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Martin Hanson
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In the 50's and 60's my parents, Swante and Margaret Hill, were very active in Ashland County Democratic Party politics...mom as membership chair grew the organization tremendously, and they both hosted numerous meetings and gatherings with and for local, state and federal party candidates and representatives. They had so much admiration for the Hanson's, because those brothers brought a great new dimension to the county and a political connection that was awesome. My photos of those folks busy at late night meetings plotting and planning their strategies reminds me of those good old political times. They shared good and great times with the Hanson's during the Proxmire, Nelson, Kennedy, Humphrey, Mondale and forever Obey... years! It is so good to know that northern Wisconsin is still in good hands. How wonderful that Martin has been given this well deserved honor!
--Phyllis Hill Lampson, Elk River, Minnesota Everyone who has ever attended a state Democratic Convention and had rain drops falling on their head can finally know the answer. Martin would sit in the back row with a super-powered squirt gun in his hand, hiding himself behind a newspaper, and shoot into the air with direct aim. The poor victim would look up at the ceiling and wonder why there was water dripping on their head. Martin just sat in the back ...busting a gut laughing. NOW YOU KNOW THE REST OF THE STORY. Martin always says he hates historians. But since it is me and I know all the stories, what the heck. --BARBIE LINTON Martin loves to tell me the story about when he had been out on the town one night and came home to Beaver Dam Lodge…our place of abode and wonderful memories and stories… Martin was as he has told me feeling no pain, but was very in need of food… So HE made himself a frozen pizza (brand unknown). As Martini relates the story, "It had the toughest crust known to human kind". The next morning Martin had discovered that not only had he enjoyed the pizza but the cardboard crust as well. When Uncle Martin relives the story he always relates, "I could hardly choke it down, what the HELL"? -- BARBIE LINTON Another of my Uncle Martin's favorite stories: "I decided I would make a stuffed turkey for dinner. So I did just as I had seen my mother do. I mixed up some bread and some other stuff and put it in the turkey's ---. Then my mother always put a very wet towel over the bird as it baked. I did just as I had seen. Well ,,,,we all went out for our evening of whatever and we came back to the house for our roast bird, I opened the oven, looked inside ( wondering why we did not have the fine aroma of roast turkey in the air). NO BIRD. Looked on the counter, and I had forgotten to put the turkey in the oven. BACK TO THE FREEZER FOR STEAKS." Uncle Martin is going to have my hide for telling that. -- BARBIE LINTON Uncle Martin is my best friend, my mentor, role model and father figure. There is no other person in my life that has helped to shape my values, views and more importantly my morals. Martin stands for all that is good in the universe. Martin taught me at a young age that no matter how you view your lot in life, be thankful for who you are. Martin shared with me the philosophy of "To whom much is given much is expected" and "Use it up, wear it out, make do or do without.'' Hence I drove cars until the wheels fell off!!! Martin and his brother Louie ran my first campaign for the state Assembly in 1986. Upon our victory day Martin related to me more northern Wisconsin hillside words of wisdom: "Never forget where you came from, never forget who it is that put you in public office, and always, remember the road back home.'' TO MY UNCLE MARTIN, THANKS FOR THE RIDE OF MY LIFE ... AND WHAT A RIDE!!!! LOVE, --YOUR BARBIE DOLL (LINTON) I was raised in Oak Park, IL and lived 4 blocks from Martin, his brother Louie and sister Annie. Martin and I started kindergarten together and we all went thru grade school, high school and Northwestern University. Hansoms house was the gathering place for 8 or 10 girls and boys at any given time as they had a huge glassed in sun porch with a permanent card table and a Motorola console radio and record player. Bud Seymour lived directly across the street from Hansons and went to grade school with us, went to a prep school up east and then to CORNELL UNIVERSITY. Bud looked down his nose at us, but always wanted to be included in the activities. One summer evening after the war a group of us were spending the evening on the sun porch, drinking beer and playing cards, etc. Bud evidently was in his cups and left his loafers under the table or a chair and walked home in his bare feet. Next day Bud came over to retrieve his loafers. Not finding them any where, he asked Martin if he had seen them. Martin told him Phil (Philamina, the maid) probably had picked them up and put them in the refrigerator, and to look out there. The night before Martin went to bed he made a double batch of Jell-O and filled Buds loafers and then put them in the frig to solidify. Bud got his loafers back filled with Jell-O, but he never left them over night again. -- HOWARD MEDBERY One 4th of July when we were in high school Martins parents had Judge Jerome Dunne as a guest at Beaver Dam Lodge a well known and respected judge in Chicago and the Midwest. The judge was a big man who liked to fish, but was deathly afraid of snakes. Martin caught about a 11/2 foot black and yellow garter snake and put it in the judges tackle box. The judge took his tackle box out in the boat on the lake to go fishing and on opening it the poor little snake came out after being shut up in a dark container for several hours. The judge took one look at the snake and was not going to share his boat with the reptile and he abandoned ship and jumped into the lake clothes and all. |