachute School in Georgia. Later, she was transferred to the Pentagon in Washington D.C. Her highest rank was E-5/SGT. Her enlistment was up in November 1946 and she was awarded the Good Conduct Medal.
During her time in the service, she met her future husband, Lorand B. Hand at Fort Benning, Georgia. Four years later they were married in Hays, Kansas on March 11, 1950. She attended the Fort Hays State College (on her G.I. Bill). The family moved to Topeka, Kansas where she would later graduate from Washburn University.
She was married to Lorand for 55 years until his passing in September of 2004.
Fanny enjoyed tutoring adults and children to read, creating homemade quilts, and playing the piano. She was an avid outdoors woman and loved camping at Cedar Bluff where she taught her daughters to water ski at ages 5 and 6, camping and boating at Lake Shawnee and Camp Chautauqua in New York each year where she taught water aerobics; but, she especially loved snow skiing in Colorado where she taught her granddaughters to ski and ice skate.
She is survived by daughters, Loranda (Steve) Figgs and Lorraine (David) Bailey; grandchildren, Rochelle Gomez, Elissa (Allen) Wurtz, Julia Gomez-Alexander, Katie Figgs, Simone (Jonathan) Lockett and Joseph (Danielle) Bridges; great grandchildren, Jordan Martinez, Karlee Martin, Jordan Newby, Brandon Wurtz, Makayla (Jordan) Freed, Mason Herd, Aaron Wurtz, Jaiden Gomez-Powell, Freddy McConnell, Miranda Wurtz, Cameron Alexander, Jiana Lockett, Eliana Lockett, Kian Bailey, Teagan Bailey, Beniah Bridges and Xander Bridges; great great grandchildren, Jaxon Luarks, Nadia Martin, Kyrie Martin, Anthony Martinez, Vincent Martinez, Alias Wurtz and Rylo Newby.
She is preceded in death by her parents, husband of 55 years, Lorand, sons, Aaron Dale and Blaine Arlo Hand, siblings, Inger Hogan, Jens Stürup and Nina Nagell.
A Funeral Ceremony will begin at 2:00 p.m. Friday December 29, 2023 at Dove Cremations and Funerals Southeast Chapel, 2843 SE Minnesota Ave, Topeka, Kansas 66605. Interment will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery, 3616 SW 6th Ave, Topeka, Kansas 66606. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service.
Fanny's service will be livestreamed at the scheduled service time.
Click here to view the service.
Memorial contributions may be made to The American Diabetes Association, PO Box 13067, Alexandria, Virginia 22312.
To share a memory of Fanny or leave a special message for her family, please visit the guestbook below.