John W. Hanson 1860-1904

HANNSON, DOOLITTLE

Posted By: Cathy Joynt Labath (email)
Date: 12/10/2006 at 12:49:11

Emmetsburg Democrat; Emmetsburg, Palo Alto, IA; Wednesday, August 24, 1904

J.W. HANSON IS DEAD
Passed Away at Chicago Last Saturday Evening

John W. Hanson, who was sheriff of Palo Alto county from 1893 to 1897, died at Chicago Saturday evening of cancer of the intestines. The funeral was held at Oelwein yesterday, where the deceased had made his home during the past few years.

Mr. Hanson was a native of Oelwein, where he had been born in 1860. There he formed the ideas of character and business integrity that subsequently guided him in his affairs with men. Four teen or fifteen years ago he moved to Ruthven and engaged in the real estate and loaning business. He also served one or two terms as constable of Highland township. In 1893 he became the republican nominee for sheriff and was elected over J.G. Gallagher, of West Bend. In 1895 he was re-elected, his competitor having been P.F. Maguire, of Ayrshire. In 1897 he was nominated for a third time, but was defeated by Wesley Davidson, the democratic nominee. He was a competent, faithful officer and made an excellent record. When it became his duty to arrest a criminal, he generally found and took his man. He was shrewd and economical and he prospered. After he retired from office he moved back to Ruthven and from there went to Oelwein where he engaged in the banking business with one or two of his brothers. He was at the time of his death cashier of the bank in which he was a large stockholder. He was married three times. His first wife, whose name we never learned, died shortly after he married her. October 12, 1892, he was married to Miss Dora Doolittle, of Ruthven. She died at Ruthven in 1898 or 1899. He was married the third time after going to Oelwein, but we cannot recall the maiden name of the wife.
The death of Mr. Hanson will be regretted by the many who knew him in this county as a business man, as an officer and as a citizen. One of his brothers, Joseph Hanson, lives north of Ruthven.