Florence Hanson

Posted 5/15/03

Funeral services for Florence Willemarck Hanson, 80, of Twin Falls Idaho, will be 11 a.m. Saturday, May 17 at Trinity Lutheran Church, Milaca, with the Rev. Jon Olson officiating.

Visitation will be at the church one hour prior to the service. Burial will be at Forest Hill Cemetery.

A memorial service will be conducted by the Rev. Gary Benedix at the Peace Lutheran Church in Filer, Idaho, at a later date.

Arrangements are under the direction of the pastors and Parkešs Magic Valley Funeral Home of Twin Falls, Idaho.

Florence died Tuesday, May 6, 2003 at her home in Twin Falls, Idaho.

She was born March 12, 1923 in Duluth, Minn., the oldest of eight children of Henry and Mary Willemarck. Florence attended elementary and high school in that area, then graduated from the University of Minnesota at Duluth, formerly Duluth State Teachers College, majoring in home economics, with minors in English and general science. She taught first in Cotton, Minn., then became the first county home extension agent in Mille Lacs County. She enjoyed working with many people throughout the county. She met her husband, Palmer Hanson, when they both worked at the courthouse in Milaca. They were married in Milaca in 1948. They moved from Minnesota to Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Nebraska and Montana where Palmer worked for the Bureau of Reclamation as a surveyor on many large dams, including Grand Coulee, Palisades and Yellowtail. During these years, Florence taught elementary and secondary subjects, and was also a teaching principal. Teaching was the love of her life for 25 years. The couple had two daughters, Mary Hanson Holmes, born in Minnesota and Catherine Ann, born in Washington. When Palmer died in 1981, Florence moved to Twin Falls to be near her daughter Mary. She was an avid quilter and a charter member of the Desert Sage Quilt Guild. She enjoyed playing cards, tutoring, reading, traveling, and keeping in touch with her seven siblings in many states. Florence was a member of the Peace Lutheran Church in Filer, Idaho.

She is survived by her daughter, Mary; grandchildren, Autumn and Rainey; two step-children, Richard Larson in Minnesota and Marilyn in Wyoming; five step-grandchildren; five brothers, Leo (Marilyn), George (Oberta), Bob (Lois), Henry (Esther), and Ed (Janet) Willemarck; two sisters, Marie (Ecklund) Paulson and Jeanne (Tom) Segel; and many nieces and nephews.

Florence was preceded in death by her parents, Henry and Mary Willemarck; her husband, Palmer in 1981; her infant daughter, Catherine; and her son-in-law, Loren Holmes.

In lieu of flowers, the family prefers donations be made to the Peace Lutheran Church or to the charity of onešs choice.