Irene Davis Hanson

Irene Harriet Davis Hanson, a winter resident of Naples, FL and summer resident of St. Joseph, MI, passed away peacefully at the Hospice House of Naples within days after she admitted herself into the Hospice program. Irene was born in Chicago, IL on July 20, 1920 of new U.S. citizens, Gilbert and Marie Uglum Davis from Bristol, England and Sogndal, Norway, respectively. Her husband, of 44 years, Harvey Ejgil Hanson, from Racine, WI, preceded her in death in 1985. Irene was the loving matriarch of three daughters and their husbands, eight grandchildren, and three great grandchildren. “Cyber Gram” solved many problems over the internet and her phone was always in use to listen to all the happenings of her family and friends. Surviving family includes her oldest daughter, Joan, and husband, Dave Kraklau, of St. Joseph, MI and their children, David, a doctor in Kathmandu, Nepal; Kelly and her husband, Keith Bosker, of Des Plaines, IL; John, and his two children, Jacob and Alexa, of St. Joseph, MI; and Kerry, and husband, Bradford Campbell, and their daughter, Ella, of Alexandria, VA.; her middle daughter, Gail, and her husband, Frank Hanson, of South Haven, MI; and their two sons, Jay, of South Haven, MI; and Chris, of St. Petersburg, FL; and her youngest daughter, Barbara, and husband William Meek, of Naples, FL and their two daughters, Kristine, and Juliana, both of Arlington, VA. She is also survived by her sister, Elizabeth Davis Hanson of Wauconda, Il. Irene graduated from Schurz High School with honors and married Harvey on May 24, l941, in Chicago, IL. They would eventually move to Paw Paw, MI, to raise their daughters and start the Harvey E. Hanson Company, an automotive testing equipment business. They sold their company and retired to Glenview, IL in l964. They moved to Port Royal in Naples, FL in l970. Irene was a member of the Business and Professional Women and active with the Naples Garden Club and the Ikebana Society. A visitation will be held at Kerley-Starks & Menchinger Funeral Home, 2650 Niles Rd, St. Joseph MI at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 9, 2006, with a service by Rev. Oscar Berzins at 11:00 a.m. Burial will be at North Shore Memory Gardens following the service. Irene wishes to be remembered with donations to Outpatient Infusion Service at NCH Healthcare System, (att. Gina Teegarden) 681 4th Ave. N. Naples, Fl. 34102. OPIS extended her life by over seven months so she could continue to share the joys of all her family’s activities. She died as a result of a rare blood disorder which progressed to Aplastic Anemia. In the alternative, donations could be made to the Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation, P.O. Box 613, Annapolis, MD 21404. Friends wishing to send a condolence may do so at the guest book at www.starks-menchinger.com