When Sharon Harding revealed a box holding a Purple Heart, a Bronze Star and a French Legion of Honor, among other decorations, at her father's funeral in late December, it took many in attendance by surprise.
"I had people come up to me and say, 'All these years I've known your family, I never knew your dad was even a veteran, much less such a decorated one,' " Harding said.
That's because Jerome Hanson — a World War II Army veteran who fought under Gen. George S. Patton and in the brutal Battle of the Bulge — was a gentle farmer and craftsman who delighted in nature so much he would take bugs out of the house rather than squash them.
"He was just such a lover of nature and animals," Harding said of Hanson, who died in Waconia on Dec. 21 at age 95. "He wouldn't hurt a flea."
Hanson, who remained independent and drove his own car until last September, left behind his beloved wife, Doris, daughters Harding of Watertown and Susan Thompson of Chanhassen, four grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
After the Canby native enlisted in the Army at age 21, he was engaged in combat on Utah Beach in Normandy and served through the war's end. He rarely talked about his war experiences because those were painful memories that would give him nightmares for the rest of his life.
In 1946, Hanson married Doris "Toots" Peterson — now a healthy, spirited 94-year-old — who would remain by his side for 70 years. Together, they bought a dairy farm near Maple Plain, where they raised their two daughters and just about every other living thing.
In the summers, Hanson grew massive vegetables in gardens sporting pumpkins, watermelons, onions, peas and corn — a bounty that would be featured at the dinner table each night.
