Oscar E. Hanson

Oscar E. Hanson passed peacefully on Oct. 29, 2003, at the Fairview Lakes University Medical Center in Minneapolis, Minn. as a result of on-going medical issues at the age of 80 years.
Born at home in Little Falls, Minn., Oscar was the youngest of nine children born to Oscar and Turena (Erickson) Hanson. He attended eight grades of school in Little Falls quitting to work on the farm. Oscar married Elsie Gehlhart and together the couple had eight children including one step-son.
Burlington Northern Railroad was Oscarís employer for 29 years; starting as a janitor but spending most of his time in Brainerd as a boxcar painter. Oscar retired in 1976 and moved to Tacoma, Washington. In 1977, Oscar and Carol bought a home in rural Rush City where he was living at the time of his death.
Oscar always had a knack for mechanics and spent a great deal of time working in his garage on lawnmowers and bicycle repair for Bohaty Hardware Store in Rush City. Oscar had a passion for gardening and tomatoes were his specialty; offering produce and food to all who stopped by his home. He would talk for hours about old cars, old times and the depression days. He had his own signature dance that he called ëthe jigî or the ìtwo legged stompî. Oscar loved to listen to fiddle music and the sounds of violins. But most of all, Oscar loved his family.
When his kids were young he would take them for rides in his homemade buggy; he liked to call ìThe Bugî; down an overgrown road with grass taller than the car. Oscar would get all excited and yell outí ìhang on kids; here we go down through the tag-hoglers.î Every Sunday Oscar would sit down with his family and watch ìWild Kingdomî.
He also enjoyed his grandchildren; Oscar would stop working in the garage; clean his greasy hands to spend time with his grandkids; entertaining them with his chickens; or possibly teasing the granddaughters.
Preceding Oscar in death are his parents, second wife Carol, grandson Scotty Hanson, granddaughter Christina Otterness, step-son John Bosteder and eight brothers and sisters.
Oscar Hanson is survived by his children Wayne Hanson and his wife Donna of Cheyenne, Wyoming, Walter Hanson of Brainerd, Bradley Hanson of Brainerd, Melvin Hanson of Grand Rapids, Richard Hanson of Brainerd, Linda Lindman and her husband Gene of Pine City, Cindy Gerner and her husband Michael of Rush City, step-children Jeffrey Rodman and his wife Evelyn of Brainerd, Anita Joy Teeman of California.
Oscar is also survived by his 20 grandchildren, 27 great-grandchildren, one great- great-grandchild, many nieces and nephews.
Funeral services were held Monday (Nov. 3, 2003) at the Olson Chapel in Rush City with Pastor Lyn Sahr officiating. Pat Stenmo provided organ music. Oscarís twin sons Wayne and Walter Hanson were honorary casketbearers.
The active casket bearers included Richard Mach, Jim Bohaty, Roger Lindman, Jason Lindman, Jacob Lindman, Darold Lindman and Matt Hammill with the interment in the First Lutheran Cemetery of Rush City. Funeral arrangements were handled by the Funeral & Cremation Service of Rush City; Olson Chapel.

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