Warren Hanson
Warren Hanson was born in Soldier, Iowa in May 1912. He turned 93 years old in May. He and his family moved to the town of Odebolt when Warren was five or six years old and about five years later moved to the farm where he has continued to live and farm all these past eighty-plus years. As a young boy, Warren helped his Dad with all the farm work as well as attending the local schools. He had one sister, Dorothy. Warren graduated from Odebolt HS in 1930, seventy-five years ago this year, and was headed to Iowa State University to go into vet medicine. However, the death of his mother and his father suddenly leaving the farm changed all of that, and Warren chose to stay on the farm, take care of his sister, and make farming his life's work. Warren's sister is still alive, doing very well, and living in Indianapolis, IN near most of her extended family. In 1937, Warren married Arleen Fulton who was from the Spencer area originally. Arleen, who graduated from the State Teachers College (now UNI), Cedar Falls, IA., was teaching Physical Education at the Odebolt High School. At the time and, according to the rules back then, when a woman teacher got married, she could no longer teach. However, as the years went by and the rules changed a bit, Arleen did quite a bit of substitute teaching in the local school system. In the early years of their marriage, Warren and Arleen milked cows and gathered eggs from the chickens for customers in town, grew popcorn for the local popcorn company, farrowed pigs and fed some beef cattle to make things work on the farm for them and their family. Warren can tell all kinds of stories about what they paid for things, gas, bread, etc., and what they were for paid for their products way back then. Warren and Arleen had four children - Dick, Jean, Betty and Bob - all of whom were very active in sports, FFA, music, and other activities in the Odebolt schools. Warren and his family were members of the United Methodist Church and were very active in youth groups, youth and adult choirs and other church-related activities. All the children are married and are successful in their careers, with two recently retiring from their work. Warren and Arleen have eight grandchildren and four great-grand children spread among their four kids. Warren and Arleen were strong supporters of the town of Odebolt. Back in the old days when Saturday night was the night to come to town, the kids played in the band concerts that were performed in front of the Odebolt State Bank. Arleen worked at the pool many summers as did her children doing lifeguard work and giving swimming lessons. Their motto was to trade at home as long as they could and that still goes today as Warren goes to town for coffee and lunch just about every day On the walkway along the Odebolt Creek, they have contributed to part of it through a family donation.
As a side note and with Arleen being a teacher and a strong believer in the field of education, the Warren Hanson Family is setting up The Arleen Fulton Hanson Scholarship Fund in the amount of $20,000 with the O-A High School, from which local students interested in either the teaching or health profession can apply for some financial assistance. Warren’s plans for the future are to stay on the farm as long as it makes sense, and then possibly move to the home in town or some type of assisted living accommodations. His health is excellent for a young man of 93. If we all could be so lucky! Also see "A Field of Yellow Flowers" |
Even
though Warren still lives on the farm, he has a home in town that he
goes to from time to time just to break the monotony of the
farmhouse, which is now a little lonelier as his long-time partner
and wife, Arleen, died in August 2004 from complications of
Parkinson's disease. She is buried in the Odebolt Cemetery where the
Hanson Family has a large plot.