Virgil Lauvane Hanson

Virgil Lauvane Hanson
March 22, 1930 - March 3, 2017

Virgil Hanson, beloved husband, father, papa, and opa, was called home to be with his Savior and his cherished wife, Hildie, after a brief illness.

Virgil was born in Brookings, South Dakota, the second-youngest of nine children raised by Nettie and Albert Hanson. After Albert's death when Virgil was six, the family moved from their farm to the town of Hendricks, Minnesota. His memories of a youth spent in Hendricks - sailing across the frozen lake on ice skates, playing fullback on the six-man high school football team, playing trombone with the band at halftime, hunting ducks before school for that night's dinner, shocking wheat from dawn to dusk, singing in town musicals, and staging elaborate Halloween pranks - were well-loved tales taken to heart by his children and grandchildren.

In March 1950, he met Hildegarde Marie Roeber. It was the beginning of a lifelong love story, and they were married before the year was out on December 21, 1950. In the 64 years of marriage that followed, Virgil and Hildie raised four children (Virginia, Vernon, Vernita, and Vaughn) and were the center of a family that grew to include 13 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, and innumerable friends.

Virgil served his country throughout a distinguished career in the Air Force, including combat deployments to Korea and Vietnam. After retiring from the Air Force, he embarked on a successful second career in the insurance industry with Aid Association for Lutherans. In his retirement, he spent many days furthering his lifelong passions for fishing, teaching others to fish (especially his grandchildren), woodworking, traveling, and facilitating Hildie's quilting.

Throughout his life, Virgil was steadfast in his love for Hildie, his family, his country, and his Savior. He modeled a life lived with humility, devotion, and a sense of humor, and he taught us that there is no substitute for doing the work, that there is wisdom in jokes, that peace can be found on the water, that your current circumstances don't define who you are, and that we must first have courage if we are to have anything at all. To the end, he showed us that no challenge is so great that it cannot be met with grace and good cheer. In his final moments, he told jokes, laughed, and prayed for his family.

Virgil is survived by his brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. He leaves a legacy of love and inspiration that we will spend our lifetimes striving to emulate.

Graveside Service will be held at Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver on March 31 at 2:00 pm. A Memorial Service will be held at Good Samaritan Village in Fort Collins on April 1, 2017 at 2:00 pm with a reception to follow. Memorial donations may be made to Good Samaritan Village, 508 W Trilby Rd, Fort Collins, CO 80525.