Obituary of Kermit Douglas Hanson

Obituary Notice Funeral services for Kermit Douglas Hanson age 87 of Wedowee will be held Saturday January 26, 2013 at 11:00 AM from Benefield Funeral Chapel with Rev. Cade Farris and Rev. Matt Browning officiating. Burial will follow in the Wedowee City Cemetery. Mr. Hanson passed away Wednesday January 23, 2013 at Lineville Health and Rehab. Kermit is survived by his three children and their spouses, LTC (Ret.) & Mrs. Charles Kenny Fender (Diane and Ken), Mr. & Mrs. Phil Hanson (Phil and Nancy), and Mr. & Mrs. Jerry Browning (Jan and Jerry). He is also survived by his sister, Adele New, and brother Dr. Gene Hanson. Survivors also include 6 grandchildren, 9 great grandchildren, 2 step grandchildren and 5 step great grandchildren. Pall Bearers include a grandson and nephews. Honorary Pall Bearers will be Kermit's Baracca Sunday School Class, First Baptist Church of Wedowee. Mr. Hanson was born in Cragford, Alabama on October 14, 1925, to the late Adolphus D. "Doc" Hanson and Nancy Danver Satterfield Hanson. He spent most of his life in Randolph County except his early childhood and his time in the military. He has been an active member of First Baptist Church Wedowee for many years. At the age of 17, Kermit enlisted in the U.S. Navy to follow his two older brothers who were already in active combat, Edsel Ford and Jesse Buren Hanson (both preceded him in death). These three Hanson brothers were later referred to as "The Warriors from Cragford" in the brief history "The Hanson's of East Alabama", written by his nephew, T. Gerald New, M.D., August 2010. Kermit was initially assigned to carrier based dive bombers in the South Pacific as a gunner. After surviving Dengue Fever he was assigned to the Patrol Bombing Squadron 202 which was the first combat squadron of Martin Mariners to operate in the Pacific Theater. Kermit was a deck turret gunner on the Peter 4 Patrol Bomber Mariner (PBM) seaplane. In 1944, his squadron participated in combat in Guadalcanal, Kwajalein Atoll and Eniwetok in the Marshall Islands, Tarawa (Gilberts), the Marianas, Palau Islands and the Leyte Gulf. He was a combat veteran at the age of 19 and is a member of The Greatest Generation. Kermit later joined the USAF Reserve in the early 1950's for the Korean Conflict. Kermit returned home, and on December 2, 1944, married his sweetheart, Myrtis Will Bradley, who preceded him in death. After World War II, Kermit and Myrtis resided in Wedowee, Ava and New Hope where they raised their three children, Diane, Phil and Jan. Kermit received a service award recognizing 36 years of honorable service to the government of the United States. In addition to his military service and time at Bynum, he was awarded Route 2 Wedowee in 1953 which was the same route his father carried for many years. He became postmaster in Wedowee on January 1st, 1975, and retired January 1981. Kermit also drove a school bus for Randolph County and worked at Benefield Funeral Home Wedowee. After retirement, Kermit and Myrtis enjoyed their final years together on Lake Wedowee. In addition to flowers, the family request donations in memory of Kermit D. Hanson to the First Baptist Church of Wedowee, or to the American Diabetes Association. Benefield Funeral Home of Wedowee in charge of the arrangements. Leave online condolences at www.benefieldfhwedowee.com