In Loving Memory
Verna L. Hanson
November 22, 1925 - May 9, 2022

VISITATION
Sunday, May 15, 2022
3:00 - 6:00 P.M.
Martin-Mattice Funeral Home
Emmetsburg, Iowa

SERVICE
Monday, May 16, 2022
10:00 A.M.
Bethany Lutheran Church
Emmetsburg, Iowa

CLERGY
Rev. Peter Morlock

INTERMENT
Valley View Cemetery
Graettinger, Iowa

Verna LaVon Richardson Sprout Hanson was born November 22, 1925 to Arthur and Vina Richardson.  She grew up on a farm east of Graettinger, Iowa. She attended country school walking or riding her horse there.  She loved riding her horse.  She joined 4-H and demonstrated making dinner rolls at the state fair.

Verna married Robert Sprout during wartime at  Kingman, Arizona air base on July 28, 1944.  Robert was killed flying over England.  Months later, their son Randy was born.

Verna, with her two -year old son in tow, attended the University of Iowa in Iowa City majoring in journalism.  It was on one of the train trips to and from Iowa City and Graettinger that Joe Hanson, another University of Iowa student returning home to Dolliver,  first laid eyes on Verna.  They were married on December 20, 1948.

The family moved to Emmetsburg, Iowa in 1953 where they rented several houses before purchasing their home on Palmer Street in 1959. Verna would live here for the next 60 years.  Her family grew to three boys; Randy, Tom, and Eric, and two girls, Becky and Jenny.  In 2019, Verna moved to Lakeside Assisted Living.  She enjoyed her time there.

Verna had many hobbies.  She was an avid sewer, sewing clothes for herself and her family.  Later she would be the chairman on the Lutheran World Relief Quilters for 30 years, sewing countless quilts for people all over the world.  Verna enjoyed making wool braided rugs and made many for herself and family members.  She was known for her wonderful cinnamon rolls and kringla.  Verna and Joe took square dance lessons and enjoyed going to square dances around the area.  Verna had a big garden every year and enjoyed hunting asparagus in ditches.  She liked going to auctions and collecting antiques.  She was an avid reader.  The whole family enjoyed going on long camping vacations every summer.  One highlight was the trip to Arizona where both Verna and Joe walked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon.  In 2008, Verna flew to England with Randy and Dawn to visit the burial place of her husband Robert for the first time.

Verna worked in the Learning Center at Iowa Lakes Community College for many years.  One summer, she ran Crescent Beach Supper Club in Okoboji where she created the menu, hired and trained the workers, and ordered all the food.   Joe's law  firm was in charge of it one summer and Verna excelled at managing the restaurant.  When she was in her 80's, she wrote a book about growing up on a farm.  Entitled Snapshots; Memories of an Iowa Farm Girl. It was quite a project. She donated the proceeds to Habitat for Humanity.

Verna was a member of several groups.  She was a member of Bethany Lutheran Church and served in many capacities there.  She was a member of AAUW and Friday Club.

Verna died on May 9 ^th , 2022. She was preceded in death by: her parents, her brother Arnold and his wife, her husbands Robert Sprout and Joe Hanson, and 3 daughters-in-law and 2 sons-in-law.  She is survived by her children; Randy Sprout and his wife Dawn of Los Angeles, Tom Hanson of Charlotte, North Carolina, Becky Hanson of Estherville, Iowa, Eric Hanson and wife Sue of Hudson, Wisconsin, and Jenny Boggess and husband Tom of Estherville, Iowa.  There are 14 grandchildren: Robert, Laurel, and Barrett, Elizabeth and Sarah, Robin and Abbey, Ellen, Joe, and Emily, and Patrick, Arthur, Erin, and Lauren.  There are ten great grandchildren.

Arrangements by Martin-Mattice Funeral Home