Susan Won Hanson

Susan W. Hanson, age 87 of Desert Hills, AZ, passed away Thursday, August 8, 2024, at her residence. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, August 27, 2024, at the Greenwood-Schubert Funeral Home in Cherokee, IA. Father Dan Rupp will officiate. Burial will take place at Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Cherokee, IA. Visitation with family present will be held one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. The Greenwood-Schubert Funeral Home in Cherokee, IA is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.greenwoodfuneral.com.

Susan Won Hanson, the daughter of Won Kuk Hyon and Lee Sun Ja, was born on December 28, 1936 in Kyonggi-do, South Korea. Her birth name was Won Suk Cha. She spent most of her life growing up near or in Seoul, South Korea, where she graduated high school. She survived the horrors of the Japanese occupation of Korea and the Korean War. Her Mother remarried when she was a young girl, and she gained 3 older step brothers then later became an older sister to 3 more brothers and 2 sisters. Then at the age of 15, both her Mother and newborn brother passed away shortly after childbirth.

On May 12, 1961, Suk Cha was united in marriage to John (Jack) George Hanson. In November of 1961, Jack, Suk Cha, and her son Won Chin In moved to Montgomery, AL (Gunter AFB). On May 14, 1962, Won Chin In was adopted by Jack, and his name was changed to Allen. In 1963, Russell was born. The following year, Jack was deployed to Kimpo Air Base in South Korea. During this time, Susan and her boys resided in Story City, IA, where Lily was born in 1965. Upon Jack’s return in 1965, they moved to New Baden, IL (Scott AFB). In 1967, she became an American Citizen and changed her name to Susan. That same year, they moved to Ewa Beach, HI (Wheeler AFB). Their next transfer, in 1970, took them to North Highlands, CA (McClellan AFB) and then back to Honolulu, HI (Hickam AFB) in 1973. As Jack’s military retirement approached, they moved to Omaha, NE (Offutt AFB) in 1978. Upon retirement in 1979, the family settled in Cherokee, IA to be close to Jack’s family. Susan resided in Cherokee for several years after Jack passed. For many years, she escaped the Iowa winter months to live with her daughter and family as a snowbird in AZ. In 2020, she made a permanent move to Desert Hills, AZ where she enjoyed her final 4 years living with her daughter and son-in-law.

Susan worked for a short time at Lum’s Restaurant in Pearl City, HI. Later, she worked for the AAFES laundry service on Hickam AFB in Honolulu. After she and her family moved back to the mainland, she enjoyed her time as full-time homemaker.

Susan was an active member of the Immaculate Conception Church in Cherokee, IA, for over 30 years. She loved gardening, canning, and especially sharing her fresh vegetables with family, friends and neighbors. She also enjoyed fishing, knitting, playing cards, cooking, watching her soap operas, golf, tennis, baseball, and the olympics, visiting with family and friends, watching her grandchildren play sports, traveling, notably to South Korea and Hawaii, and last but not least, going to the casino and playing the slot machines which she was able to do until her final days.

On Thursday, August 8, 2024, Susan, 87, passed away after a brief illness at her home in Desert Hills, AZ, with her family by her side. Susan was preceded in death by her husband: Jack Hanson (2003); son: Russell Hanson (2000); daughter-in-law: Merleen (Ballantyne) Hanson (2022); father-in-law and mother-in-law: Alfred and Mary (Reinert) Hanson; brother-in-law: George Stevens, Jim Hanson, LeRoy Rupp; sister-in-law: Norma (Benson) Hanson, Deloris (Hanson) Stevens, Bonnie (Hanson) Rupp; her parents: Won Kuk Hyon and Lee Sun Ja; sister: Son Young Ja and her husband; step father, 3 brothers, 3 step brothers, 2 sister-in-laws and 2 brother-in-laws.

She will be remembered lovingly by her children: Allen (Marie) Hanson of Lorton, VA; Lily (Larry) Parrott of Desert Hills, AZ; grandchildren: Jennifer Hanson of Garden Grove, CA; April (Brett) Morash of San Antonio, TX; Chris (Vanessa) Hanson of Alexandria, VA; Melissa Hanson (Andy Lee) of Rockville, MD; Tony Hanson and Aaron Hanson of Fargo, ND; Andrew Parrott and fiancé Kori Harris of Colorado Springs, CO; Madison (Jacob) Hohensee of Phoenix, AZ; great-grandchildren: Noah Hanson of Alexandria, VA; Austin and Anderson Lee of Rockville, MD; Kadence Harris and Audrianna Avila of Colorado Springs, CO; brother: Son Hon Hyun of South Korea; sister: Son Miyong Ja, of South Korea; brother-in-law: Larry Hanson of Cherokee, IA; sister-in-law: Linda Hanson of Manhattan, KS; Synthia Hanson of Cherokee, IA and many other relatives and friends.