Shirley Mae Hanson

Shirley Mae Hanson passed away Sunday, July 28, 2013. She was 83 years old.

Shirley was born to Frederic B. and Gertrude Chapman on April 17, 1930 in Nampa, Calif. Her father worked for the Dole Pineapple Co. until she was age 9. Her family moved to Honolulu so her father could maintain his work there. Shirley finished grade school and graduated from high school in Honolulu. She was there when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and oftentimes stated it was a day she definitely will never to forget.

She met the love of her life, Sibley Edward Hanson, in 1952 while he was stopped over in Hawaii. Sibley was just finishing up his tour in the Navy as the Korean War was ending. They dated for a year and then on June 21, 1953, they were married.

Sibley took her to Wolf Point and for a while they lived there. On Dec. 1, 1954, they had a son. Then they moved to Havre so Sib could go to college. While in Havre, there was another boy born to them on June 24, 1956. Sib and Shirley went back to Wolf Point after a while. They were blessed with another son on June 21, 1958, which also was their wedding anniversary. In 1964 the family moved to Columbia Falls and lived there until spring of 1972. Sib worked for Stolze Lumber C. while living in Columbia Falls. Then in 1972 he was transferred to the Stolze mill in Dillon.

Sib and Shirley lived in Dillon from 1972 to 2007. It was decided for them to move to Missoula so they could be closer to their youngest son and his family. Because of a stroke, Sib lived at the Village Health Care Center in Missoula from August 2007 to Feb. 17, 2010. Shirley lived with her oldest son until her death.

The couple had good times together. Her boys were also her life, and she spent as much time as she could with them.

She always had a smile on her face whenever she saw anyone of her boys or the other kids she was very fond of.

Shirley lived life to the fullest.

One day while living in Columbia Falls, Shirley was taking a walk and met CarolLynn Agnes Thomasser. From that first day of meeting, they became best friends forever. They had a trust between the two of them that is very rare today. CarolLynn had two daughters, Christina Lucille and Robin Lea, whom Shirley thought of as her little girls because all she had was boys. The oldest girl later became her youngest son's wife.

Shirley is survived by her three sons, Frederic Edward Hanson of Missoula, David Duane Hanson of Scottsdale, Ariz., and Michael Thomas Hanson and wife Christina of Missoula. She also had four grandchildren, Kristina Mahoney, who lives near Washington, D.C., and Jonathan, Daniel and Michael Hanson, all of Scottsdale; two step-granddaughters, CarolLynn Nina and Paulina Danielle Roberts, and one step-great-granddaughter, Christina Agnes Roberts, all of Missoula.

Preceding her in death were her parents, her husband and two nephews.

She got her three wishes: She did not go to a nursing home, she is not being cremated, and she is being buried with her husband. Services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, Aug. 2, at the Western Montana State Veterans Cemetery

Read Shirley Hanson's Obituary and Guestbook on www.missoulafuneralhomes.com.