Gerald (Jerry) Curtis Hanson, age 86, passed away on August 6, 2026, at Greenway Manor in Spring Green.
Jerry was born on April 27, 1940, in Dodgeville, Wisconsin, to Della Roberts Hanson and Curtis Hanson. The youngest of four siblings, Jerry grew up on his parents’ farm in Wyoming Valley. As a young man, he took over the family farm, a passion he would continue until his retirement more than 50 years later. Jerry loved working with his hands, telling stories, and spending time outside. He was a lifelong dairy farmer with purebred Holsteins and a few pigs. Jerry employed many young people over the years, and enjoyed teaching them how to farm, but also the importance of hard work, being true to their word, and that there is always time for laughter and a good joke. He had a brief stint in the Army Reserves. Jerry liked to go hunting, evenings out to dinner or at the movies, and entertaining friends and family.
In his younger years Jerry married Sharon Mack, mother of his daughters, Abby and Kristin. They farmed for years and even bred Samoyed dogs.
After a divorce, Jerry married Marcia Schneider who had 3 children, Jon, Jeff, and Stephanie. They were also later divorced.
In 1990, Jerry married Judy Symon, a very longtime friend of Jerry’s and of his first wife, Sharon. Judy commuted to work at the UW Madison for many years, but she and Jerry also managed to travel around the US and to Europe and Mexico. After their respective retirements they sold the farm and moved to San Diego, CA, to be nearer Judy’s son, Hamilton Arendsen and his family.
Jerry was preceded in death by his parents, his sisters- Elaine and her husband Kevin Norman, Donna and her husband Warren Buchner, and Beverly, and a grandson, Dylan Schultze. He is survived by his two daughters, Abby Schultze and Kristin (Terry) Fry and their two daughters, Sydney (Jonathan Hulscher) and Olivia, and by his wife of 36 years, Judy Symon Hanson and her son, Hamilton Arendsen (Annemarie Cane) and their children RJ and Sammy, and many cousins, nieces and nephews.
A celebration of life will be held Saturday, October 17, 1:00, at Hilltop, Spring Green. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to the Sauk or Iowa County Humane Society, as Jerry had a great love of animals.