Wayne Allan Hanson

Wayne Allan Hanson was born on July 5, 1935 at home in Deer Creek Township, Iowa to Carl and Thelma (Rohne) Hanson. He was the oldest of six brothers and sisters and grew up helping his Dad on the farm. He attended Worth County Deer Creek township #6 for grades K-8. Then to Carpenter High School, where he played basketball and baseball and graduated in 1953. He loved rollerskating and at the Lyle Roller Rink is where he met a pretty girl named Mavis Carlson. He married her on September 29, 1957 in the Mona Lutheran Church. Mavis married him for his money, but she never managed to find it. One month after their wedding he started Army basic training in Colorado and was stationed in Georgia and North Carolina for the next two years. After returning to Iowa, he and Mavis made their home on the Carlson farm south of Mona, Iowa and welcomed four children - Gloria, Paul, Wanda and Beth.

Wayne worked the farm in addition to Weyerhauser in Austin, Minnesota, Wolds Tire Service in St. Ansgar, Iowa and as a custodian for St. Ansgar High School. After retiring, he worked as a Green View attendant for two of the rest areas along I-90. His favorite job was probably for Wolds - driving from farm to farm fixing tractor tires for many years. He mentioned driving further and further each year as their customer base spread wider and wider. Because of this, Wayne became an expert on all the blacktop and gravel roads and was quoted saying "You can't get me lost in Mitchell County". From points A to B, he rarely took the same road twice.

In September 1984, he was involved in a very serious tractor accident and spent seven weeks at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester, MN and two years recuperating from home. The tractor accident significantly changed his life and his appearance. Not only being unable to continue working for Wolds, but he felt like he got a second chance at life "thanks to the man upstairs". Plus, he received great care, especially from his nurses, which turned him into Prince Charming whenever speaking to most healthcare professionals for the rest of his days. He was an active member of Mona Lutheran Church for most of his life. During one very muddy Mona Steak Supper in March, he drove hungry supper go-ers to and from their cars and the church in a pig cart pulled with his tractor. And it was a red tractor. Always a red tractor for Wayne. He thoroughly enjoyed pulling into Tractor Farm Equipment businesses to check out the new and used tractors and combines for sale while ignoring the groans of his kids in the back seat.

Wayne was a "collector", which he inherited from his parents and much to the dismay of Mavis who always pestered him to clean off his table. He brought home paper from Weyerhauser for the kids to draw on; pens and pencils, tablets and folders that the high school students threw away at the end of the school year, and always pulled the car over to pick up a nickel can along side the gravel roads.

In his later years, he enjoyed putting puzzles together, watching Blue Bloods and NCIS tv shows, watching most sports on tv - especially the Minnesota Vikings (he was a closeted Green Bay Packers fan), attending family reunions, and showing pictures to his visitors and Nursing home staff. He would always thank people by saying "Mange tusen takk", which means Many Thousand Thanks in Norwegian. He was very proud of his Norwegian roots and was lucky enough to visit Norway 3 times.

Wayne passed away peacefully in his room at Northwood Lutheran Retirement Home on July 16, 2026. He was preceded in death by his parents Carl and Thelma; wife Mavis: daughter Gloria Moss; grandson Alex Hanson; brothers Craig Hanson and Harvey Hanson; sisters-in-law Marilyn Hanson, Ila Hanson, and Gwen Hanson; and, niece Kathryn Mills.

He is survived by his son Paul (Terri) Hanson of Wanamingo, MN; daughters Wanda Hanson of Mona and Beth (Kenneth) Steinhovden of Floroe, Norway; son-in-law Glen Moss; three grandchildren Blake (Jen) Hanson, Alan Moss, and Jen Hanson; four great grandchildren Masyn Hanson, Eli Hanson, Briella Hanson, and Brycen Hanson; and four bonus great grandsons Isaiah Thompson, Gage Thompson, Myles Thompson, and Bennett Shelton; brother Luther Hanson; sisters Sharon (Robert) Gordon and Darlene Meling; nieces and nephews and many, many good neighbors and life-long friends.

His memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 12, 2026 at Mona Lutheran Church in Mona, Iowa at 1:00 pm with Rev. Scott Meyer, officiating. Visitation will take place on Friday, September 11th from 4:00-7:00 pm at Hoff Celebrations - Schroeder Chapel in St. Ansgar, Iowa and will continue at the church 1 hour before the service. Burial will be at Pleasant Hills Cemetary, Mona, Iowa.