Sally Hanson

Sally A. Hanson passed away on September 30, 2023 at the age of 80 at Sanford Medical Center.

Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, October 4 at Eastgate Funeral Service, 2302 E Divide Ave, Bismarck.

Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. on Thursday at Faith Lutheran Church, 1402 E Ave C, Bismarck.

Sally was born to Albert and Regina Schell in 1942 where she lived on the family farm along with her 5 siblings. After graduating high school, she attended nursing school and received her LPN. She met and married the love of her life, Karl Hanson, and they adopted two children, son James and daughter Valerie. Sally enjoyed being a wife, mother and nurse and was amazing at all three. She retired from nursing after 50 years and began filling her time with playing cards. She enjoyed playing pinochle with her siblings and nieces and nephews and most recently, Bridge. If she was needed for something other than Bridge on a Tuesday, sometimes Wednesday and most definitely Thursday, it had to be exceptionally important because it was nearly impossible to pull her away from her wonderful friends, great conversation and a few fun rounds of Bridge. She enjoyed spending time with her family and loved catching up. She was always there to lend a listening ear and somehow always knew if you needed advice or just for her to sit silent and offer up an empathetic word from time to time. She saw the good in things, that silver lining that can sometimes be lost when we are in our darkest moments. Her answer was always to pray and she said the best prayers. She was self-less, compassionate and a fantastic human being.

She will be missed by many and forever remembered for her enormous heart, infectious smile, wonderful laugh, positive personality, and her seemingly never-ending strength to overcome whatever obstacle appeared in her path on her life’s journey.

Sally is survived by so many she loved whole-heartedly: her son, James (Jessica) Hanson; daughter, Valerie (Rob) Messmer; siblings, Bonnie Hedstrom; Ruby (Don) Weible and Calvin (Barb) Schell; brother-in-law, David D Dockter and her many grandchildren, great grand-children, nieces, nephews, and limitless friends.

She has now been reunited with her loved ones who passed before her: her beloved husband, Karl; parents Albert and Regina Schell and Orville and Inez Hanson; siblings and in-laws, Ella Marie Helm; Bob Schell; Louise Dockter; Arlene and Bob Bailey; Edith and Jim White; nephew, Michael Schell and many others who held a special place in her heart.