Teri (Hammer) Hanson of Kennan, Wis. passed away suddenly on Feb. 14, 2026. She was born on Sept. 24, 1956, the oldest of five children of Marlys and Roger Hammer.
Teri was a 1974 graduate of River Falls High School. Teri was bright and extremely intelligent. As an adult, she often talked about being bored in school, an experience that would lead her to work diligently to challenge her students when she became a teacher. That said, she loved music and German. During her senior year she received an opportunity to study in Germany for six weeks which was a lifetime memory she would always cherish. She was also active in journalism and the school newspaper.
Upon graduation, Teri enrolled at UW-River Falls, majoring in German. As a college student, she was somewhat of a wild child. She enjoyed a broad circle of diverse friends and tended bar at Emma’s, a local establishment known for its bohemian patrons. Here, she developed her lifelong friendship with Marsha Pearson who would later become the godmother of her son, Jed. The two were friends in high school, but Emma’s was the crucible that forged a half century bond.
After college, she married Rick Hanson and began working at a series of various jobs. She was an office worker for the Energy Center in Red Wing and worked for the zoo in Apple Valley. She had her first child, Emily, in 1987. By now, her days at Emmas were in the rear-view mirror. She was now more of an Earth Mother than a Wild Child, and she began to long for something more grounding. In 1989 she and Rick bought her grandparents’ homestead just outside of Kennan. It was her beloved “Happy Place” where she lived until her death. She loved to watch nature. She resisted cutting down a dead tree in the front yard because she delighted in watching how other animals used it in various ways for food or shelter as it slowly returned to the earth. She loved the house and the land. Mostly she loved being connected to something so natural and universal. This was her church.
After moving to the homestead, Teri was hired as the aide for the Gifted and Talented program at the Phillips School District. By now she had a second child, Jed. Juggling work and children was tough, but she truly loved being a Mom and loved working with kids. Though technically an aide, she did a lot of the legwork for projects with students. She was always up to her elbows in paper mache and other kid friendly media.
In the late 90’s she got her teaching degree and went on to teach German at Phillips at various grade levels. She also served as special education secretary. She loved teaching, but her true calling was social justice which was manifested in her work for the teachers’ union. She founded the support staff union in the early ‘90’s and later became union president for the Phillips Education Association. She also served as Uniserv president for many years. In 1999 she founded an ad hoc group known as CARE (Committee for Alternative Revenues in Education) which sought to provide greater equity and resources for schools in Wisconsin. This organization gave birth to a larger statewide group known as WAES (Wisconsin Alliance for Excellent School). Teri organized four statewide marches drawing attention to the plight of state schools and the damage caused by the state revenue cap system.
Sadly, Teri became a casualty to the system she protested. The gifted and talented program ended, and her teaching job cut. She continued as a substitute teacher at Phillips until health problems and COVID forced her to quit. She had extensive training to become a Uniserv director but Act 10 was implemented just after she completed her coursework, when Uniserv jobs all but disappeared.
She continued life, a bit beat up but unbroken; her spirit still sparkled. She transitioned to a quieter life on the homestead spending time growing herbs and working small gardens. In essence, she returned to her original Earth Mother persona. She loved to cook. After some serious health problems, she saw food as something sacred and healing. She quit smoking and lost over 100 pounds. She had dozens of beloved friends that she saw often. She traveled as frequently as possible, often with Marsha for gambling adventures or unplanned off-beat road trips. She had a heart the size of Montana and a spirit to match. She will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.
Teri is survived by her husband Rick of 46 years and two children: Emily (Brett) Ayers of Madison, Wis. and Jedith Hanson of River Falls. She is also survived by four siblings: Leslie (Dean) Benoy; David (Kim) Hammer; Sarah (Jim) Conkle and Joel (Tiffany) Hammer. She is preceded in death by her parents, Marlys and Roger Hammer.
Per Teri’s request, there will be no formal funeral. However, a celebration of life will be held at a later date.
