MARY E. HANSON 1920-2021
Mary Elizabeth Hanson passed away on January 31, 2021 due to complications from Covid 19. She was 100 1/2 years old. Mary was born in Brooklyn, New York on August 3, 1920 to Lewis and Jane Wehrum Quick. She had an older brother, Lewis Jr. She graduated from Erasmas Hall High School and worked several secretarial jobs in Manhattan after graduating. She was raised Catholic and attended the Holy Innocents Catholic Church.
Mary is survived by her son Lawrence Hanson and wife Tambria of Houston, her son Robert Hanson and wife Tina of Flippin AR, her granddaughter Kirsten Hauptman, husband Arthur and her great granddaughter Olivia of Oklahoma City
OK. She is preceded in death by her parents, brother and husband. She married Gordon Hanson on April 13, 1946 at the Rectors home of the Dutch Reform Church in Brooklyn, New York. Gordon was a sales manager for the Philip Carey Co. Gordon’s job required the family to move numerous times which she did with no complaints. They moved to Cleveland, then Cincinnati, then St Louis, then back to Cincinnati and then back to St Louis. The last move was to Houston in 1964 and that is where the family planted their roots. The boys went to a different school every year through High School.
Mary went to work at St Francis Episcopal Church on Piney Point and she became Episcopalian, attending St Francis and later Emmanuel. She worked there for 20 years for Dick Wheatcroft, the Rector. In 1984, they had a retirement party for her and presented her with a bottle of glue because as they said “It truly can be said that Mary Hanson has served us well as part of the glue that binds us together”. Doug McLean wrote and sang Mary’s version of Frank Sinatra’s (My Way ). It was really special. In 1985, she started the Wednesday Morning Book Club. This organization is still in operation today, 36 years later. In the 90’s she and her friends quilted blankets for Project Linus, a non-profit organization providing handmade blankets to children in need (projectlinus.org). And, of course, there was her love of animals. Skippy was her first dog and after that she had 5 dogs, 2 cats and 2 birds. Her last bird, Pretty Boy, is living with her son Larry.
She lived on Barwood Dr. in Spring Branch for 51 years. In 2015, she moved to Treemont Retirement facility. There she had a great life. She made many friends and everyone knew Mary as she roamed the halls in her wheelchair. In 2018, she moved to assisted living and finally to the skilled care floor, where she was still roaming the halls in her wheelchair visiting everybody. She was known as MISS MARY. She received excellent care at the Treemont facility in all 3 levels of care. The family would like to extend their sincere thanks to Cynthia Lamison, the Administrator, and all the great staff that helped her in her final days in the Nursing Home.
A memorial has been created at (www.forevermissed.com/mary-e-hanson). We will be uploading many pictures of her life. Please feel free to visit the site and add your pictures or comments. We will celebrate Mary’s life in a memorial service at a later date due to the pandemic. Because of Mary’s love of animals and especially her concern for stray dogs and cats, in lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests that recognition be made to the Spay Neuter Assistance Program (www. snapus.org) or a charity of your choice.