I met Lori Hanson though Danville Christian Women’s Club, and Mike when we’d go to Praise Gathering and other Christian concerts. It was obvious to the most casual observer the “true Love” Mike and Lori had for each other! It was always a joy to be around them! Mike and Lori taught me a lot about being a “true friend”, because that’s the only kind of friend they knew how to be!
Most visits ended up with us laughing, singing, and/or drinking wine and eating! Even when life was a struggle for Lori, Mike worked out how to overcome any obstacles for them! Their Love gave them both the strength and courage to handle whatever life brought them to because they knew God was always with them to carry them through it!
Mike put up with a lot from us, “Lori’s Crazy Girlfriends”, as he’d call us! He let us kidnap Lori for lunches or “meetings”, always calling Lori to find out if we were ever coming home! After a while, Mike just went with us when he could! Could it have been Mike didn’t completely trust us with the love of his life?!? And there were no better listeners than Mike and Lori when life wasn’t treating you so kindly or just needed to talk!
Lori and Mike adored their family!! I sometimes felt I actually knew many of them after hearing so many great stories about their sons, granddaughters, and siblings!
Mike had an amazingly beautiful voice he loved to share at church, and car concerts along with the radio and us “Lori’s Crazy Girlfriends”! And Mike was a great cook!! Too bad if you never tasted any of his “experiments”! It was so special and reassuring when they both “completely approved” of me marrying Tom Stone, and gave us their blessing and support!
May all our cherished memories with Mike and Lori bring Comfort, Strength, and Peace at Mike’s passing, for Lori, their family, and us all!
