Muriel Hanson

MURIEL HANSON
May 30, 1917 - August 4, 2008

Muriel Joy Jones Hanson, a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, devoted and generous friend and gifted musician, died unexpectedly on August 4, 2008 after enjoying lunch with her dear church friends at the Holiday Inn in Willmar.

Muriel was born on May 30, 1917 in Elma, Iowa and was the youngest of the three children of Anna M. (Kensinger) and Fred R. Jones. "Muriel Joy" was named for a character in a book titled "John Halifax, Gentlemen" by Dinah Maria Mulock Craik (1826-1887) published in 1856. "John Halifax" was her most famous novel and based loosely around the life of John Dobell, a wine merchant from Cheltenham.

Muriel spent most of her childhood in Minneapolis, frequently riding across town alone on the bus for her piano lessons in St. Paul. She was always an excellent student, and with the help of scholarships and part time jobs, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree with high honors from the University of Minnesota. She majored in music, with an emphasis in piano, was awarded the prestigious Helen Dwan Prize in Music by the University, and earned a second major in English literature. Muriel later earned her Master of Arts degree in music.

She was elected to and was a lifelong member of the National Honorary Music Fraternity, Mu Phi Epsilon. Following her post-grad work, she was an instructor of piano and music theory at the University of Minnesota. It was during this time that she met her husband of 47 years, Willard J. Hanson. Muriel and Willard were married on October 20, 1945 and had two children; Gregg and Deborah.

Muriel was filled with love, and expressed it often to family and friends. She loved Christ and the First United Methodist Church of Willmar, where she was a longtime member, organist and choir director of the Wesley Choristers (in the 1960s, it was known as "The Bishop's Choir," singularly chosen and named with distinction by then-Minnesota Bishop Nall). She worked hard to bring extraordinary and important music to Methodist church services for 14 years full time, and then continued playing special music for decades since. Her last performance at a Sunday service was when she was 90-years old.

She loved classical music-especially piano and Johann Sebastian Bach keyboard music. She also loved the Romantics, such as Brahms, Schumann, Chopin, Liszt and Mendelssohn, whose piano music she performed with intimate understanding, gentleness, soulfulness and ease.

Muriel loved her years as a private piano teacher-and she loved her students (even the ones that didn't always practice!). She believed that the disciplined study of piano could shape a young mind and transport the yearning soul. Her students rewarded her with their diligence and won numerous accolades and awards at the Minnesota Music Teachers' Association regional and state competitions. Over the 21 years Muriel taught private lessons, she touched and inspired the lives of hundreds of young people, and many stayed in touch with her over the years.

She was a gifted and sought after accompanist, and was Willmar community accompanist for four productions of Handel's Messiah and the Faure Requiem. For six years, Muriel accompanied the Willmar Boys Chorus, under the direction of Ruth Chell Oliphant. This group of nearly 100 energetic 4th, 5th and 6th grade boys received national acclaim and recorded several albums.

Muriel continued as an active member and leader of many Willmar and regional organizations, having served as President-at least once or twice-of most of them. Current memberships included the Athenian Study Club, Willmar Musicale, Chapter BI of the PEO Sisterhood and her church circle. Organizations that also benefited from her many contributions were the West Central Concert Series (where Muriel served on the board for 10 years), Music Teacher's National Association and the West Central Keyboard Club. Muriel presented recitals and topics to these groups-telling stories of the more interesting and human side of the world's most famous composers and pianists. She prepared and presented a 40-minute piano recital at two different seatings for the 150-plus attendees at her 90th birthday party on May 30, 2007.

There are many words and phrases loved ones use to describe Muriel-she was "generationless" (fans of all ages appreciated her wisdom and zest for life) and "timeless," an inspiration and a woman before her time, a romantic, courageous and brave, funny, with enormous appreciation for anyone with a well-developed sense of humor, thoughtful, a warm and generous spirit, smart and witty, ambitious, a planner and a perfectionist, elegant and dignified, sentimental, but never maudlin, a lover of dogs (cats, not so much) and a true-blue friend.

Muriel is survived by her son, Gregg Hanson and his wife Linda of Spicer; her daughter, Deborah McMurray of Dallas, Texas; three grandchildren, Matthew Hanson and his wife Jennifer, Mary Kay Hanson and Michael Hanson; and two great grandchildren, Ava and Sam Hanson; ; her favorite cousins, Will and Willi Volkmer of Eden Prairie and Susan and Jim Ahrens of Minneapolis, and many nieces and grandnieces and nephews and grandnephews, who brought so much joy to Muriel all of her 91 years. She was preceded in death by her mother and father, Anna and Fred Jones, her brother and sister, Chester (and Marguerite Jones) of Palm Beach, Florida and Lola Sheppard (and Dr. Charles Sheppard) of LeSueur, Minnesota, her husband, Willard, and her in-laws, Emil and Gertina Hanson, and her favorite uncles and aunts. She is also preceded in death by many of her closest friends.