LaVerne Hanson, of Thief River Falls, Minnesota, passed away peacefully on October 3, 2026, at Thief River Care Center, surrounded by her loving family.

Funeral service for Laverne will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, October 9, 2026 at Johnson Funeral Service in Thief River Falls, MN. Burial will follow at Greenwood Cemetery in Strathcona, MN. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service on Friday at the funeral home.

LaVerne Hanson was born on April 19, 1936, in Greenbush, Minnesota, to Ned and Bertha (Marquardt) Halverson. She was raised in the Middle River area, where she learned the values of hard work, faith, kindness, and devotion to family that would guide her throughout her life. Those early lessons shaped the caring and compassionate woman who would become a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend to many.

LaVerne's life was centered on family, faith, hard work, and caring for others. She married Roy Anderson on November 14, 1954, and together they were blessed with five children, Mitch, Randy, Kim, Michelle, and Dawn. Raising a busy household was no small task, yet LaVerne somehow managed it all with love, patience, and determination. Her family often wondered how she found enough hours in the day to care for everyone.

On July 31, 1982, LaVerne married Harvey Hanson and warmly welcomed his children into her heart and home as they welcomed her. She embraced her role as a farm wife, spending her days cooking, baking, visiting with friends and neighbors, and keeping a pot of coffee ready for anyone who stopped by. Guests were always greeted with a smile, a cup of coffee, and something delicious from her kitchen.

LaVerne and Harvey shared over forty years of marriage filled with love, companionship, and many adventures. Together they enjoyed helping family members, spending time in their community, shopping, fishing, taking drives. She was an avid Twins fan and watching the Price Is Right and Wheel of Fortune. No matter where they went, coffee was always part of the journey.

After Harvey's passing in 2019, LaVerne made her home with her daughter Michelle and son-in-law Mike. She came to appreciate the quiet country life, spending countless hours watching the birds and wildlife outside her window. She continued to enjoy cooking and baking, and although she missed the companionship she and Harvey shared in Strathcona, her love for family remained the center of her life.

One of LaVerne's most remarkable qualities was her positive outlook. Those who knew her best will remember that she rarely complained, even during the challenges of her final months. Instead, she focused on the blessings around her and treasured every visit from her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and extended family.

LaVerne leaves behind her loving family who will forever cherish her memory, including her children, Mitch (Nancy), Randy (LeAnn), Kim, Michelle (Mike), and Dawn (Mark); stepchildren, Deborah, Kurt (Vangie), Shirley (Mark), and Wayne (Cheryl); numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, one brother Les Halverson; and many other relatives and friends whose lives she touched.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Harvey Hanson, who passed away in 2019; and numerous relatives and friends.

LaVerne will be remembered for her warm hospitality, her wonderful cooking and baking, her unwavering love for family, and the kindness she extended to everyone she met. Her legacy lives on in the generations she helped raise and the countless lives she enriched through her love and generosity.

Blessed be the memory of LaVerne Hanson.