Harlan Hanson

Harlan Joseph Hanson, 75, of Saint James, Minnesota passed away on Thursday, May 2, 2024, at Mayo Clinic Health System in Saint James.

Visitation will be on Friday, May 17, 2024, from 9:00 am to 10:30 am at the Sturm Funeral Home, St. James Chapel. Funeral Mass will be held at the Saint James Catholic Church on Friday, May 17, 2024, at 11:00 am. Arrangements are with Sturm Funeral Home in St. James. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.sturmfh.com.

Harlan Joseph Hanson was born May 27, 1948, in Saint James, MN, the son of William T.H. and Ida (Sandmeyer) Hanson. He was raised in the Saint James area where he worked on several family farms growing up. He talked about growing up in a farmhouse with no indoor plumbing, frozen bedpans, and running to the outhouse in the winter. He also told stories of wilder times. As a young man he was a rebel without a cause and loved fast cars, motorcycles, and guns.

In 1966, Harlan joined the U.S. Marine Corps and served in the Vietnam War. While serving in Vietnam, he was injured when a mine exploded, and his arm was hit by shrapnel.  On January 13, 1968, Harlan was married to Arlene Jeanette Flaherty. After the wedding, they made their home in Jacksonville, NC where he was assigned to Camp Lejeune and later served a year at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. After serving in the USMC, he returned to the Butterfield area where he worked in a variety of mechanic and laborer positions before rejoining the military in 1973, this time with the US Army.

Harlan spent almost 20 more years serving our country around the globe, a patriot in the long Cold War. He was assigned to bases in Alaska, Oklahoma, Germany, and Kentucky. He served two tours in Germany. One in Neu Ulm, Germany, and another in Frankfurt. While assigned to Frankfurt, Harlan was able to visit the Berlin Wall when it was being taken down which was a pivotal event in world history that marked the falling of the Iron Curtain. While in Frankfurt, Harlan logistically supported Operation Desert Storm and made a trip to Kuwait to inspect Russian built tanks and artillery that had been seized or disabled. During his time in the military, Harlan was recognized with numerous awards and medals which he would just shrug off as being no big deal. Harlan retired from the US Army in 1991 with the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 3.

Harlan and Arlene settled in Saint James, MN upon retirement from the US Army, but it wasn’t long before he returned to school using his military educational benefits earned under 2 different GI Bills. He graduated from Mankato Technical College with certification in Heating and Cooling followed by a certification in Plumbing from Jackson Technical College.

For many years, Harlan could be found in the repair shop at Fleet & Farm where he enjoyed working on small motor repairs and other mechanical issues.

He was a rare combination of someone who had a love of life and a code of honor where a man’s word was his guarantee. Friends and family alike looked up to him for his personality, work ethic, natural mechanical ability, and big heart. His passions were shooting (Trap and Skeet), hunting, fishing, reloading ammo, drinking coffee, and watching westerns. He especially enjoyed his big game hunting days in Alaska and Germany, the family hunting lodge in Ardmore, South Dakota, and fishing for walleye on houseboat trips in Canada. He had a love for firearms in general and was a Lifetime Member of the NRA. He enjoyed being involved with youth shooting sports and hunter safety programs teaching the younger generation safety and skills of marksmanship.

Harlan is survived by his wife, Arlene (Flaherty), of 56 years, along with his son and daughter, Michael Hanson and Jackie of Grand Forks, ND and Beth Hanson of St. Peter, MN. He is also survived by 6 grandchildren, Michael, Mark, and Parker Hanson, Danielle Gjovik (Hanson), Stephen Berg, and Nikki Reed (Berg); and 8 great-grandchildren, Lucy, Riley, Noah, Stella, Sawyer, Wyatt, Micah, and Ronin; sisters, Ilene Carlson of St. James, Irene Wright of St. James and Marilyn (Joel) Nelson of St. James; brothers, Gary Hanson of Rapid City, SD and Joseph (Robin) Hanson of North Mankato, MN; as well as many nieces and nephews.

Harlan was preceded in death by his parents, William T.H. and Ida Hanson (Sandmeyer); brothers, Dennis and Howard; sister, Audrey; in-laws, Michael and Leila Flaherty; brothers-in-law, Donald Carlson, Tim Sykes, Elwood Wright and Melvin Roiger; sister-in-law, Helen Hanson (Scofield); and nephews, Perry Roiger and Mitch Carlson.

Cremation will take place at the family’s convenience and his ashes will be kept in an urn until they get tired of having it around. Harlan’s final resting place will be determined at a later date by the family.