Virginia Therese Nichols Hanson, 85
Virginia Therese Nichols Hanson, 85
Virginia Therese Nichols Hanson, 85, passed away on Tuesday, March 18, 2014, at HealthCenter Northwest in Kalispell, surrounded by her family.
She was born on March 18, 1929, in the Sisters of Mercy Hospital in Kalispell to Fred E. and Alice (Whalen) Nichols.
In 1931 the family moved to Creston, and in 1934 to Bigfork. In August 1941 the family moved to Renton, Wash., where they lived until 1946, when Virginia graduated from Holy Angels’ High School in Seattle. Settling in Winona, Minn., Virginia attended the college of St. Teresa for two years, then set out for Seattle. On the way she stopped to visit relatives in Wolf Point; Twenty-five years later she finished the journey to Seattle, visiting friends there.
The main reason keeping her in Wolf Point was meeting Melvin Clark Hanson; they were married Aug. 31, 1950. When their first child was born in August 1951, she decided that life is wonderful and that she wanted to be part of giving life to as many people as she could. In the next 17 years, she and Melvin became parents to 10 more children. Virginia completed the LaSalle Accounting Course during this time and worked outside the home as an accountant on a part-time basis off and on throughout most of these years; she went on to full-time work when all the children were in school.
In 1977, Virginia, Melvin and the youngest children moved to Kalispell. There they joined the newly established parish at Risen Christ Catholic Church. She went to work for the parish in 1983, retiring Dec. 31, 2009. Twenty-six years! She said this was the only job (other than child raising) which didn’t get boring after four years.
Virginia is survived by her husband, Melvin; and 11 children, Melvin C. Hanson Jr., Michael Hanson, Mary and Myron Long, Kristin McCaulley, Kathryn and Dan Koehler, Robert Hanson, Monica Tatafu, Judy and Colin Andrews, Richard Hanson, Diane and Bill Kraemer and Deborah and Troy Bungay; 31 grandchildren, Darren, Nick, Justin, Christopher, Rachel, Melissa, Morgan, Andrew, Adam, Tara, Jennifer, Jordan, Cameron, Stephanie, Rebecca, Levi, Jason, Bryan, Brianna, Tory, Tasha, Mandy, Ryan, Johnny, Richie, Kaylynn, Melinda, Taylor, Tanner, Tawny and Schafer; 29 great-grandchildren, with two on the way; two sisters, Barbara Cox of St. Paul, Minn., and Mary Rose Nichols and Ron Brand of Elgin, Ore.; and one brother, Charles, and Joan Nichols, of Waldport, Ore.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, March 24, at Risen Christ Catholic Church with Father Stanislaw Rog as celebrant.
Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Home is caring for Virginia’s family. You are invited to www.jgfunerhome.com to view Virginia’s tribute wall offer condolences and share memories.