>From Randy Willis http://www.randywillis.org randywillis@ev1.net My maternal great-grandfather was ARTHUR ALLEN HANKS (b. Aug. 27, 1877; died Aug. 22, 1942) Arthur Allen Hanks was born on August 27, 1877 in Crowley, Louisiana. He died on August 22, 1942 in Norman, Oklahoma. His family was living in Quay, Oklahoma at the time of his death. He is buried in the Lawson Cemetery north of Yale, Oklahoma in an unmarked grave. He farmed, worked on the railroad and worked for the Carter Oil Company. He also, lived in Augusta, Kansas briefly, around 1930, but moved back to Oklahoma. His parents were William "Billy" Hanks and Francis Cordelia Soileau Hanks (b. March 18, 1851; d. June 26, 1948). They were married on November 8, 1873, in Opelousas, Louisiana. His mother is buried at Branch, Louisiana in Elizabeth Cemetery. He married Mary Stark (b. Jan. 18, 1860; d. Jan. 08, 1931) on Oct. 17, 1895. He was 17-years younger than her. They owned a meat market in Lecompte, Louisiana. Their log home was located right in the middle of where IH 49 is today (approx. 500' south of Highway 112) near Lecompte. The Children of Arthur Allen Hanks and Mary Stark were: my grandmother, Lillie Gertrude Hanks (b. Dec. 29, 1897; d. July 02, 1973), Ivy "Buddy" Lee Hanks (b. Nov. 18, 1898; d. Dec. 10, 1982), William Hanks, b. Nov. 18, 1898; d. Dec. 16, 1898), Callie Hanks (b. June 18, 1901) and Mary Cordelia "Delia" Hanks (b. Apr. 04, 1902; d. Aug. 20, 1946). My grandmother told me that each day, after school, her mother would say "little lady, get a potato and work n the field." My Uncle Howard Willis, told me that his grandmother Mary Stark, reminded him of Grandma Walton on "The Walton's" TV show. Arthur Allen Hanks later married Gertrude Jenkins (b. Aug 11, 1900; d. Jan. 15, 1973) and moved near Cushing, Quay and Yale, Oklahoma. Gertrude Jenkins first husband was a Laughful Miller; they had four children. Gertrude died in Tulsa and is buried near Cheneyville, Louisiana next to her parents. Arthur Allen Hanks and Gertrude Jenkins also had four children: Wilma Hanks (b. 1928), Mary Hanks (b. 1930; d. 1962), Donna Hanks (b. 1938; d. 2003) and Edwin Hanks (b. 1941).