Alexander Hanks (1902 - 1981)

Born 13 Feb 1902 in Lafayette, Louisiana, USA [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Ella (Frederick) Hanks — married Aug 1920 in Acadia Parish, Louisiana

Descendants

Died 1 May 1981 at age 79 in Houston, Harris, Texas, USA

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Stephanie Ward [send private message] and Carroll Hanks [send private message]

Biography

Alec Hanks is a descendant of an Acadian

Alec Hanks lived in Louisiana.

Alec Hanks migrated from Louisiana to Texas.

Alec Hanks is related to US President Abraham Lincoln. Here is the trail.

Alexander "Alec" Hanks was born in Lafayette Parish to Jean Hanks and Carmelite Simon, and baptized in St. Joseph Catholic Church in Rayne, Louisiana in 1902.^[1] Alec's first language was Cajun French, as was his parents' (his father, Jean, could speak English as well, but couldn't read it or write it; his mother spoke only French). ^[2]

Before Alec was born his parents had bought a small farm in Lafayette Parish, next door to Jean's parents, Joseph Hanks and Marie Simon.^[3] But by 1910 Jean had sold the farm and moved the family to Acadia Parish, to rent a small farm next door to Carmelite's parents, Norbert Simon and Edmonia Judson.^[2]

The two census documents referenced above provide several clues that Alec's mother may have already suffered the "accident" that ended her life in February of 1911:

• Selling the house in Lafayette-- from building equity to paying rent;
• Moving from next door to his (still-living, somewhat older) paternal grandparents to next door to his mother's parents;
• The census taker's counting his mother as a resident of her parents' household as well as of her own;
• The recent birth of a sixth child, yet the census taker's NOT having counted the 6-month old baby with Carmelite at her parents', but only at Jean's;
• His mother's listing as 'single' at her parents',
• Her stated age 26 instead of 31 at both residences.

Some of these may have been all-too-common census errors. But taken all together in light of Carmelite's death less than a year later, it seems likely that Alec's mother was suffering from complications of her last pregnancy -- possibly postpartum depression.

In 1911, around the time of his 9th birthday, Alec's mother died, ^[4] reportedly as the result of an accident.^[5] Details are unknown, but Carmelite's death destroyed the family. The children-- or some of them-- were separated, none ever to live with their father again, and Jean never remarried. It is a testament to the love and strength of the extended family who took in Jean and Carmelite's children-- that all six children survived, and even, eventually, thrived.

Alec was taken out of school and went to live and work on an uncle's farm. ^[5] Which uncle is unknown, as yet, as is the placement of his brother Gillis Hanks and his two older sisters Edna and Corinne. "Ozie," Ozite, the baby sister born in late 1909, went to live with Corinne ^[6] when Corinne married Clem Istre in 1916, and so it may be assumed that the two-- perhaps even all three-- sisters had stayed together, probably with their Simon grandparents (who took in Alec's youngest brother and had several of their own children still living at home), next door. ^[2] Bernice James Hanks, was still living with his grandparents in 1920. ^[7]

In August of 1920 Alec married Ella Frederick in Crowley, Louisiana. ^[8]

Children of the marriage:

1. Willa Hanks (1922-1983)
2. Leroy Hanks (1925-2005)
3. Alice Jeanette Hanks (1928-2015)
4. Carroll Hanks (1938)

Alec and Ella rented a home in Crowley and started a family. By 1930 they were paying $12.50 monthly rent and they had a radio. They both could read and write English,^[9] although they spoke French almost exclusively among themselves and with friends and neighbors. ^[10] Alec was the proprietor of a small grocery store.

That small grocery store in Crowley enabled them to own their own home by 1940. By the time their youngest child was a year or two old, Ella was in charge of the store, leaving Alec free to do seasonal and free-lance work such as farm labor and carpentry, a skill at which he became proficient. They did not live on a farm, but Alec probably helped fill their shelves with produce from his own garden.^[11]

Then the Crowley Flood of 1940 wiped it all out. But instead of starting over with nothing in Crowley, Alec and Ella decided to move the family about 2 hours west, to east Texas, where oil, gas, and industry were starting to boom. With the onset of WWII, their two oldest, Willa and Leroy, joined the marines; Alec worked as a carpenter and electrician in the shipyards at Beaumont and Port Arthur. When Alice married in 1944, Alec converted a large chicken coop on their property into a home for her and Clem Labus for the duration of her first pregnancy. He and Clem then went down to Clem's hometown in the San Antonio River valley, and built them a house. While he was at it, Alec also erected a building to house a dance hall, to be called the Sun Palace, for Clem to operate. The workmanship and speed of his work caught the attention of a local businessman who hired Alec on the spot to build a motel for him, which he built after a brief trip back home to check on Ella and Carroll.^[12]

Alec continued to work at the shipyards until he'd saved enough to buy a small farm where he and Ella could "retire." He designed and built their last home himself. It was a beautiful tan brick ranch with southern pine paneled walls and terrazzo floors, a kitchen garden for Ella's crowder and lady peas, chicken coops, a roomy barn with a few cows, and large hog pens in the back, surrounded on at least two sides by woods.^[13] Together, he and Ella operated a small hog farm-- with chinchillas, briefly, as a sideline.

Alec Hanks died in May 1981.^[14]

Sources

1. ↑ Rev. Donald J. Hebert, Southwest Louisiana Records, Vol. 34 (1901-1902, Partial Records) (Baton Rouge, LA: Claitor's Publishing Div, reprint, 1998) p.669:

   HANKS, Alexandre (Jean & Carmelite SIMON) b. 13 Feb. 1902 (Rayne Ch.: vol.6, p.62)

2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MPTD-DZB : accessed 5 April 2017), Elexon Hawks [sic] in household of John Hawks, [sic] Police Jury Ward 6, Acadia, Louisiana, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 9, sheet 6A, family 98, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 507; FHL microfilm 1,374,520.

   Household Members:

   J[ea]n Ha[n]ks, [father], 35, 1st marriage, 12 yrs

   Carm[e]lite Ha[n]ks, [mother], 26, 1st marriage, 12 yrs, 6 children/ 6 surviving

   Edna Ha[n]ks, [sister], 11, single

   C[o]rine Ha[n]ks, [sister], 9, single

   [A]lex[a]n[der] Ha[n]ks, 7, single

   Gillis Ha[n]ks, [brother], 6, single

   Bernice Ha[n]ks, [brother], 4, single

   Ozite Ha[n]ks, [sister], 0, single

   Next door:

   N[o]rb[ert] Simon, [maternal grandfather], 54, married once, 30 yrs

   Edmonia Simon, [maternal grandmother], 50, married once, 30 yrs, 14 children/11 surviving

   Car[me]lite Simon, 26, single

   []Ul[yss]e Simon, 18, single

   Onezie Simon, 15, single

   Edmarsile Simon, 13, single

   Edna Simon, 11, single

   Elina Simon, 9, single

   Pearl[] Simon, 8, single

3. ↑ "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MS5H-SMW : 20 January 2015), John Hanks, Ward 2, Lafayette, Louisiana, United States; citing sheet 7B, family 128, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,240,567.

   Household Members:

   J[ea]n Hanks, [father], 26, Jan 1874, married 5 yrs.

   Carm[e]lite Hanks, [mother], 21, Mar 1879, married 5 yrs, 3 children/ 2 surviving

   Edna Hanks, [sister], 2, Jan 1895, single

   Corine Hanks [sister], 0, Mar 1900, single

   U[]l[yss]e S[i]mo[n], [maternal uncle], 8, Apr 1892, single

   Next door:

   Joseph Hanks, [paternal grandfather], 53, May 1847, married 30 yrs

   Mar[ie] Hanks, [paternal grandmother], 56, Jan 1844, married 30 yrs, 8 children/ 7 surviving

   Treville Hanks, [paternal uncle], 17, May 1883, single

   Therese Hanks, [paternal aunt], 11, May, 1889, single

4. ↑ Obituary, "Mrs. John Hanks," Crowley Daily Signal, February 23, 1911
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} As related by Alec Hanks to his granddaughter, Susan Ward, circa 1955, in turn related to her sister, this writer, c. 2016.
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MVQ3-P93 : 14 December 2015), Oze Hanks in household of Claimile Istre, Police Jury Ward 6, Acadia, Louisiana, United States; citing sheet 6B, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,820,603.
7. ↑ "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MVQ3-RS7 : 14 December 2015), Burnice Hanks in household of Naibal Simons, Police Jury Ward 6, Acadia, Louisiana, United States; citing sheet 22B, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,820,603.
8. ↑ LA GenWeb Archives by A. P. "Red" Quebodeaux, in behalf of the Pointe de l'Eglise Historical and Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 160, Church Point, LA 70525. Information furnished with the cooperation of Acadia Parish Clerk of Court -- Robert Barousse and his staff, Dec 2000. [URL:] http://files.usgwarchives.net/la/acadia/vitals/marriages/gromh.txt [Text:] Acadia Parish Marriage License Index 1887 - 1999, Inclusive (Male Applicant [H] Sequence) GROOM LICENSE DATE & NUMBER BRIDE HANKS, ALEXANDER 07-Aug-1920 10679 FREDRICK, ELLA
9. ↑ "United States Census, 1930", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XMTJ-VZ1 : 8 December 2015), Alexander Hanks, 1930.

   Household Members:

   Alexander Hanks, 28

   Ella Hanks, 26

   Willa Hanks, 8

   Leroy Hanks, 5

   Alice Hanks, 2

10. ↑ personal memory of the author, ~~~~
11. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VYRQ-44G : 17 May 2014), Alexander Hanks, Ward 1, Crowley, Police Jury Ward 6, Acadia, Louisiana, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 1-23, sheet 13A, family 245, NARA digital publication T627 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012), roll 1378.

    Household Members:

    Alexander Hanks, 38

    Ella Hanks, Wife, 36

    Willa Hanks, 17

    Leroy Hanks, 14

    Alice Hanks, 11

    Carroll Hanks, 1

12. ↑ Alice Labus, video memoir taken by Carroll Hanks; copy in possession of author.
13. ↑ first-hand memory of the author
14. ↑ "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JLDY-X5S : 20 May 2014), Alexander Hanks, May 1981; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).