Lorraine Hanson

LORRAINE HANSON, 98, longtime Elsie resident, passed away Monday, February 24, 2025, at Greeley, CO.

Lorraine Viola Hardt Hanson was born in McGrew, Nebraska, on June 4th, 1926 to Fred Alexander Hardt and Mary Elizabeth Geier. She was a second generation American in a thriving German-born Russian community. She had an older sister, Vera, who was her lifelong companion and friend as well as two younger brothers, Herbert and Donald, who preceded her in death.

From an idyllic childhood on a family farm along the North Platte River she attended high school in McGrew, Nebraska. She later joined her sister at Chadron State College in Nebraska for two years. Lorraine and her college best friend, Connie Parsons, proceeded to have wonderful adventures together. They worked for a summer at Yellowstone National Park in the Old Faithful Inn and prior to returning to college in 1945, she and Connie took leave to work for the Denver Ordinance Plant, a "bullet factory" that the Remington Arms Company operated in Denver in the latter stages of World War II. Lorraine would often fondly recount stories of VJ day in Denver where she walked home through the ticker tape coming out of all the windows downtown.

She enrolled at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln in 1946 where she met the love of her life, Max Hanson. She and Max eloped after she had graduated on Veteran's Day which was not well received by their parents who were busy planning a wedding. Lorraine student taught and worked as a personal shopper at the Miller and Paine Department Store in Lincoln while Max completed his degree with assistance from the GI Bill after serving in occupied Japan. In 1950, they returned to Elsie, Nebraska, where Max farmed the land and Lorraine was a homemaker and mother to her children - Steve and Shelley. Once her children reached school age, she returned to teaching school in a one room country school. She later switched to instructing children with special needs.

She and Max were passionate about all sports from high school to college; they rarely missed a game or match and enjoyed many national championships with their beloved Cornhuskers. She accompanied Max when he played town team baseball. When he learned to play golf later in life, so did Lorraine. After retirement, Lorraine and Max traveled the world to Asia, Russia, and Europe; often to visit their dear friends, Max's sister and her husband, Mary and Pete Peterson. Each year for almost 40 years, she took an annual excursion, someplace in the world, with her sister Vera and their daughters.

Max and Lorraine spent the winters in California and then Phoenix where they had many close friends. Like her mother before her, she was a landscape artist later in life and an avid bridge player, founding a bridge club and teaching several generations to play. She boasted of being a "plane spotter" for the US government in the Cold War days, and later in life became an enthusiastic birder. Lorraine was an active member of the Elsie United Methodist Church and the American Legion Auxiliary. She leaves behind a son, Steve Hanson (Susan), a daughter, Dr. Shelley Peetz, (Mike), five grandchildren and spouses and seven great grandchildren, sisters-in-law, Shirley Hardt and Marti Hanson and a brother-in-law, Don Hanson as well as many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Max, three siblings and her parents. She lived a full life and enjoyed every moment.

Services will be on March 22, 2025, at 11 am at the Elsie Methodist Church with Pastor Shannon Williams officiating. Inurnment will be in the Elsie Cemetery.

Memorials can be made to the Elsie Methodist Church. Condolences may be shared at bullocklongfuneralhome.com, where the services will be streamed live.

Bullock-Long Funeral Home of Grant is in charge of arrangements.