Dorothy Hanson

DOROTHY HANSON NAPA, CA - Dorothy Pearson Hanson, 86, formerly of Sterling, IL, died suddenly April 15, 2010, at the Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa. She struggled with diabetes and heart disease for many years. Mrs. Hanson was born September 27, 1923 in Sterling, the daughter of J. August and Flora Murphy Pearson. She was a 1941 graduate of the Sterling Township High School and afterward studied music at Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa. She returned home to Sterling after the attack at Pearl Harbor and worked as a secretary for a number of years. On June 9, 1946, Dorothy married Francis Hanson at the Fourth Street Methodist Church in Sterling. With the help of his father and brother, Francis built the family home on East 16th Street where the couple lived more than twenty years and raised their children David and Barbara. Dorothy was a devoted mother and was proud to have served as a troop leader for Barbara's Brownie and Girl Scout groups. At church, Dorothy played the piano and had been a Sunday School Teacher. Dorothy also enjoyed working for several years as secretary in the Nursing Department at Sauk Valley College. Francis and Dorothy moved to Napa in 1972. Mrs. Hanson is survived by her beloved husband of 63 years, Francis L. Hanson, of Napa; daughter Barbara Hanson (Don) Girton, of Napa, CA; one son, David Lee (Eve) Hanson of San Jose, CA; one grandson, Spencer Hanson, currently attending Rochester Institute of Technology in New York. Graveside services will be held at 1:30 PM, Saturday, April 24, 2010 at Oak Knoll Memorial Park, Sterling. A memorial service will also be scheduled for a later date at the First United Methodist Church of Napa. Visitation will be held from 6-8 PM Friday, April 23, 2010, at Schilling Funeral Home, Sterling. The family requests that memorials be made to either the First United Methodist Church, 625 Randolph Street, Napa, CA 94559 or to the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 11454, Alexandria, VA 22312. Arrangements were completed by the Schilling Funeral Home, Sterling. Condolences may be sent to schillingfuneralhome.com.