Martha V. (Schaper) Hanson

Martha Virginia (Schaper) Hanson, 104, of Britt, passed away Wednesday, December 19, 2012 at Heritage Care Center in Mason City.

Funeral services for Martha Hanson will be held Saturday, December 22, 2012 at 10:00 AM at Ewing Funeral Chapel, 178 Center Street West in Britt with Pastor Larry Day officiating.  Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery in Britt.

Visitation will be held on Friday, December 21, 2012 from 4:00 - 7:00 PM at Ewing Funeral Chapel in Britt and will continue one hour prior to services at the funeral chapel on Saturday.

Martha Virginia Schaper was born on July 19, 1908 on the family farm east of Britt to Henry and Maria (Ward) Schaper.  She was the second youngest of eight children.

Martha attended the rural Dickerson School (Britt No. 7) through the third grade.  In 1919, her parents moved into Britt, but there was no room in the Britt town school for another fourth grader, so she was promoted to fifth grade to see if she could do the work.  She did and graduated from high school in 1925.

Following high school, Martha attended Iowa State Teachers College (UNI) in Cedar Falls for two years, where she received a teaching certificate allowing her to teach in elementary schools.  Her first teaching position was at Cylinder, Iowa.  Later, she taught at Rockford.  After she was married, she taught in the Kanawha Public School.

Martha was united in marriage to Alvin Hanson on November 1, 1930.  They lived in Kanawha where Alvin was an undertaker and operated a furniture store.  In 1970, several years after Alvin died, Martha moved to Britt.

Martha was a life-long member of the United Methodist Churches in Britt and Kanawha.  She was a member of the Women’s Society of Christian Service (WSCS) and a church circle.  She also taught Sunday school for fifth and sixth graders.

Martha’s hobbies included traveling, reading, playing bridge, golfing and bowling.

Martha is survived by her numerous nieces and nephews; great nieces and nephews; great-great nieces and nephews; and great-great-great nieces and nephews.

Martha is preceded in death by her parents, her husband Alvin, and all of her siblings.