Stella Marie (Peterson) Hanson Obituary (1926 - 2014)

Stella Marie (Peterson) Hanson passed away February 7, 2014, at Lotus Park Assisted Living in West Haven, Utah. Stella was born April 15, 1926, in Yankton, SD, to Ben and Dorothy Peterson. A life-long resident of South Dakota, she moved to Utah in July 2012 to be near her oldest daughter, Grace Boyd, who spent countless hours tending to her needs. Stella attended schools in Yankton, graduating from Yankton High. After graduation, she married Ray Hanson on May 18, 1946, in Yankton, where they lived a short time before moving to nearby Gayville, SD, to raise their family. After many years of being a stay-at-home mom, Stella operated The Corner CafAC. in Gayville for a short time, before being hired by the state to be one of the first officers at the newly opened South Dakota State Women's Penitentiary in Yankton, SD. She worked there for 16 years and enjoyed her work, feeling she was touching the lives of many women with her caring and counseling. After retirement from the state, she worked for Walmart in Yankton. Stella was blessed with a beautiful singing voice and an ear for playing the piano. She was a mainstay with the Gayville Lutheran Church's choir and was often asked to perform as a soloist. Her favorite singing, though, was done in harmony with her sisters and family at almost every get-together. She also loved to write, even taking a writing course and submitting articles for publication. She enjoyed watching baseball with her husband Ray, cheering for the Chicago Cubs and the Minnesota Twins. She seldom passed up a chance to play bingo. She was preceded in death by Ray, her husband of 62 years; her brother, Edward; and sisters, Dorothy, Josephine, and Inga. She is survived by sisters Emma Peterson, Aptos, CA; and Gertrude Fassio, Santa Cruz, CA; her four children; Ray Hanson, Jr. (Linda), Huntsville, AL; Grace (Kaleb) Boyd, Sunset, UT; Stephanie (Jerry) O'Connor, Omaha, NE; and Rodney Hanson (Barb), Yankton, SD; three grandchildren, Andrew O'Connor, Kelly (Jon) Nice, Michael O'Connor and two great-grandchildren, Jacob and Ethan Nice, all of Omaha. The family would like to thank Autumn Winds Assisted Living in Yankton for their care of Stella during her time there, and most recently Janae and her staff at Lotus Park Assisted Living, for loving and caring for her during the last 1 A 1/2 years. They made her feel like family and that is a blessing. A memorial service will be held at a later date in South Dakota. Condolences may be sent to the family at http://www.myers-mortuary.com