Afton Hanson, 98, Dickinson, died Wednesday, May 4, 2016 at St. Benedict’s Health Center, Dickinson. Afton’s funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, May 14, 2016 at Ladbury Funeral Service, Dickinson, with Rev. Cal Oraw officiating. Interment will follow at Our Redeemer’s Lutheran Cemetery, New England. Visitation will be on Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., at Ladbury Funeral Service, and the family will be present from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., to greet and visit with friends. Visitation will continue on Saturday from 8 a.m. to service time.

Afton was born in Linton, March 5,1918 to Josh and Martha (Gatzke) Tuttle and was the youngest of five children. In her early years she grew up on the Tuttle homestead in Emmons County, not far from the Missouri River. Afton was a product of the Dakota landscape and of the era in which she lived. She attended a country school in Emmons County riding to school on her horse, Lady, so she could get home quickly to help with chores. She developed a love of the outdoors and was proud of her relationship with the horses and other livestock on the homestead. Her memories of her childhood made for wonderful tales to share with her children, grandchildren, students and friends. From sliding along in her father’s sled pulled by a team of horses to riding the ferryboat across the Missouri River, Afton treated life as an adventure. Some of her favorite stories involved the happenstances and recollections of the Old-Timers and Native Americans that settled the Emmons/Sioux County area as her father and mother had.

She graduated from Linton High School in 1935 and Dickinson State Teachers College in 1937. After graduation from DSC with a 2 year standard degree she began her teaching career at a country school in Emmons County with a monthly salary of $60.00. Additionally, she attended and graduated from Mayville State College with her Bachelor of Science Degree in 1975, an accomplishment she was very proud of. Afton was united in marriage to Vernon M. Hanson of rural New England in 1939. They farmed and made their home in Slope County, where she continued teaching in a number of rural schools in Moord and Dover Townships. After the birth of their first daughter, Patricia, Afton became a stay-at-home mom for the next 16 years during which time a daughter, Virginia, and a son, Doug, were born. When Doug reached two years of age Afton returned to teaching eventually finishing out her teaching career at New England Public School. Afton influenced hundreds of students throughout her 22 years of teaching, retiring in 1976. Following her retirement she and Vernon spent each fall traveling throughout much of the Western United States. When Vernon passed away in 1978, Mom continued her love of traveling taking tours of the Eastern and Southern United States. Her longest journey was a European Tour with her sister-in-law Ellen. Afton sold the home that she and Vernon had built in New England and moved to Dickinson in 1996, living at Park Avenue Villa. In failing health Afton moved to St. Benedict’s Health Center in the Fall of 2014.

Throughout her life Afton was a devout Christian and had memberships in the First Congregational Church, Our Redeemer’s Lutheran Church both of New England and Peace Lutheran Church in Dickinson. She had served in every capacity of leadership in the New England Senior Citizens Club.

Afton is survived by her daughter Virginia (Cal) Oraw; her son Doug (Bobbie) Hanson; grandchildren: Merry Young, Doug (Jamie) Eckert, Crystal (Shawn) Lewellyn, Melanie (Joe) Walkup, Miles Eckert, Holly (Ryan) Oraw Meagher, Joel Oraw, Becky Hanson, Ruth Hanson, Mike Hanson; and 12 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband Vernon, her parents, her sisters Ellen Bader, Bernice Henderson, Aileen Bell, brother Harvey, her oldest daughter, Patsy Eckert and son-in-law, Jim Eckert.

In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorials to Our Redeemer’s Lutheran Church, New England, St. Benedict’s Health Center, or to the Western Edge Ministries.