Lois L. Hanson

Minot

Lois L. Hanson, 93, Minot, ND, died Tuesday, September 30, 2025, at Trinity Homes in Minot.

Lois LaVaughn Sweet was born September 14, 1932, the daughter of Bernal and Rosanna (Due) Sweet, in Deering, ND. She was raised in Marietta, WA, and Norwich, ND, earned a high school diploma by correspondence, then attended business college in Minot, ND.

Lois worked for oil abstracting companies in Williston, ND, and Glendive, MT, before working for Northern States Power Co. and then the Clerk of District Court Office in Minot, ND.

Lois married Harvey D. Hanson March 22, 1959, in Minot, ND. They traveled the world together as a Navy family, living in Morocco, Washington, DC, the Republic of the Philippines, Japan, South Carolina, and England, and visiting Scotland, Wales, Greece, and Spain, among other places. Although they grew up on farms in North Dakota, they saw Mount Fuji and the Rock of Gibraltar, strolled on South China Sea beaches, went on day trips in the English countryside, visited the Queen’s palace in Scotland, and walked the grounds of the Parthenon in Athens.

Lois and Harvey returned to ND when he retired from the Navy, living first in Granville and then in Minot, where Lois returned to work at the Clerk of District Court Office after a very interesting 15-year break. Harvey passed away March 22, 1991, and Lois went on to retire from civil service with the State of North Dakota, enjoying life in Minot and remaining connected to her family, old friends from her world travels, and new friends and neighbors closer to home.

Lois was a member of Augustana Lutheran Church, and a dedicated supporter of Christ Lutheran Church and many other charitable organizations.

Lois enjoyed the challenge of meticulously maintaining her home and property with the help of some very generous neighbors and family, as well as exercising to stay healthy and fit and to remain independent into her 90s. She once crossed the Atlantic on a cruise ship to return home from Africa, but she lived her life of adventure without finding the need for a driver’s license of her own, thanks in no small part to the great people at Karma, whom she considered friends.

She was kind to strangers, and a friend to all who knew her. Squirt, Lulu, Aunt Lois, Mom: you were loved and you will be missed.

Her loving family includes:

Sons, Michael (Deborah), Macon, GA, and Steven (Mary), Lenexa, KS, as well as many nieces and nephews and their families. Lois was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and sister, Doris (Sweet) Moffatt.

A Private Family Service will take place at Thompson-Larson Funeral Home, Minot.

Burial: Rosehill Memorial Park, Minot.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch, Minot.

Those wishing to sign the online register and share memories may access the online obituaries section at (www.thompsonlarson.com).

Published by The Minot Daily News, October 6, 2025.