Edwin Hanson, a resident of Thief River Falls for the past seven years, and formerly of the Goodridge community for many years, died Friday evening July 21, 1961 at Northwestern Hospital in Thief River Falls at the age of 81. Funeral services were held on Tuesday, July 25th in the Assemblies of God Tabernacle. Interment was in the Greenwood Cemetery.

John "Edwin" Hanson was born January 14, 1880 at Tansem Township, Clay Co., MN to Stephen Hanson Furua and Bertha Larsdtr, both emigrants from Gran, Norway. He was baptized at North Immanuel East Church in Norwegian Grove, MN on March 16, 1880. He was the fifth child in this large family. Sadly his mother Bertha died when he was less than 3 years old. His father quickly remarried and then fathered many more children. Edwin grew up in this very large family (of 17 children in all) in a tight-knit Norwegian-speaking community full of aunts, uncles, and cousins.

On June 11, 1906 he married Alma Stephenson at Barnesville. Shortly thereafter they loaded all their belongings into a wagon and headed north. In this wagon, pulled by oxen, they travelled to Goodridge, a distance of over 130 miles. There Edwin had bought land and built a one-room house. They had two cows tied behind the wagon that they had received as a wedding gift from their parents. They homesteaded and farmed there until 1928.

Then they moved to Fosston and farmed there until 1954. Next they moved to Thief River Falls to retire. Due to poor health, they had made their home with their daughter Selma Jensine (Mrs. Emil) Anderson and her husband for the past 14 months.

Surviving children include Selma Jensine(Mrs. Emil) Anderson of Thief River Falls, Inga Bertha(Mrs. Bert)Coan of Goodridge, Eddie Adolph of Fosston, Esther Amanda (Mrs. Selmer Myklejord), Lillian Catherine (Mrs. Alvin) Nordvold of Zumbroto, and Julian Raymond of Tucson, Arizona. Surviving siblings included 2 brothers Henry and Arthur of Pelican Rapids and four sisters, Karine (Mrs. Ole C.) Hanson of Duluth, MN; Emma Sofie (Mrs. John) Nelson of Canada, Minnie (Mrs. Carl) Solberg of Fargo; Laura (Mrs. Otto) Nergaard of Barnesville, MN.

Seven brothers (Hans Lewis, Syver Bernard, George Peter, Ole Theodore, Oliver Ferdinand, Julian Melvin, and Alfred Clarence)and 3 sisters (Lise Helene, Lizzie, and Julia) and his parents pre-deceased him.