Obituary of Rose Hanson

Obituary of Rose (Rozalia Eugenia) Hanson            February 24, 1927 – January 29, 2018

Surrounded by family, our mom, Rose Hanson, passed away peacefully on January 29, 2018 in Dawson Creek, B.C.  just short of her 91^st birthday.

Mom was born in Mundare, Alberta to John and Annie (Olechow) Osinchuk  and she spent much of her youth with her grandparents, aunts and uncles in and around the Mundare area. 

She had fond memories of picking morel mushrooms and berries with her grandpa Peter Olechow – a passion that mom later shared with her children and grandchildren

She married Erling Hanson in 1949 and had 5 children; Linda Greene, Ray (Joyce) Hanson, Leslie Hanson, Sandy (Ken) Kirtzinger and Norm (Nicole) Hanson. She was also blessed with 15 grandchildren (Terri, Lori, Shauna, Andria, Kelvin, Darcy, Barry, Jessica, Kris, Jessica, Graham, Jennifer, Jacqui, Landen and Zoee) and 25 great grandchildren. 

Mom was an excellent cook and spent her days making gourmet meals and working the family farm in the Sweetwater area of Farmington. She was proud of the fact that she often operated the combine, tractors and grain truck and once, while picking roots and rocks was chased onto a brush pile by a mother moose with a young calf!  Dad came to her rescue with his dozer.  As many farm wives in the 1950’s and 1960’s without running water or electricity, she picked and canned wild berries, grew a large garden that was put away in the cellar for winter, and was also ready with a meal for anyone who dropped in.  Winters were spent reading and playing cards with family and friends and baking and preparing impressive amounts of food for Christmas.  During the summer when not busy on the farm, there were trips to the Sukunka, Kinuseo Falls and the Misinchinka River, where mom would be the first one up in the morning and would regularly catch the biggest Dolly Varden.  She loved the ocean and visited her brother Danny in Prince Rupert, going fishing and crabbing on the “saltchuck”.  She had the opportunity to travel to Norway with dad and visited with his aunts and cousins, and after the passing of our dad, she travelled across Canada by train, went on a cruise to Hawaii, and travelled to the United States several times. 

As the family grew and started their own families, there were still many get togethers where  perogie,  lefse, pickle and borscht making was a whole day activity, all with mom’s thorough direction and recipes.  Her passion for gardening has been passed on to many family members.  Some of us still own her plants and orchids, which were her favorite and filled the dining room window in her house in town.  Family members were regularly the recipients of cookie cans from the freezer full of cake, squares and baked goodies.

 She was the conduit for her extended family, hosting a reunion, phoning and writing surviving aunts, uncles, cousins and friends on a regular basis.

Rose was predeceased by her husband Erling, infant son Leslie, and siblings Olga, Mike, Art, George and Danny and son-in-law Allan Greene.  She was proud of and loved by her ever growing larger family.  She will be missed as well by her phone friends, and especially her “8 o’clock friend” Alice.  We will always love you mom, grandma and great grandma Rosie!

With respect to Rose’s wishes she was cremated and she requested no formal funeral service.  The family will get together in the summer to inter her ashes beside our dad in the Brookside Cemetery.

Rose’s family would like to thank the staff at North View Assisted Living, Dr. Botha Jr, the Nurses at the Dawson Creek Hospital for their thoughtful and excellent care, and Reynars Funeral Home for the arrangements.

For friends so wishing, donations may be made in memory of Rose to the South Peace Hospice Palliative Care Society #3, 929-106 Avenue, Dawson Creek, B.C. V1G 2N8.