Hanson, Virginia Jean (Hill) 1949 - 2022

HANSON, HILL, ELLEFSON, EWING, KRIENER, TOMCZAK

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 5/23/2022 at 09:22:42

Virginia Hanson, age 72, of Decorah, IA, died on Wednesday, May 18, 2022, at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, May 28, 2022, at Canoe Ridge Lutheran Church, 1316 Canoe Ridge Road, Decorah, IA, with Rev. Adam Starrett presiding. Burial will be in the church cemetery.

Visitation will be held after 9:00 a.m., at the church on Saturday morning.

In lieu of flowers: memorials may be sent to the family at: 1349 Coon Creek Rd, Decorah, IA 52101

Virginia Jean Hanson was born August 14, 1949, in Waukon, Iowa, to Melvin and Oretta Ellefson Hill.

On the very same day of her birth, the Allamakee County Fair was in full swing and her father Melvin decided to run to the fair while her mother was in the hospital waiting to give birth; Oretta was not happy! Sam Hill, her uncle, has said he remembers when Virginia was brought home from the hospital. Raised on the family farm, she did many different farm chores, including picking strawberries that her grandfather grew, along with watermelons and cantaloupe. Her first 9 years of schooling were at the French Creek 3 Country School. She then started Waukon High School as a freshman in 1964, graduating in May 1967. In April 1967 she met Lyle Hanson; they were engaged on November 30, 1968. They were married on June 7, 1969, at Canoe Ridge Lutheran Church in Decorah. From this union was born 3 sons, Kevin, Jason, and Aaron. Virginia started working at the Lansing Button Factory in 1967, she remained at this job until she was married and then stayed home to raise her children. In 1980, she started doing in-home daycare for the Lee family, watching their 3 girls, followed by the Teslow, Loven, and Petersburg children. Each of these kids held a special place in her heart and she cared for them like they were her own.

When she was young, her goal was to be a secretary. She had asked for a desk and got one for Christmas along with a typewriter from her parents and grandparents (paid for with Gold Bond Stamps). She ultimately fulfilled that goal when she returned to school at Northeast Iowa Community College in 1990 (at the age of 40) and graduated from the clerical program a year later. She talked often of this challenge and was very proud of all the hard work she put in!

In March of 1991 she began as the church secretary at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Decorah along
with another part-time position in the Career Center at Luther College. She split the day between these two jobs for over 21 years and made many good friends during this time. She retired from Luther in 2012 and from Good Shepherd in 2014. From 2015 to 2020 she worked for Kirkeby Welding. In 2018 she started in a temporary role at Iowa Vocation Rehabilitation Services and eventually transitioned to a full-time position until she was forced by her illness to retire in the fall of 2020. She loved this job and wished she had found it many years sooner. She was active at Canoe Ridge Lutheran Church, serving as the congregation’s Treasurer from 1985 to 2020 in addition to working the annual Harvest Supper and at Nordic Fest. In addition, she and Lyle spent several Summers with the Decorah Kilties during Jason and Aaron’s time in the percussion sections from 1985 to 1991. She was always willing to help anyone in need and just wanted to make sure they got the best out of life.

She and Lyle were able to travel to Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, San Francisco, Williamsburg, Virginia, with Don and Martha Hanson and Sharon and Butch Tomczak. With their children, they ventured to Yellowstone National Park, Wisconsin Dells, Lake of the Ozarks, and Anna Maria Island, Florida. In her younger years, Virginia learned how to decorate cakes with her Aunt Bette and eventually did many wedding, confirmation, and birthday cakes. She loved to shop at antique shops and The Depot to find the next treasure. With all the great things she had ever done, her grandchildren were at the top. She enjoyed every second she could with them and never passed up a chance to go and watch their events.

Virginia is survived by her husband, Lyle Hanson of Decorah; sons Kevin (Liz) Hanson of Waukon, Iowa, Jason (Angie) Hanson of North Liberty, Iowa, Aaron (April) Hanson of Greene, Iowa; grandchildren, Shelby (Ben) Ewing, Connor (Kate) Hanson, Ryan Hanson, Kellen Hanson, Finn Hanson, Calvin Hanson, Jack Hanson, Sawyer Hanson, and Brooklyn Hanson; great-grandson, Emmitt Ewing; siblings, Ronnie Olson, Vickie Kriener and Wes Hill, of Waukon, Iowa and Wayne (Anna) Hill of Postville, Iowa; In-laws, Paul Hanson of Waukon, Iowa, Donald (Martha) Hanson of Decorah, Iowa, Sharon (Butch) Tomczak of Madison, WI, Robert Hanson of Waukon, Iowa, along with many nieces and nephews as well as her dog Henry.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Melvin and Oretta Hill, mother and father in-law, Carmen and Clarice Hanson, brother in-law, Carmen Jr. Hanson, brother in-law Roger Hanson, brother in-law, David Olson

Source: Helms Funeral Home database

Canoe Ridge Cemetery
 

Winneshiek Obituaries maintained by Bruce Kuennen.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen