Melvin Clarence Hanson

Melvin C. Hanson, age 80, Foxton Township, Naples, SD died late Monday morning, November 19, 2012 with family at his side in the Sanford USD Medical Center at Sioux Falls. Visitation will be held on Friday, November 23, 2012 from 5-8PM at the Furness Funeral Home at Clark and will continue on Saturday at the Church in Vienna, SD after 9AM. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, November 24, 2012 at 10:30AM in the Bethlehem Lutheran Church at Vienna with the Reverend's Dave Larson and Keith Garness officiating. The organist will be Dorothy Fuller with special music by Duane & Char Peterson and the Bethlehem Church Quartet. Casketbearers will be all of his grandchildren and their spouses. Burial will follow in the Naples Lutheran Cemetery at Naples. He was born Melvin Clarence Hanson on October 29, 1932 in his parents, Arthur and Camilla (Huke) Hanson, home northwest of Naples. He attended grade school at Foxton #18 in Foxton Township and then graduated from Henry High School in 1950. On August 30, 1952 he was united in marriage to Marcene Anderson of Lake Norden at the First Lutheran Church in Lake Norden. The couple has lived and farmed in the Naples area since that time. He farmed with his brother Norris until his death in 1981. Since that time Melvin farmed with his son Myron (Butch). Melvin retired from farming five years ago but continued assisting on the farm until his death. Melvin was a member of the Bethlehem Lutheran Church where he held many different positions on the Church council over the years. He was a member of the Willow Lake Lions Club for some 30 years and had served as a Foxton Township Supervisor for 20 years. Melvin was also proud of being a Clark County Commissioner for 15 years. In younger years Melvin enjoyed bowling. For the past 35 plus years, Melvin has hosted pheasant hunters, something he thoroughly enjoyed, even though he was not an avid hunter himself, but he was a friend to the many guests that hunted his farm land. Melvin enjoyed people and spent a great deal of his time visiting with all his friends and family. It was a sure thing that if you were on his route you would get a visit from Melvin. Holidays were always a special time because Melvin enjoyed spending time with his children and grandchildren. Preceding him in death were his parents Arthur and Camilla and a brother Norris. Grateful for having shared in his life is his wife of some 60 years, Marcene of Naples, children, Marvin (Michelle) Hanson of Sullivan, IL, Merl (Tammy) Hanson of Iroquois, SD, Myron (Laurie) Hanson of Vienna and Marla (Russ) Althoff of Webster, SD, 12 grandchildren, Mandy, Melissa & Brandon Hanson, Jennifer (Jordan) Jerke, Emily (Jason) Woodard, Tracy (Marc) Lenz, Kellie Althoff, Sarah Hanson, William & Kevin Althoff and Kent and Travis Hanson. Also sharing in his life is a sister, Clarine (Ralph) Lamb of Willow Lake, sister-in-law, Phyllis Hanson of Watertown, SD and a brother-in-law, Roger (Donna) Anderson of Lake Norden and several nieces and nephews. Melvin also leaves his good friend, Simon, the family pet. Funeral arrangements are with the Furness Funeral Home at Clark where there is an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com