Established on 09.28.2021 by Gary W. and Ruth A. Hanson
Gary and Ruth (Bredlie) Hanson both grew up in the Crookston, Minn. area and graduated from Crookston Central High School. They were high-school sweethearts and married in 1970 while both were still in college. Gary attended Minnesota State University and graduated with a degree in accounting. Ruth attended St. Olaf for one year and then graduated from the University of North Dakota with a degree in nursing. They settled in North Fargo after college and began their life together.
Gary spent 17 years at the First National Bank (Norwest) in Fargo, and a short stint with Bremer in Marshall, Minn. before joining Heartland Trust Company (HTC) in 1990. He helped HTC grow over the next 30+ years into a premier financial services company. Gary continued to enjoy client relationships and have fun well past normal retirement age.
Ruth was an RN at St. Ansgar Hospital in Moorhead, Minn., taught OB at St. Luke’s School of Nursing in Fargo, ND, and she also did a short stint in Marshall, Minn. as a school nurse before transitioning to healthcare administration in 1990. Her 35-year career at MeritCare also included leading a Robert Wood Johnson Grant. As an encore, Ruth took a Parish Nurse position at First Lutheran Church and served faithfully for more than ten years before fully retiring in 2020.
Gary and Ruth have two children, Rachel (Hanson) Clarke ‘2000 and Benjamin Hanson. Both are married and live in Fargo with their spouses and two children. They all enjoy spending time at the lake as an extended family.
The Gary W. and Ruth A. Hanson Endowed Scholarship is awarded by the Office of Financial Aid to one or more students of any class or major.