Bradley Jaye Hanson was born November 15, 1962 at Rockford, Illinois and died October 29, 2013 at the Gregory Hospital in Gregory, South Dakota after a battle with cancer.

He held onto life "to come home" and to see his children move to Burke to be with family and enroll in the Burke school. He was reassured on the Monday before he died when he asked if the kids had started school in Burke that day and he then responded "good" to the news they had.

Brad loved animals and always had a special dog by his side. He was a faithful Vikings fan, whether they won or lost. He had a deep faith in God, and prayed daily with his children. As he became to weak and the children prayed, he reminded them, "Don't just end in Amen, always end in "we pray for your kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven and pray through your son, Jesus Christ, amen".

Brad was a self-employed farmer in his early years, and also worked with building contractors. He spent a number of years at Gage Brothers in Sioux Falls and was a foreman at Palace City Builders in Mitchell. He then took a job as a welder in Menno so he could be home weekends and evenings with his children. Brad and his children grew awesome gardens and they canned, froze and gave away what they could not eat fresh. His fellow employees always looked forward to garden season.

Brad raised his two children, Conan and Aurora, as a single parent, so their bond was especially close. He had a special bond with his step-daughter, Monique, helping raise her as a small child and remaining close to her his entire life. He spent many happy hours with her and the other children. His last six weeks were spent with his children and his mom. He and his mom spent many peaceful fall afternoons on the deck of his country home, enjoying the solitude and peace of the South Dakota countryside. He told his mom, "we started my life together, I'm glad we are ending it together".

Brad is survived by his son, Bradley Conan and daughter, Aurora Jasmine of Burke, SD; his son, Trevor Jon of Mitchell, SD, who has been successfully raised by his mother Erin; his step-daughter, Monique Johnson of Burke, SD; his mother, Nancy Hanson of Burke, SD; his father, Gary Hanson of Bridgewater, SD; his sisters: Melanie Hoffman of Gregory, SD and Monica (Scott) Olden Kamp of Okaton, SD; his brothers: Bryan (Kasey) Hanson of Burke, SD; Bruce (Sadie) Hanson of Platte, SD; Brandon Hanson of Burke, SD; Brady (Amanda) Hanson of Springfield, SD: his half-sisters: Jenna and Jamie Hanson of Woonsocket, SD; a special childhood friend, Gene Carrol and numerous nieces, nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews.

Brad was preceded in death by his older brother, Erik Wayne; his maternal grandparents Dello and Marie (Reetz) Turney and his paternal grandparents Alfred and Frances (Johnson) Hanson and a brother-in-law, Mike Hoffman.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, November 2, 2013 at 11:00 AM at Clausen Funeral Home in Burke, SD. There will be celebration of Bradley's life on Friday at 7:00 PM at the funeral home. Visitation will be one hour prior to both services at the funeral home. Burial will be in the Lucas Cemetery, Lucas, SD.