Ida M. Hanson

A friend told me of the gruesome death of a local lady, Miss Ida M. Hanson.

Ida was born August 4, 1877 to Peter and Brita Hanson in Galva, Henry County, Illinois. She came to Osceola, Polk County, Nebraska with her parents when she was an infant. She completed school, then attended Bryant College, also Peru Normal and Fremont Normal. She taught school for several years. She held the position of bookkeeper in several stores, and later owned and operated millinery establishments in Osceola and Stromsburg
Ida was a successful milliner (hat seller) in Columbus working as head of the department for the last 2-3 years. She possessed a considerable amount of money and securities.

Miss Hanson went missing on May 7, 1933 after leaving Columbus to meet a friend in Chicago. The last communications received from Ida were from Evanston, Illinois and dated July 1933. She kept an appointment May 7 in Omaha with a man she planned to marry. Miss Hanson introduced the man to a friend, C. W. Neal of Chicago. Mr. Neal had an appointment with Miss Hanson in Omaha on May 7 for a business arrangements involving selling her bonds. He purchased her bonds for $10,000 on May 24 in Chicago. At that time she and her husband were planning to travel to South America. On the way for Neal to get the securities deposited, he was robbed. Two days later he saw Miss Hanson with the guy she married, but was unable to catch her to speak to her.
No marriage license was ever found for Miss Hanson in Cook County, Illinois.

Miss Hanson's body was discovered by miners on June 4, 1933 near Florissant, Colorado. She was in a shallow grave, and her foot was sticking out. Her body was mutilated and partially burned. Her body was covered with leaves and gasoline was poured on them in attempt to burn the remains. The left side of her skull was crushed. Sheriff Ed Vinyard of Cripple Creek, Colorado was nearly certain it was her, but waiting on confirmation from the family. Half a paisley shawl, a homespun rug, a shoe, dental work and scars were used to confirm her identity. Her sister and her split the shawl in half after their mother passed away. The shoe was a size 7AAA, an unusual size and the size Miss Hanson wore.
In a September 1934 newspaper it is reported that Sheriff Vinyard knew who the killer was, what his occupation was and where to pick him up. Charles W. Neal, a former convict, went on trial for the murder of Miss Hanson in March 1935. After 41 hours of deliberation, the jury found him guilty and he was sentenced to life in Colorado state penitentiary.

While living in Osceola she was a member of the Methodist Church, Order of Eastern Star, Woman's Club and Business and Professional Woman's Club, which she had served as president.
She leaves a brother and six sisters to mourn her death. She was preceded by her parents and one sister (Mrs. W. O. Johnson). The funeral was held at the Methodist Church with burial in the Stromsburg Cemetery.

Link to my Findagrave memorial with her gravestone photo (taken by myself): https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/31078354/ida-m_-hanson