From Dean~

Rudy Groucho in a Ski Hat

Where do I start in describing the impact the famous "Egor" experience (a.k.a. "Turn out the lights") had on my childhood?  Oh man, my friend Jamie, niece Heather, obviously Ethan, and numerous others to this day talk about that feeling of loving the game but petrified by the anxiety of potentially getting found and "tortured" by "Egor"....  I think about all of the time Dad took out of his evening of relaxation to make us all laugh, scream and run.  I know his back was hurting so much at that time of his life, so I appreciate the sacrifice even more. (And Damn, Dar--that's why he always found me in my favorite hiding spot--cuz it was the same as yours!)  To date, still one of my greatest memories.  Better than ANY Haunted House!

3 Generations of Egor

From Dar -- 

Doug, Matt and Grandpa Rudy

I'm adding this photo to Ethan's awesome story -- Here is Ethan's Uncle Doug, his cousin Matt and his Grandpa Rudy doing "3 Generations of Egor" on the back porch at Pioneer Drive.  Dad used to scare the hell out of us and we loved it!  I can remember mom saying "Now Cholly (Mom's nickname for dad), don't get those kids all wound up before bedtime". No such luck!  Mom and Dad both enjoyed their grand kids. 

I think each "Egor victim" should post his/her favorite hiding place during this Hanson ritual.  This game was also called "Shut Out the Lights".  Great story Ethan! 

OX AUNTIE DAR" (My favorite hiding spot was under the coats in the broom closet in the kitchen!) 

Hide n' Seek

By: Ethan Hanson

I was trying to think back on some memories of Grandpa Rudy and Grandma Pearl...

I don't remember a whole lot about Grandpa Rudy, I was fairly little when he passed. But I do have one memory that sticks out, the game 'Egore'.   Us kids would run around and hide in the basement of their old house which had one large white room a hallway with the staircase and then the room with the heater, washer and dryer that was unfinished with pipes sticking out everywhere.  I remember few places to hide, but we always found somewhere in the dark...then the fun would begin, Grandpa Rudy would come down the stairs with his arms partially in the air saying in a deep voice, 'Eeeeegore'.  A few of us (Kellan Hanson, Brian Hanson and Matt Hanson our cousin) might squeak a little, laugh or make a movement and he would make his sudden movement in that direction.  Soon he'd find one and then the other...I remember my favorite place to hide was in the unfinished area over by the pipes above a wash area.  My memory is faint, but it makes me happy when I think about it.

I used to love to visit Grandma Pearl's house, everybody knows she let you eat whatever you want.  Ice cream for breakfast, ok, toast with extra butter and cinnamon, no problem!  I remember after breakfast, we'd play in the family room where there was a spiny chair, and we would spin and spin until we became dizzy we fell to the floor.  While we played, Grandma would work on her puzzles, the big and difficult kind.  After spinning we'd build big forts out of blankets and play under them for hours, she'd even let us sleep under them at night!  We always had fun at Grandma's house.

Ethan Hanson (Son of Grandma Pearls son, Darrell Hanson)

"SWEDISH VALHALLA = PASTIES ! " ("borrowed" from the Cornish miners)

From Dar Hanson

A HANSON TRADITION

Here is an original "pasty" shop on U.S. 41 in Marquette, Michigan- the very road where RUDY'S childhood home was, OTTO & GREAT GRAM KRISTINA'S homestead too... this shop was one of many in Michigan's upper peninsula. Rudy's cousin "Auntie Verle" claims nowdays the best pasties are made at the Lion's Club or the church where the old guard knows what they're doing ( LARD for the crust- crisco for the wimps).. dad's other cousin,"Auntie Leona" is 91 and still drives herself to church during pasty week to do her volunteering- she puts the fresh pasties in a sack for those to go & refers to herself as the "Bag Lady" of pasties. Occasionally my brother Dean will bring me a few from a Cornish family joint up by his place- we make a joke- if he does something particularly good to help his old sister, I say "I **PASTY** love you for that!".....I know this post will make all the Hansons DROOL.."I'll have mine with lotsa 'Stokleys' catsup and whole milk in a jelly glass"........

Click on "pasty shop" or the logo to visit their home page. Some fun pictures there.

A Darrell Memory

So this is a bit long, but very enjoyable to read. You'll have to click on each "picture" to make it big enough to see. No date mentioned as to when Darrell wrote this. I can safely assume 1978.

Trip to Marquette

One trip Darrell (Hanson)and I (Karen)went to one of his dads (Rudy) first cousin's home. She was sharing family history information. When we arrived one of her dogs was walking around with a rubber toy in his mouth. So I began to play with the dog and throw the rubber toy. I could not figure out what the toy was so I inquired. I found out it was the foot of a chicken they had enjoyed for Sunday dinner.