Earl E. Hancock

CLINTON – Earl E. Hancock, 82, of Clinton, passed away peacefully at home Monday, June 17, 2013. Earl was born Feb. 22, 1931, in Nampa, Idaho, the son of Donald G. and Clara (Hathaway) Hancock.

Earl attended school in Nampa. He worked as a meat cutter, logger, roughneck, rancher and farmer. He preferred jobs that kept him outside and working with his hands. A self-taught mechanic, he could fix almost anything. He served in the U.S. Army as a paratrooper from 1951 until 1954.

He was a loving and wonderful husband, father and uncle. In his later years, if the weather was good you could always find him out in the garden or orchard. He was married to Helen Roberts.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Donald Sr. and Clara; his brothers, Orville, W.L. "Lucky" and Donald Jr.; his sisters, Irene and Eleanora; his wife Helen; and eldest stepson Frank Lay.

He is survived by his sister Pauline Gaumez of Spokane; son Evan "Les" Lay of Wheat Ridge, Colo.; daughters Raejean Widmer of Harrison, Idaho, and Nadine Pruit of Germantown, Tenn.; nephew Art Hancock (BJ) of Clinton; and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Private family services will be held at a later date.

Arrangements and cremation are under the care of Garden City Funeral Home and Crematory.

Read Earl Hancock's Obituary and Guestbook on www.missoulafuneralhomes.com.