At two and a half years old, Christine Lee Hanson was the youngest of the eight children who were killed on 9/11, all passengers aboard aircraft commandeered by terrorists.
On September 11, 2001, Christine and her parents, Peter and Sue Kim Hanson, left their residence in Groton, Mass. and boarded United Flight 175 at Logan Airport. The family was flying to Los Angeles to combine her father's business trip with a visit Sue Kim's relatives, followed by a trip to Disneyland. The hijacked plane never reached its destination. Two other children died on the same flight when it crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center.
Christine attended Knowledge Beginnings in Chelmsford, Mass. A bright, busy toddler, she loved taking trips to the playground and helping her father in the garden. An attentive caretaker of her toys, she favored a stuffed Peter Rabbit character from the classic Beatrix Potter series. The stuffed animal, complete with Winnie-the-Pooh stickers lovingly applied by Christine, forms the centerpiece of her cenotaph at the National September 11 Museum.
Contributed by Starfishin [#48860385]
~~~~~~~~~~
For Peter and Sue Hanson, giving their two-year-old daughter Christine an idyllic, rural upbringing was a priority.
Though Peter and Sue both worked in Boston – Peter for an Internet firm, Sue as a doctoral candidate and senior research technician at Boston University – the family had moved from the city to Groton, Mass., and set about putting down roots. Literally.
Peter was an ambitious gardener, planting not just lilacs and roses, but trees as well – at least 30, according to Eunice, his mother. A bright and busy toddler, Christine could often be found helping her father in the family garden. She was known to talk to the flowers and trees they planted together.
Peter's father, Lee, admired the Hansons' pastoral life, and he recalled his last visit with his son's family in an interview with StoryCorps.
"When I got to the house, they were busy planting some trees and bushes and so forth. Peter had become quite a horticulturalist. He liked plants and trees. And his wife helped him out on that, and little Christine did too. I had a chance to see them that day. And I remember when it was time for us to go home, I was reading a story to Christine and everyone else was outside waiting to say goodbye. And I finished the story, and I put Christine down, and she ran in front of me to go to the front of the house. And I said, 'You know, Christine, I love you.' She said, 'I love you too, Papa.' And I said, 'Aren't we lucky that we have each other to love?' And she broke into a big smile, put her arms—spread her arms out, and did a happy dance."
On Sept. 11, 2001, husband and wife Peter and Sue Hanson left their Massachusetts home and boarded Flight 175 with their daughter Christine. The family was on their way to California for a trip to Disneyland and to visit family. The youngest of the eight children who were killed on 9/11, it was Christine's first time on an airplane.
By the 9/11 Memorial Staff
To honor the memory of Christine Hanson, aged two-and-a-half who was lost on September 11, 2001 a tree was planted at Old Academy Nursery School. Her grandfather, Lee Hanson, noted "you don't often see a statue of an angel at a Congregational Church or school, but they planted this tree for Christine. That means a lot to me because the kids did it."
Reason site was selected
The students and teachers of Old Academy Nursery School wanted to plant a tree at their site, since Christine had played there with her grandparents when she visited them in Easton. The school is affiliated with the Hanson's church. The tree is publicly visible from both the school window and the street.
Lee Hanson replied that it while not sacred, it is beautiful to think of the children planting the tree, caring for it and watching it grow. Most of them will surely come back when they are grown to see the tree they planted with such love." Eunice Hanson added that such places are "…a memorial, a reminder, a commemoration and a promise, but Ground Zero, where thousands of lives were taken, is truly hallowed ground."
Contributed by Starfishin [#48860385]
~
Grandparents Eunice and Lee Hanson have been involved in a number of projects in honor of their family. Soon after the attacks, Groton built and dedicated a playground to Christine behind the Groton Public Library. The Hansons also established a treatment room at Boston Children's Hospital in Christine's name, and they helped finance an education center at the Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Contributed by Starfishin [#48860385]
Memorial Site here
On September 11, 2001, Christine and her parents, Peter and Sue Kim Hanson, left their residence in Groton, Mass. and boarded United Flight 175 at Logan Airport. The family was flying to Los Angeles to combine her father's business trip with a visit Sue Kim's relatives, followed by a trip to Disneyland. The hijacked plane never reached its destination. Two other children died on the same flight when it crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center.
Christine attended Knowledge Beginnings in Chelmsford, Mass. A bright, busy toddler, she loved taking trips to the playground and helping her father in the garden. An attentive caretaker of her toys, she favored a stuffed Peter Rabbit character from the classic Beatrix Potter series. The stuffed animal, complete with Winnie-the-Pooh stickers lovingly applied by Christine, forms the centerpiece of her cenotaph at the National September 11 Museum.
Contributed by Starfishin [#48860385]
~~~~~~~~~~
For Peter and Sue Hanson, giving their two-year-old daughter Christine an idyllic, rural upbringing was a priority.
Though Peter and Sue both worked in Boston – Peter for an Internet firm, Sue as a doctoral candidate and senior research technician at Boston University – the family had moved from the city to Groton, Mass., and set about putting down roots. Literally.
Peter was an ambitious gardener, planting not just lilacs and roses, but trees as well – at least 30, according to Eunice, his mother. A bright and busy toddler, Christine could often be found helping her father in the family garden. She was known to talk to the flowers and trees they planted together.
Peter's father, Lee, admired the Hansons' pastoral life, and he recalled his last visit with his son's family in an interview with StoryCorps.
"When I got to the house, they were busy planting some trees and bushes and so forth. Peter had become quite a horticulturalist. He liked plants and trees. And his wife helped him out on that, and little Christine did too. I had a chance to see them that day. And I remember when it was time for us to go home, I was reading a story to Christine and everyone else was outside waiting to say goodbye. And I finished the story, and I put Christine down, and she ran in front of me to go to the front of the house. And I said, 'You know, Christine, I love you.' She said, 'I love you too, Papa.' And I said, 'Aren't we lucky that we have each other to love?' And she broke into a big smile, put her arms—spread her arms out, and did a happy dance."
On Sept. 11, 2001, husband and wife Peter and Sue Hanson left their Massachusetts home and boarded Flight 175 with their daughter Christine. The family was on their way to California for a trip to Disneyland and to visit family. The youngest of the eight children who were killed on 9/11, it was Christine's first time on an airplane.
By the 9/11 Memorial Staff
To honor the memory of Christine Hanson, aged two-and-a-half who was lost on September 11, 2001 a tree was planted at Old Academy Nursery School. Her grandfather, Lee Hanson, noted "you don't often see a statue of an angel at a Congregational Church or school, but they planted this tree for Christine. That means a lot to me because the kids did it."
Reason site was selected
The students and teachers of Old Academy Nursery School wanted to plant a tree at their site, since Christine had played there with her grandparents when she visited them in Easton. The school is affiliated with the Hanson's church. The tree is publicly visible from both the school window and the street.
Lee Hanson replied that it while not sacred, it is beautiful to think of the children planting the tree, caring for it and watching it grow. Most of them will surely come back when they are grown to see the tree they planted with such love." Eunice Hanson added that such places are "…a memorial, a reminder, a commemoration and a promise, but Ground Zero, where thousands of lives were taken, is truly hallowed ground."
Contributed by Starfishin [#48860385]
~
Grandparents Eunice and Lee Hanson have been involved in a number of projects in honor of their family. Soon after the attacks, Groton built and dedicated a playground to Christine behind the Groton Public Library. The Hansons also established a treatment room at Boston Children's Hospital in Christine's name, and they helped finance an education center at the Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Contributed by Starfishin [#48860385]
Memorial Site here
At two and a half years old, Christine Lee Hanson was the youngest of the eight children who were killed on 9/11, all passengers aboard aircraft commandeered by terrorists.
On September 11, 2001, Christine and her parents, Peter and Sue Kim Hanson, left their residence in Groton, Mass. and boarded United Flight 175 at Logan Airport. The family was flying to Los Angeles to combine her father's business trip with a visit Sue Kim's relatives, followed by a trip to Disneyland. The hijacked plane never reached its destination. Two other children died on the same flight when it crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center.
Christine attended Knowledge Beginnings in Chelmsford, Mass. A bright, busy toddler, she loved taking trips to the playground and helping her father in the garden. An attentive caretaker of her toys, she favored a stuffed Peter Rabbit character from the classic Beatrix Potter series. The stuffed animal, complete with Winnie-the-Pooh stickers lovingly applied by Christine, forms the centerpiece of her cenotaph at the National September 11 Museum.
Contributed by Starfishin [#48860385]
~~~~~~~~~~
For Peter and Sue Hanson, giving their two-year-old daughter Christine an idyllic, rural upbringing was a priority.
Though Peter and Sue both worked in Boston – Peter for an Internet firm, Sue as a doctoral candidate and senior research technician at Boston University – the family had moved from the city to Groton, Mass., and set about putting down roots. Literally.
Peter was an ambitious gardener, planting not just lilacs and roses, but trees as well – at least 30, according to Eunice, his mother. A bright and busy toddler, Christine could often be found helping her father in the family garden. She was known to talk to the flowers and trees they planted together.
Peter's father, Lee, admired the Hansons' pastoral life, and he recalled his last visit with his son's family in an interview with StoryCorps.
"When I got to the house, they were busy planting some trees and bushes and so forth. Peter had become quite a horticulturalist. He liked plants and trees. And his wife helped him out on that, and little Christine did too. I had a chance to see them that day. And I remember when it was time for us to go home, I was reading a story to Christine and everyone else was outside waiting to say goodbye. And I finished the story, and I put Christine down, and she ran in front of me to go to the front of the house. And I said, 'You know, Christine, I love you.' She said, 'I love you too, Papa.' And I said, 'Aren't we lucky that we have each other to love?' And she broke into a big smile, put her arms—spread her arms out, and did a happy dance."
On Sept. 11, 2001, husband and wife Peter and Sue Hanson left their Massachusetts home and boarded Flight 175 with their daughter Christine. The family was on their way to California for a trip to Disneyland and to visit family. The youngest of the eight children who were killed on 9/11, it was Christine's first time on an airplane.
By the 9/11 Memorial Staff
To honor the memory of Christine Hanson, aged two-and-a-half who was lost on September 11, 2001 a tree was planted at Old Academy Nursery School. Her grandfather, Lee Hanson, noted "you don't often see a statue of an angel at a Congregational Church or school, but they planted this tree for Christine. That means a lot to me because the kids did it."
Reason site was selected
The students and teachers of Old Academy Nursery School wanted to plant a tree at their site, since Christine had played there with her grandparents when she visited them in Easton. The school is affiliated with the Hanson's church. The tree is publicly visible from both the school window and the street.
Lee Hanson replied that it while not sacred, it is beautiful to think of the children planting the tree, caring for it and watching it grow. Most of them will surely come back when they are grown to see the tree they planted with such love." Eunice Hanson added that such places are "…a memorial, a reminder, a commemoration and a promise, but Ground Zero, where thousands of lives were taken, is truly hallowed ground."
Contributed by Starfishin [#48860385]
~
Grandparents Eunice and Lee Hanson have been involved in a number of projects in honor of their family. Soon after the attacks, Groton built and dedicated a playground to Christine behind the Groton Public Library. The Hansons also established a treatment room at Boston Children's Hospital in Christine's name, and they helped finance an education center at the Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Contributed by Starfishin [#48860385]
Memorial Site here
On September 11, 2001, Christine and her parents, Peter and Sue Kim Hanson, left their residence in Groton, Mass. and boarded United Flight 175 at Logan Airport. The family was flying to Los Angeles to combine her father's business trip with a visit Sue Kim's relatives, followed by a trip to Disneyland. The hijacked plane never reached its destination. Two other children died on the same flight when it crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center.
Christine attended Knowledge Beginnings in Chelmsford, Mass. A bright, busy toddler, she loved taking trips to the playground and helping her father in the garden. An attentive caretaker of her toys, she favored a stuffed Peter Rabbit character from the classic Beatrix Potter series. The stuffed animal, complete with Winnie-the-Pooh stickers lovingly applied by Christine, forms the centerpiece of her cenotaph at the National September 11 Museum.
Contributed by Starfishin [#48860385]
~~~~~~~~~~
For Peter and Sue Hanson, giving their two-year-old daughter Christine an idyllic, rural upbringing was a priority.
Though Peter and Sue both worked in Boston – Peter for an Internet firm, Sue as a doctoral candidate and senior research technician at Boston University – the family had moved from the city to Groton, Mass., and set about putting down roots. Literally.
Peter was an ambitious gardener, planting not just lilacs and roses, but trees as well – at least 30, according to Eunice, his mother. A bright and busy toddler, Christine could often be found helping her father in the family garden. She was known to talk to the flowers and trees they planted together.
Peter's father, Lee, admired the Hansons' pastoral life, and he recalled his last visit with his son's family in an interview with StoryCorps.
"When I got to the house, they were busy planting some trees and bushes and so forth. Peter had become quite a horticulturalist. He liked plants and trees. And his wife helped him out on that, and little Christine did too. I had a chance to see them that day. And I remember when it was time for us to go home, I was reading a story to Christine and everyone else was outside waiting to say goodbye. And I finished the story, and I put Christine down, and she ran in front of me to go to the front of the house. And I said, 'You know, Christine, I love you.' She said, 'I love you too, Papa.' And I said, 'Aren't we lucky that we have each other to love?' And she broke into a big smile, put her arms—spread her arms out, and did a happy dance."
On Sept. 11, 2001, husband and wife Peter and Sue Hanson left their Massachusetts home and boarded Flight 175 with their daughter Christine. The family was on their way to California for a trip to Disneyland and to visit family. The youngest of the eight children who were killed on 9/11, it was Christine's first time on an airplane.
By the 9/11 Memorial Staff
To honor the memory of Christine Hanson, aged two-and-a-half who was lost on September 11, 2001 a tree was planted at Old Academy Nursery School. Her grandfather, Lee Hanson, noted "you don't often see a statue of an angel at a Congregational Church or school, but they planted this tree for Christine. That means a lot to me because the kids did it."
Reason site was selected
The students and teachers of Old Academy Nursery School wanted to plant a tree at their site, since Christine had played there with her grandparents when she visited them in Easton. The school is affiliated with the Hanson's church. The tree is publicly visible from both the school window and the street.
Lee Hanson replied that it while not sacred, it is beautiful to think of the children planting the tree, caring for it and watching it grow. Most of them will surely come back when they are grown to see the tree they planted with such love." Eunice Hanson added that such places are "…a memorial, a reminder, a commemoration and a promise, but Ground Zero, where thousands of lives were taken, is truly hallowed ground."
Contributed by Starfishin [#48860385]
~
Grandparents Eunice and Lee Hanson have been involved in a number of projects in honor of their family. Soon after the attacks, Groton built and dedicated a playground to Christine behind the Groton Public Library. The Hansons also established a treatment room at Boston Children's Hospital in Christine's name, and they helped finance an education center at the Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Contributed by Starfishin [#48860385]
Memorial Site here
Gravesite Details
Christine's ashes were inurned, along with those of her father Peter Hanson, mother Sue Hanson, grandfather Lee Hanson, and great-uncle Peter Stelos in a service on November 19, 2018.
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