Loren Hanson is 76 years young and doesn’t hesitate to say his favorite place to be is with his beautiful bride, cruising across this vast country of ours on his Harley. “Fran and I have traveled through 49 of the 50 states and the majority of those miles were logged from the back of a motorcycle,” claims Hanson. Over the years, Loren has taken on many adventures, which have led him from boarder to boarder and coast to coast, but there are a handful of longtime commitments Loren feels keep him grounded. First and foremost is his wife of 48 years, Fran. Second is the community of Brookings, which they have called home for nearly 45 years. Another is his dedication to the military and now his work as a retired veteran. Lastly, is his life–long relationship with Credit Unions, which began in the late 1970’s.
Loren met Fran while serving in the Army and was stationed in Dallas, Texas. Fran was a Registered Nurse at the University of Dallas. They got married on May 22, 1971 and Loren left for Vietnam on June 1st. “It was a very short honeymoon and I hated to leave her, but I had made my commitments,” explained Hanson. Loren spent one year in Vietnam and returned to American soil in June of 1972.
Following Vietnam, Loren experienced a reduction in force, which led him back to South Dakota from Texas. Soon after, Hanson returned to the military as an Army Recruiter and was assigned to a duty station in Brookings. Meanwhile, Fran accepted a position as Head Nurse of Student Health at South Dakota State University. “With Fran having her summers off, it gave us the chance to travel and we took full advantage of that over the years,” Loren explained.
It was Fran’s connection to the University that led the Hansons to join the SDSU Credit Union over forty years ago. SDSU Credit Union merged with Dakotaland Federal Credit Union in 2005 and the Hanson’s made the transition to the new location at 2423 6th Street in Brookings. Loren and Fran joined the Credit Union for the savings and stayed for the service. “When I saw that long list of fees at the bank, it didn’t take me long to realize I belonged with a credit union,” declared Loren. Regardless of where Loren and Fran travel, they find it easy to take their credit union with them. Mr. Hanson went on to say, “We are on a first name basis with our loan officers, Helen and Emmy. Plus, we know Dakotaland is just a phone call away even when we might be 1000 miles away.”
Putting a long distance financial relationship to the test for the past 15 years, Loren and Fran have been maintaining two residences in two different states. They recently bought a new home in Brookings and are still in the process of unpacking, but they also have a second home in Pharr, Texas. The Hansons confess they enjoy both South Dakota and Texas living, as they feel each location has much to offer. Loren is very active in the local Home Owners Association and continues to dedicate many volunteer hours to military events and fundraisers. “After 28 years of military service, I like to maintain my connections and support of my Army Family,” added Hanson.
So what is next for this traveling couple? The answer might be Alaska. A trip to the ‘last frontier’ will grant the Hansons the right say they have visited all 50 states. If this happens from the back of a Harley is yet to be determined.
