Clear, 30° F
(Mar. 19, 2001)
Maurice L. Hannum died March 19 at St. Vincent Healthcare in Billings.
He was born in Moorhead, Minn., on Feb. 24, 1914. In 1916 he moved to Fargo, N.D., with his mother and grandparents. In school, he excelled in sports and in his junior year his team won the city championship for football. He was president of his class and was nominated by his teachers and classmates to be the first in North Dakota to receive the Sons of the Revolution good Citizenship medal. He completed his education with a degree in accounting and office management from the Interstate Business College.
In the 1930s he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps. He was drafted into the Army in 1941, which prompted him and his sweetheart, Catherine Tuff, to get married that December. They were married more than 59 years.
As a member of the 164th Infantry Regiment, he served in the South Pacific on Guadalcanal, the Solomon Islands, Bougainville and the Philippines. After 38 months, he returned home having been awarded the Bronze Star.
After several moves, Maurice and his family settled in Powell in 1965, where he worked as an accountant for Earl Rivard. They later bought the Dutch Mill Cafe. In 1967, he began working at the post office. He retired in 1979.
He is preceded in death by daughter Sandra Kay. Survivors include wife Kay; daughter Mrs. Charles (Terri) Anderson of Roseville, Minn.; son Garth of Ponca City, Okla.; daughter Mrs. Patrick (Lisa) Grimsley of Billings; grandsons Bill, David and Daniel Anderson; granddaughters Toni Beaver, Randi Kay Hannum, Kristyne and Kimberly Ellis; and brother Irvin Weitzel of Fargo, N.D.
Cremation has taken place. A memorial service is planned today (Thursday) at 11 a.m. at Hope Lutheran Church. Internment will be at Riverside Cemetery in Fargo at a later date.
