Obituary of Hjalmer J. Hanson

Hjalmer J. Hanson, age 77, of Wisconsin Rapids, passed away on Saturday, March 10, 2018 at Edenbrook of Wisconsin Rapids, formerly Strawberry Lane Medical and Rehabilitation Center, where he had been a resident since July 8, 2017.

Services for Hjalmer will be held on Saturday, March 17, 2018 at 11:00 A.M. at St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wisconsin Rapids.  Pastor Martin Baur will officiate. Burial will follow at Restlawn Memorial Park Cemetery.  Visitation for family and friends will be on Saturday, from 10:00 A.M. until the time of services at the church. Herman-Taylor Funeral Home is honored to be serving the family.  Online condolences may be expressed at www.taylorfuneralhome.net.

Hjalmer was born July 10, 1940 at Riverview Hospital in Wisconsin Rapids.  He grew up on a farm in Milladore, son of Ted and Etola Hanson. Hjalmer loved the farm life.  When he lost his arm in a farming accident at age 25, he continued farming for 2 more years, before deciding there were too many things he couldn’t do with only one arm.  The family sold the farm and moved to Wisconsin Rapids. Hjalmer watched some pea harvesters working and decided he could be successful at harvesting.  His love of equipment and very understanding co-workers, allowed him to work for Nicklaus Enterprises of Irma, WI.  This was the beginning of a career that would see him participate in the harvesting of green beans for 44 years.  He along with a team of harvesters, would go to several states to harvest beans. Each year after the beans were done, Hjalmer continued harvesting in the potato fields around Coloma, WI for Gary Chileski, digging, hauling, and sorting potatoes. When the Hartung Brothers of Spring Green, WI took over the green bean harvesting, he went with the move. Hjalmer drove the harvesters in many states, going as far south as Florida, east to Michigan, west to Minnesota, and all states in between. He loved the harvest and did as good a job as one could do.

After the harvest was done for the season, Hjalmer and his mother would go to California for the winter. They would visit his sister Joyce who lived there, and the weather was much warmer. It was here that there was a 3-acre parcel of land where a young lady named Suzan lived.  Hjalmer would come over everyday and help her with projects she was doing in the garden for a truck gardening business. After two years, she finally agreed to a date.  Three years later, they were married on March 5, 1983.  They came back to Wisconsin and the both worked on the crew, driving bean pickers for the next 27 years. They both loved the work they did and were proud to contribute to the nation’s food supply.

Hjalmer is survived by his wife, Suzan; his sister, Velma Wolfe; his brother, Emery (Joanne) Hanson; a sister-in-law, Sharon Hanson; and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews.  He is also going to be missed by his best buddy, a Boston Terrier, Heidi.  He is preceded in death by his parents, his sisters: Joyce (Bill) Dibble, Shirley Kassien, and Loretta (Marvin) Hildebrandt; his brothers: Roger Hanson and Clifford Hanson; and brother-in-law, David Wolfe.