Phebe Damaris (nee Dale) Hanson

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Hanson, Phebe Damaris (nee Dale) Poet, mother, teacher, organizer, Lutheran, Phebe Hanson died December 16, 2016 in her sleep at the age of 88. Born in Bagley, MN in 1928, Phebe spent her childhood in Sacred Heart and Duluth, her adolescence in Falcon Heights, and finally settled her family in the East Isles neighborhood of Minneapolis. In later life she lived for decades on Crocus Hill in St. Paul & in the Seward neighborhood. Since 2014 she has lived at Walker Methodist Health Center. Phebe attended Augsburg College, where she met her former husband, John. She taught in a one-room school house in Echo, MN, until she put her career on hold to have her three children. In addition to raising Erik, Rolf, and Leah, Phebe and John took six foster children into their home. In 1968, Phebe returned to teaching, this time at Vocational High School in downtown Minneapolis. During her years in the Minneapolis Public Schools, she taught English at Southwest, Central and South high schools, finishing her teaching career as an Associate Professor at Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Throughout her life, Phebe organized and advocated for creativity, justice, dignity, and the community. As a member of Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, she opposed the Vietnam war, supported the Poor People's March on Washington, and was active in women's, voting, and civil rights. Born to a Lutheran minister, the church held a central role in Phebe's life. Even as she raised an atheist and a Quaker, she remained an active member of her congregation at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in St. Paul. Her church friends remember how she led journal class, read poems, encouraged writing and creating. They also remember how she loved certain hymns and the wonderful intensity of Lutheran fellowship. When Phebe began to think of herself as a poet, she brought her organizing and list making expertise to Women Poets of the Twin Cities and later as a founding mother of the Loft Literary Center. She developed & promoted Poets in the Schools and traveled the state with a troupe of MN poets in Poetry Out Loud; she read her poems at events, fundraisers, rallies, and parties whenever asked. She received a Bush Fellowship in 1985. Phebe inspired many writers and artists with memorable workshops, funny stories, incredulous anecdotes, and impeccable comedic timing. These all came from her journals where she outlined classes alongside grocery lists, and wrote poems next to notes for letters to friends and reminders of doctor appointments. She began her first journal at the age of 10, and completed over 500 throughout her life. While she never abandoned her friendly pens, paper & journals, in her later years she joined the computer revolution, connecting with friends on social media and reading on her beloved Kindle with the type made extra big. Phebe shared with her children, grandchildren, students, and friends her belief in the importance of keeping a journal. She advised approaching it like this: light a candle, write the date, and begin with "Here I am...". Phebe was the author of two books of poetry, Sacred Hearts, published by Milkweed Editions in 1985, and Why Still Dance, published by Nodin in 2003. She also co-authored the travel memoir, Not So Fast, published by Nodin in 2005. Her work is published in numerous poetry anthologies, as well as internet videos, poetry websites, broadsides, films & audio recordings. Phebe relished the company of an enormous circle of family and friends. Laughter rang loudly through every gathering where Phebe was present, and with great pride, she told increasingly embellished tales of her family's adventures and accomplishments. Phebe is survived by her 3 children, and their spouses, Erik and Mary, Rolf and Ann, Leah and John; her ex-husband John and partner Judyth; 9 grandchildren, Caitlin, Emma, Alex, Jacob, Woody, Kate, Lis, Joseph, and Linnea; 2 great-grandchildren, MiKayla, Anthony, and their mother, Kim; and legions of best friends. Visitation from 9-11 am with funeral service at 11 am on Tuesday, January 3, 2017 at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 700 Snelling Ave S, St Paul, MN 55116. Memorials preferred to The Creative Heritage Initiative at the University of Minnesota Libraries (where Phebe's papers will be archived), AAUW, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, or Augsburg College. Thank you to the staff at Walker Methodist for caring for Phebe the past three years. As a lifelong worrywart, Phebe often expressed anxiety that she would die, and for many years, family members assured her that she would.

Published on December 25, 2016