Son Reflects on Passing of His Dad, New Hampton’s First State Wrestling Champion
Being New Hampton’s first-ever state wrestling champion is just one of many accomplishments in the life of Paul Hassman.
Hassman, who won the 155-pound title in 1933, passed away last Thursday at the age of 108. At the time of his death, he was the oldest living state wrestling champ in Iowa and the country.
His son, Gene Hassman, who lives in Cedar Rapids, says wrestling was part of his father’s active lifestyle even in his later years, when he rode RAGBRAI.
Hassman says his father was dedicated, as evidenced by his 85 years of service to his church and 71 years as a Rotary Club member. And, while he spent his whole life in New Hampton, the elder Hassman became involved with over two dozen walks to fundraise for Opportunity Village in Clear Lake, now One Vision, which provides services to persons with disabilities.
Paul Hassman was also a supporter of the New Hampton FFA Chapter, helped deliver meals on wheels to area residents until he was 91, and in 2008, he was a Character Counts Award winner.
Funeral services for Paul Hassman will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday morning at the Harvest Church in New Hampton. You can find more details on services on the obituary page of our station website.
