Arlene Ruth Hanson

Arlene R. Hanson, 80,

Minot, died Monday, June

17, 2019 in a Minot nurs-

ing home.

Arlene Ruth (Bjerke)

Hanson was born July 25,

1938, in Mayville Union

Hospital, Portland, North

Dakota to Melvin and

Magda (Otteson) Bjerke.

She attended grade school

in Steele County and gra-

duated from Portland

High School in 1957. She

married Kenneth Hanson

on January 22, 1958, in

Seguin, TX. They moved

all over the country for

Kenneth’s work which

took them to CA, TX, MO,

and ND. They moved to

Minot in 1968 where Ar-

lene worked for B&B Drug

for 17 years, finally

“retiring” in 1991. She

had been an active

member of Christ Luth-

eran Church where she

was involved in CLCW,

council, Hostfest prepara-

tions and a key figure at

Katie’s Soup Kitchen and

the Cathedral Choir. She

volunteered weekly at the

Trinity Hospital Gift

Shop, made hundreds of

baby blankets, em-

broidered thousands of

dish towels for new

brides, kept QVC in busi-

ness, and was a faithful

HGTV fan. Her witty,

unpredictable and some-

times unsolicited advice

kept her family and

friends in stitches.

Arlene’s kitchen and base-

ment were always a

beehive of activity, where

over the years, she pro-

duced tens of thousands

lefse rounds, rosettes,

krumkake, sunbuckles

and other treats. One of

her greatest joys was to

spend time with her

grandchildren and

great-grandchildren.

Countless hours were

spent shuttling them

around and giving advice

with a good dose of reality

and humor. She enjoyed

cooking, sewing, music,

traveling and spending

time with her friends and

family. Arlene and her

husband were avid trav-

elers and enjoyed spend-

ing time in Norway, Ger-

many, England, Alaska,

Hawaii, Florida as well as

many trips back to Port-

land & Mayville. After her

husband died on June 12,

2007, Arlene showed the

true courage and strength

of a stubborn Norwegian

woman. She continued to

live in her own house,

drive everywhere, travel

around the world and

kept busy until the end.

Loving family include:

children, Janet Sherman

of Surrey, ND, Lyle Han-

son and wife Rita of Rapid

City, SD and Joan Lambert

of Minot, ND; five grand-

daughters: Jessica Mueller

and husband Daniel of

RAF

Mildenhall/Lakenheath,

UK, Miranda Sherman of

Surrey, Chelsea Sherman

with friend Dustin Heizel-

man of Minot, Megan

Stahl and husband Tyler

of Minot, Ali Beau Lac

and husband Gene of

Minot; eleven

great-grandchildren: Ma-

son, Naduah, Dominic,

Dalton, Brody, Ryker,

Asher, Aria, Celia, Jenner

and Jensyn; brothers: Sam

Bjerke and Bobby

(Sharon) Bjerke. Sisters:

Marion Brasel and Corrine

Knudson as well as a very

large extended family of

brothers and

sisters-in-law, nieces,

nephews and cousins.

She was preceded in

death by: her parents,

husband, brothers Her-

man and Richard and sis-

ter Marcella.

Funeral Service: Fri-

day, June 21, 2019 at 1:00

p.m. in Christ Lutheran

Church, Minot.

Visitation: Thursday,

June 20, 2019 from 3:00

p.m. – 6:00 p.m. in Tho-

mas Family Funeral

Home, Minot.

Prayer Service: Thurs-

day, June 20, 2019 at 7:00

p.m. in Thomas Family

Funeral Home, Minot.

Memorials are preferred

to Katie’s Kitchen or the

Cathedral Choir of Christ

Lutheran Church, Minot.

Memories and con-

dolences can be shared at

www.thomasfamily

funeralhome.com.