Obituary: Hanson, Michael Leon
Michael lived on his own for a year before graduating from Pleasant Grove Senior High in Utah in 1971.
He later joined a carnival working as their electrician, running a glass pitch and various rides for two years.
Michael followed his sisters and their families to Kellogg, Idaho where he worked in the smelter at Bunker Hill Mine; pouring and pulling silver.
He later became a water treatment plant operator also at Bunker Hill.
He went on to have two daughters, Danielle Samantha, born in 1975 and Heidi Hanson, born in 1977.
Michael married Elisa Lighthill on December 21, 1977.
He attained priesthood in the LDS church but was not active in adulthood.
When the mine closed at Bunker Hill, he moved to Harrison, Idaho.
While there he worked for the City of Harrison as a maintenance worker.
He built his home in Harrison himself.
Michael moved to Spokane in 2002 where he worked for District 81 as a bus driver.
He also began his lifelong dream of building a residential rental business.
Michael used his rental business to mentor many low income young people to build a better life for themselves and their children.
He did this by providing them with housing and working with them to make deposits and rent.
Michael is survived by his wife Elisa Hanson; his daughters, Danielle (David) Wilson and Heidi (Matt) Huit; his sister Sherry Dodge of Salt Lake City, Utah; his grandchildren Samantha, Trevor W., Tristin, Kersten, Ashley, and Trevor; nieces Allison Dodge and Heather Brown; his nephews, James Brown (Virginia) Ryan Brown, Tev and Bo Talyat (Mandy) all of Alaska, Rathum, Jeremy, Tanner, Cameron (Alissa), Hayden, and Andy of Moscow; sisters-in-law, Janet Lighthill of Alaska and DeRonda Sue Cluff of Spokane; brothers-in-law, John Gurr of Spokane and Carlos Gurr (Helen) of Utah and their eight children and 24 grandchildren; his great-nieces, Vanessa, Chelsey, Angel, Zoey, Marilyn, Kira, Kiersten, and Alicia; and his great nephews, Quinn, Ronin, and Camden.
Michael was preceded in death by his mother Beverly Jean; father Harold Leon; grandparents, Harold Theodore and Zora Kay Hanson; and his sister Connie Ray Hanson.
COMMUNITY CREMATION & FUNERAL, Spokane, WA