Lela Catherine Hanson

Lela Catherine Hanson

Lela Catherine Hanson, 79, died Wednesday, Aug. 20, 1986 at the Cheyenne Health Care Center.

She was born on a farm four miles east of Broken Bow, NE to Mary Elizabeth Mauk Wright and Charles Thomas Wright. After completing grade and high school in Broken Bow, she attended Grand Island College and obtained a degree in education.

Lela taught country schools in Nebraska for two years and moved with her sister Pearl to Morrissey, Wy in 1932. She later taught at Edgemont, SD, Jay Em and Node, WY, and finished out a term at Morrissey, still later tutoring for handicapped students in Cheyenne.

Lela Wright and Charles Hanson were married at Hot Springs, SD on Apr. 29, 1936. Their son, Charles Thomas, was born at Lusk, and 10 years later a daughter, Mary Frances, was born in Cheyenne.

After living in or near Lusk and the Lance Creek oil fields, the family moved to Cheyenne in Feb. 1941. There they established a home and business.

Mrs. Hanson was a charter member of Calvary Baptist Church in Cheyenne, founded in 1949, where she held nearly every office on the church board. She was a delegate for her church at national conventions in Des Moines, Philadelphia, Seattle and St. Louis, and attended many state conventions and women's conferences for 35 consecutive years.

She was a board member on the Baptist Home Association in Denver for six years and was recognized for being church clerk for 24 years at Calvary Baptist Church.

Lela was also active in Church Women United and Cheyenne Woman's Club, holding elective offices in both. She was also a board member of Needs, Inc., where she took telephone calls when Needs was first established. She was a member of the Republican party and served on the election board for many years.

She is survived by her husband Charles, son Charles Thomas Hanson, daughter Mary Frances Amendola, four grand-daughters, several cousins and numerous friends.

Images & Attachments

Related/Linked Records