Virginia A. Hanson

Virginia A. Hanson, age 79, of Decorah, IA, died Wednesday, January 26, 2011 at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse, WI. Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 A.M. Monday, January 31, 2011 at Washington Prairie Lutheran Church in rural Decorah, with Rev. Mark Kvale officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Visitation will be from 3:00-7:00 P.M. Sunday, January 30 at Fjelstul Funeral Home in Decorah and on Monday one hour before the service at the church. Virginia Ann (Halvorson) Hanson was born October 9, 1931 in Decorah, Iowa, the daughter of Roy and Mae (Sletten) Halvorson. She was confirmed at Canoe Ridge Lutheran Church in rural Decorah. Virginia attended Decorah High School and then started working at Woolworth’s in Decorah. Virginia was united in marriage to Arlin P. Hanson on November 21, 1948 at Canoe Ridge Lutheran Church. This union was blessed with five children: Wendy, Sandra, Greg, Randy and Brian. After their marriage, they began farming north of Decorah and then moved to the Washington Prairie area to farm in 1953. Virginia was very active with the family farm. They moved into Decorah in 1988. Virginia was very active at Washington Prairie Lutheran Church, was a former President of WELCA, was a Sunday School Teacher for many years and helped in the kitchen at church with weddings, funerals and Nordic Fest dinners. She was very active as a 4-H leader; she also cooked at the Pine Bluff 4-H Camp, the 4-H Restaurant, the Cow Palace and at Decorah Schools. Virginia was a member of the Pork Producers, Milk Maids, the Red Hat Society and Northeast Iowa Quilters Guild; she made many quilts for her family and friends. She made numerous wedding cakes over the course of many years. Virginia and Arlin loved to square dance; she loved the neighborhood birthday parties and weekly coffee time get-togethers. Virginia and Arlin enjoyed many winters in Arizona with all of their friends there. Virginia is survived by her husband Arlin; five children: Wendy (Bob) Van Gorp of Cedar Falls, IA, Sandra (Keith) Elsbernd, Calmar, IA, Greg (Dianne) Hanson, Randy (Lisa) Hanson and Brian (Rachel) Hanson, all of Decorah; eleven grandchildren: Sarah (Mitch) Lake, Jason (Samantha) Van Gorp, David Elsbernd, Kristen (Cale) Tesch, Melissa Elsbernd, Ross Hanson, Kaitlin Hanson, Jordan Hanson, Ben Hanson, Joel Hanson and Tony Hanson; one great-granddaughter Emery Lake; one brother, Roger Halvorson of Decorah; three brothers-in-law: Otto Proehl of La Crosse, WI, Julius Frana of Calmar, and Willard (Verna) Hanson of Decorah; one sister-in-law, Roselyn (Bud) Quam of Decorah; and by many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Roy and Mae Halvorson; three sisters: Mavis Proehl, Marilyn Leonhart and Sonja Frana; one sister-in-law Helen Halvorson; one brother-in-law Dean Leonhart; and four brothers- and sisters-in-law: Kenneth and Helen Hanson and Merlin and Evelyn Hanson.