Bicentennial Story #5-Lazarus Hansen

Bicentennial Story #5-Lazarus Hansen

Account of North Dakota newspapers reporting the death of transcient typesetter, Mark L. Hansen in 1931. Hansen didn't die until 1941.

5/7/1975

12/25/1975

Father Louis Pfaller
Jack Hjort

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mp3

audio reel, analog, 1/4 inch polyester tape

English

BS-005

North Dakota

Copyright Stark County Historical Society and Dickinson Museum Center

During the summer of 1931 newspapers of North Dakota reported the accidental death of Mark L. Hanson, a transient typesetter, who had worked on most of the newspapers in the state. Many editors, remembering his kindness, wrote tear-jerking obituaries.

But in the Spring of 1932 Hanson returned to North Dakota from Idaho and was astonished to hear of his reported death. He genially accepted the nick-name "Lazarus" and spent the rest of his life collecting clippings of his own "death." When death really came in 1941 "Lazarus" Hanson had collected nearly 200 of his obituaries!

This is Bicentennial Story No.5, prepared by Father Louis Pfaller for the Stark County Historical Society.

Rolfsrud, Extra-ordinary N. Dakotans, 84

Sound recordings

1:09

128kbps

1970 1979

Bicentennial tape #1, Bicentennial stories 1-22