Johnnie Mae Hanks

1916 - 2012  (95 years)

• Name	Johnnie Mae Hanks  [1]
  Born	2 May 1916	Oklahoma   [1]
  Gender	Female
  Died	10 Jan 2012	Hamilton, Ravalli County, Montana   [2]
  Notes	HAMILTON - Johnnie Mae Leonard, 95, died peacefully at home Jan. 10, 2012. Born Jonamae Hanks on May 2, 1916 in Lawton, Okla. to Medreth Elberta Vaughan and Alvin Roscoe Hanks, she was the second of eight children. She often told of how she and her older sister, Grace, had to care for the younger children. "I guess it gave us good practice," she said. She married Curtiss Jaquess in 1934 and in 1935 bore a lovely curly-haired daughter, Flo Lorene. That marriage did not last, and in 1936 she married her first love, Richard Grafton Leonard of Savanna, Okla., a soldier at Fort Sill. A son, Patrick Richard, was born in 1937 and another daughter, Jan Christine, in 1941. The family was stationed around the South, and then in Panama where Jan was tragically killed shortly before her sixth birthday. Johnnie Mae carried that sorrow the rest of her life. Another son, Tony Mack, was born in 1948. In 1949 the family left Panama for Montana. Based first in Great Falls, then Missoula, Rich and Johnnie Mae came to love Montana. They bought an old cabin near Fort Fizzle just west of Lolo and lived there, raising chickens, bees, and a few cows, delicious strawberries and a large garden. While in Lolo, Johnnie Mae bought a rug loom and began to weave wool rag rugs. She carpeted the house. Though she had started her first quilt at 15, it wasn't until Great Falls that she began to quilt in earnest. Her beloved Grandma Annie sent quilt tops and Johnnie Mae made warm quilts for the cold Montana winters. In the ensuing years she made more than 150 quilts, all "hand-did." Many of us sleep under her warm, durable works of art and love and enjoy walking on warm wool rugs. After Rich retired from the Air Force, and went to work for the Forest Service, he, Johnnie Mae and Tony moved to Hamilton. They built a house in 1965, and there Johnnie Mae lived until she died. She loved the views from her windows. In later years, she'd look out and say, "I look out at the green trees, blue sky, white clouds and the mountains and I think, Sure beats Oklahoma!" After Rich died in 1977 Johnnie Mae continued on. She traveled with her sisters and their husbands some, but mostly she stayed home reading, quilting, making rugs, and enjoying friendships. Always stubborn, intelligent, talented and hard-working, Johnnie Mae had a great laugh. The Hanks girls loved to laugh, and when they got together the joy was contagious. Sadly, in later years, dementia took hold. "My memory glands are drying up fast," she'd say. With the help and support of family, she was able to stay in her own home, as she had wished. She is predeceased by her parents, her husband, daughter Jan Christine; sisters Annabelle Lewis and Georgia Dyer; brothers Teddy Warren Hanks and Del Dexter Hanks, and most of her friends. She is survived by sisters Grace Linville of California, Nadine Swindells (Mel) Kentucky, and Nancy Hale of Oklahoma. Also by daughter Lorene Hunter (Larry) of Oregon; sons Patrick Leonard (Toddy Perryman) of Corvallis, and Tony Leonard (Jill) of Utah. Grandchildren are Chris Kashmir-Green (Dennis Green) of Oregon, Eve Dixon (Charlie), of Kalispell, Matt Leonard (Cheryl) of Idaho, Morna Leonard of Hamilton, Marcus Leonard (Robin Brown) of Washington, and Tyson Robinson of Alaska. Great-grandchildren are Lisa Owens (Mark) and Jamie Bevandich (Kari), Alix and Kyle Dixon, Nathan and Pieter Leonard, and Brendan Leonard. Great-great-grandchildren are Taylor, Caden, and Jarod Bevandich. She is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews and by long-time friends Colleen Powell and Nadine Mackey of Hamilton and Olive Shuck of Glendive. The family would like to thank the excellent caregivers who helped Johnnie Mae in her last months. A gathering and celebration of Johnnie Mae's life will be held in Hamilton in May.
  Person ID	I24878	Strong Family Tree
  Last Modified	17 Aug 2014

  
  

  Father	Alvin Roscoe "Ross" Hanks,   b. 1 Mar 1892, Illinois ,   d. 21 Oct 1968  (Age 76 years)
  Mother	Medreth Elberta Vaughan,   b. 5 Mar 1895, Poseyville, Posey County, Indiana ,   d. 10 Sep 1987, Lawton, Comanche County, Oklahoma  (Age 92 years)
  Married	14 Apr 1912	Lawton, Comanche County, Oklahoma
  	Clipping from the LAWTON CONSTITUION, probably published in June/July 1962.(courtesy of Sue Anna Lewis O'Hara) Lawtonians Will Celebrate Golden Anniversary Today Their childhood years were a coincidental series of almost-meeitngs, but Mr. and Mrs. Ross Hanks had to travel more than 800 miles before they met in Lawton and married --- and spent 50 years together. Mrs. Hanks, the former Medreth Elberta Vaughan, was born March 5, 1895, in Poseyville, Ind. Just across the Wabash River at Concord, Ill., lived 3-year-old Alvin Ross Hanks. The two grew up with mutual friends. Ross's grandfather and his oldest uncle lived in Medreth's home town, and Medreth's best girl friend, Nadine Brown, was Ross' cousin. The two families summonded the same doctor when someone was ill, and they visited the same places int he 35 miles between their two towns. When Ross was 11, he moved to Arkansas with his parents, and when he was 14, the family came to Oklahoma. Medreth lived in Poseyville until her mother died and she came to this area to make her home with an uncle, the late John L. Fairchild, in the Pecan community southwest of Lawton. Here the two met and were married. And have lived ever since except for a year in Littlefield, Tex. They farmed west of town, wher Mr. Hanks was a volunteer fireman for a number of years and then joined the Lawton Fire Department as a regular fireman in April 1926. He retired as fire chief in April, 1946. The couple has two sons and six daughters, all of whom will be in Lawton to host an open house in their parents honor from 2 to 5 p.m. in the parents home at 1108 Baldwin. They are SM-Sgt Teddy W. Hanks, Wichita Falls, Tex; Mrs. George W. Linville, Chico, Calif; Mrs. Richard G. Leonard, Lolo, Mont., Mrs. Carroll L. Dyer, Orono, Maine; Mrs. Cliff Clark, Fairview; Mrs. Bill Hale, Elgin; Mrs. Cecil A. Lewis, 2703 N. 22nd, and Del D. Hanks of the home. In addtion most of the couple's 32 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren will be present for the celebration. To be truthful, the Hanks have been married two months longer than 50 years, but the celebration was postponed from April until today so that all the children could be together for the first time in 18 years. To help the mark the Golden------ (article was copied only through this line).
  Family ID	F8267	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 2 May 1916 - Oklahoma  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Sources

  [S564] 1930 United States Federal Census [Ancestry.com. database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2002., (Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930. T626, 2,667 rolls. Containing records for approximately 123 million Americans, the 1930 United States Federal Census is the largest census released to date and is the most recent census available for public access. The census gives us a glimpse into the lives of Americans in 1930, and contains information about a household?s family members and occupants including: birthplaces, occupations, immigration, citizenship, and military service. The names of those listed in the census are linked to actual images of the 1930 Census.), Oklahoma, Comanche, Lawton City Enumerated April 5, 1930 by C.H. Johnson ED 16-23 SD 8 Sheets 6A & 6B 701-121-130 (Reliability: 3). [S246] O'Hara, Sue Anna (Lewis) Houston, Texas (saohara@houstontexans.com)/email dated 1 Mar 2002.