David Hanson

David "Dave" Kenneth Hanson, 71, Mandan, passed away unexpectedly Wednesday, December 25, 2024. 

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, January 3, 2025, at Christ the King Catholic Church, Mandan, with Fr. Fred Harvey and Fr. Nick Schnieder concelebrating. Burial will follow at Mandan Union Cemetery. 

Visitation will be on Thursday, January 2, 2025, at Weigel Funeral Home, Mandan, from 5-7 PM with a Parish Rosary and Vigil at 7 PM. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the funeral on Friday at the church.

Dave was born to Kenneth and Alma Hanson on January 14th, 1953, in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. He was baptized and confirmed at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in West Salem, WI. Dave graduated from West Salem High School in 1971 and attended junior college at Western Wisconsin Technical College, earning a degree in supermarket management. He was then recruited by head basketball Coach Al Bortke at the University of Mary in Bismarck, ND and continued his study, earning a degree in financial management. 

By happy circumstance, the basketball scholarship offer letter he received was composed and sent out by the eventual love of his life, Dona. They developed their relationship in college and were married at Christ the King on July 1st, 1978, shortly after Dona’s graduation. They were blessed to welcome a son, Erik, on January 24, 1980, and a daughter, Megan, on October 12, 1983. 

Dave was an inspiration to many from the time he was young. A talented athlete, he excelled in track, baseball, and basketball. He was a driven competitor, leading him to recording the first legal dunk and being one of the top rebounders in history for the Marauders. Dave was honored to have his team inducted into the University of Mary Hall of Fame. His love of sports ran deep, rooting for the Chicago Cubs and the Green Bay Packers. He could talk at length about the history of these teams up to the present and enjoyed the conversations centered around all sports. Dave was also incredibly proud to watch the playing and coaching accomplishments of his children and grandchildren, always following online or in person. 

In late 1993/early 1994, Dave and Dona’s life changed forever. Doctors found a tumor growing on Dona’s brain stem which required immediate attention. The recovery timeframe was projected to be a six-month hospital stay, followed by full recovery in approximately a year. Due to complications in recovery the hospital stay lasted the better part of a year and Dona never recovered from the operation.

Dave made the loving sacrifice to be her primary caregiver while working full-time and raising two young children. Times were not easy, but despite these difficulties Dave was determined to stay with his bride and care for her as best he could. This was the absolute definition of who Dave was; a kind and loving servant. His passion for helping others was evident in his last career at the University of Mary in the financial aid department. Even though it was not always in his area of expertise, Dave would help tackle any problem for all who came knocking on his office door, developing life-long relationships with students and staff alike. He was a mentor and friend to so many, giving freely of himself all while shouldering such a burden in his personal life. The impact Dave made on not only his family but also friends and strangers too numerous to count will continue to live on in his memory.

The family would like to offer a special thank you to Dave’s University of Mary family who supported him all through his career until retirement, and especially for the support given when Dave went back to work prior to his death. 

Dave’s love for his grandchildren was his greatest source of pride and joy over the last 19 years of his life. Gabriel (19), Miles (14), Charlotte (8), Henry (4), and Lucas (1) all loved to see grandpa whenever they could. He was their larger-than-life hero who they all adored very deeply. Grandpa was always good for a great time with these five, and the laughs he could create with his dry humor at a family get-together were second-to-none. The grandchildren loved to spend holidays with Grandpa Hanson, especially the 4th of July and Christmas, which was one of Dave’s favorite times of year. 

After converting and being baptized and confirmed into the Catholic Church, Dave’s faith was a central part of his life. It was undoubtedly this faith that kept him nourished while he carried such a heavy load in life. Dave leaned heavily on this faith when he lost his wife Dona on August 21st, 2023, believing in the promise of the resurrected Jesus. He knew he would be reunited in paradise with Dona and others he loved, and Dave made this journey into heaven on the night we celebrate the infant Jesus’s journey to humanity. There is no doubt that Jesus and Dona welcomed him warmly into eternal life, side by side. 

Dave is survived by his mother-in-law, Diane Beckler; son Erik Hanson (Kimberly); daughter Megan Schaff (Clayton); grandchildren Gabriel, Miles, and Charlotte Hanson, Henry and Lucas Schaff; sister Janna Stamstad; sister Debra Lee (Ryan); brother Michael (Marianne); sister-in-law Jane Leingang (Duane); brother-in-law Daniel Beckler; aunts Joanna Goltz and Elaine Phelps; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife Dona Hanson, father and mother Kenneth and Alma Hanson, and father-in-law Ralph Beckler.