Benard Hanson, age 86, of Cambridge died February 25, 2014. A memorial service will be held at 1:30 P.M. Saturday, March 1st at Cambridge Lutheran Church with Rev. David Everett officiating. A time for visiting will be held one hour prior to the service at the church.
Ben is survived by his wife, Lois, sons Stephen (Mary Lou), Dean (Gerri), daughter Mary (Robert Wey), brother Wally (Judy), sister Marjorie Gundlach, plus seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren (all girls!). Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by daughter, Suzan, and his brother, Donald.
Benard Oliver Hanson was born July 3, 1927, in Meadowland Township, Lake of the Woods County Minnesota to Bernhard & Grace (Woollett) Hanson. He spent his early years in Bankton, Minnesota. After the untimely death of his father, the family moved to Spooner to live with their Grandparents Ole & Karine Hanson.
He attended Spooner Grade School and graduated from Baudette High School. Anxious to fulfill his patriotic duty and to serve in World War II, in 1945 (at the tender age of 17) Ben enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was soon on his way to the Pacific Theater. Japan surrendered shortly thereafter and his Navy career ended in 1946.
In 1948 after working in Baudette as a lineman, Ben was transferred to Worthington, Minnesota where he worked at Nobles Cooperative Electric. Soon after, on November 21, 1949, he was joined by his new bride, Lois Holsinger of Williams, Minnesota. They were married 64 years.
Early in his life Ben enjoyed playing hockey and baseball. In his adult years, he enjoyed bowling, fishing, golfing, grouse and pheasant hunting. Ben and Lois loved to dance and spent many Friday nights enjoying the music at favorite Worthington locations. Ben was active in leading a Boy Scout troop, coaching Little League baseball, and cooking lutefisk for the annual Lutefisk Supper at First Lutheran Church in Worthington. Ben loved to play the harmonica, especially for each new grandchild. One of Ben’s hidden talents was his ability to knit wonderful mittens, scarves, hats, slippers and afghans for his children, grandchildren and the Mitten Tree. He was taught to knit by his grandmother when he was a young boy using yarn they made themselves on a spinning wheel.
After 40 years with Nobles Coop, Ben retired. He and Lois moved to Mora, Minnesota where they lived for ten years and eventually settled in Cambridge, Minnesota.
You can take a boy out of Lake of the Woods, but you can’t take Lake of the Woods out of the boy. Ben maintained his love for this area his entire life and visited whenever possible. As a final request, Ben asked that his remains be taken back home to Lake of the Woods.
Ben was loved by all and will be dearly missed.
During the last year of his life, Ben enjoyed listening to the Radio Broadcast Sunday services of Cambridge Lutheran Church. Undesignated memorials will go towards this ministry that gave him so much joy.
Ben passed away on February 25th after a recent illness at the age of 86 years, 7 months and 22 days.