Coriless V Hanson

Coriless V. Hanson was born on April 4, 1930 in Madawaska, Maine to parents John and Eva Hanson. Coriless was one of 7 children and spent his early childhood in Panama City, Florida. He went to University of Alabama, graduating in 1954 with his Bachelor’s degree. Coriless also attended Duke University where he got his Master’s degree in 1957, as well as graduate training in linguistics/languages at Scarritt College in 1957, University of Lisbon in 1958 and University of Rhodesia in 1966.

Coriless was called to Preach while at a World wide Conference of Methodist youth held at Cleveland Ohio in 1946, Mr Hanson felt that his future would involve serving the Lord in Africa.

His family was not particularly enthusiastic about his becoming a Methodist Preacher and he knew that no financial support would be forthcoming from any source other than his own efforts. He immediately began preparing for the ministry by doing odd jobs and carefully saving every dollar possible. He was able to work his way through both college and seminary and finished his theological training completely out of debt.

On July 23, 1951 Mr. Hanson married his high school sweetheart, Elizabeth Harrison and from that marriage had three children. Susan Elizabeth was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama in 1952. Karen Marie was born in Lexington, N.C. in 1956 and Daniel Craig was born in Lisbon Portugal in 1959.

Mr. Hanson attended Asbury College in Wilmore, Ky for two years prior to transfering to the University of Alabama where he received a degree in Education. While attending the University he was appointed to the Brent Circuit of the Methodist Church and was pastor of five churches during his three years in Alabama.

Theological training was received at Duke University in North Carolina. The three years in Divinity School were financed by serving as pastor of two churches in the Western North Carolina Conference.

Immediately upon completion of Seminary, Mr. and Mrs. Hanson were appointed as missionaries to Africa. Special orientation and training was received prior to their arrival in Angola, Portuguese West Africa. Their entire ministry was conducted in the Portuguese language. Coriless' work was with African pastors and Beth's activities were in the Quessua High School. The Hansons remained in Angola during four years of intense political turmoil and were later denied reentry to the country .

After a brief furlough from Angola they asked to return to Afria and were assigned to the Rhodeisa Annual Conference. Mr. and Mrs. Hanson were first appointed as teachers in the Teacher Training Institute at Nyadira. Later they were transfered to the boarder town of Umtali, where Coriless was the conference director of Christian education and Beth was the superintendent of the African Girls Hostel. During his ministry in Rhodesia (later to become ZIMBABWE) Mr. Hanson became fluent in the language of Chimanyka and worked extensively in the bush country constantly using that language. They remained in Rhodesia until returning to The United States in 1968.

While visiting Rhodesia, Bishop Palmer invited Coriless to affiliate with the Pacific Northwest Conference of the United Methodist Church. That affiliation has lasted 24 years, all of which were spent in the Tacoma District. Six years were spent at Gig Harbor and another seven years as associate (co-pastor with Paul Beeman) of First Church in Olympia. The next appointment was to the St. Paul's church in Tacoma. The final phase of official ministry was at the St. Andrew's United Methodist Church in Lacey. That appointment of four years concluded more than 42 years of ministry in the service of the United Methodist Church.

At the 1992 session of the Pacific Northwest Annual Conference The Rev. Coriless V. Hanson was retired from the active ministry of THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH. His ministry was conducted on three continents and he preached in three different languages. He served six appointments in the United States and worked in two African countries while working with the Board of Global Ministries.

There will be a memorial service for Coriless on Sunday, Oct. 2, 2016 at 4pm at First United Methodist Church, 1224 Legion Way SE, Olympia, WA. In lieu of flowers please send donations to the First United Methodist Church Angola Seminary Training Fund.