Eleanor Winston Hancock

August 31, 1920 - April 12, 2010

Eleanor Winston Hancock August 31, 1920-April 12, 2010 Eleanor Winston Hancock, 89, of Rocky Ford died Monday April 12, 2010 at Pioneer Health Care. Eleanor was born in St. Louis, MO on August 31, 1920, the daughter of the late Winston and Eleanor Gardner of La Junta. Eleanor graduated from La Junta High School then from Brown's Business College. She also attended Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Co. Eleanor Gardner and Lee Hancock were married on May 2, 1943, in La Junta, Co and Lee survives of the home. The couple had two children, Bill and Nancy. Eleanor was a homemaker for years but also used her business education first working for Ed Gobin in his book keeping and tax preparation business. Eleanor later worked for Southern Colorado Power Company in the business office. Eleanor came to La Junta at the age of one with her parents when Winston Gardner purchased the Ford dealership in La Junta. The Gardner family drove from St. Louis to La Junta in a model T Ford which at the time was quite an adventure. Winston Gardner owned and operated the Gardner Motor Company which was a Dodge and Chrysler dealership for 30 plus years. Eleanor was very involved in the war effort as a young woman. At a dance she met Lee Hancock from Rocky Ford and the couple were later married. The couple farmed for years until Lee went to work for the High Line Canal Company as Superintendent. The couple lived on their farm until moving into Rocky Ford in the early 1990's. Their love of growing things showed with their beautiful yard, fountain and flowers. Eleanor and Lee loved to entertain and belonged to The Super Club. The group of eight couples had dinner at each other's homes once a month until recently. Family was very important to Eleanor. She and Lee spent many happy times traveling the world with the Hancock brothers and their wives. The couple also traveled extensively with friends and fellow Shriners. Eleanor was very active in the community, belonging to a number of organizations including P.E.O., BETA, Elena Club, Daughters of the American Revolution, Rocky Ford Chamber of Commerce along with several bridge clubs. Eleanor also spent many happy times with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Eleanor was also very active in the Rocky Ford Community Presbyterian Church. She served as Elder several terms and was active in the Presbyterian Women group. Eleanor is survived by her husband Lee of the home, son Bill (Karen) of Rocky Ford and daughter Nancy Morris of Canon City. Four grandsons Lee W. Hancock (Andrea) and Patrick A. Hancock (Megan) of Rocky Ford, Russell Bender (Shelly) of Pueblo and Clifford Bender (Joetta) of Canon City. Great grand children Nathan and Lily Hancock of Rocky Ford, Alyssa and Ashlynn Hancock of Rocky Ford, Cole Bender of Pueblo and Naaman and Annabella Bender of Canon City. Eleanor is also survived by a sister Katherine Liehr of Grass Valley, Calf, brother and sister in laws Robert ( Ruth) Hancock of Rocky Ford and Donna Hancock of Washington. Eleanor was preceded in death by her parents, sisters Nancy Mesch, and Susan Winzel, brother and sister in laws Elmer (Elizabeth ) Hancock, Harold ( Maureen ) Hancock and Doug Hancock. Funeral services will be at The Community Presbyterian Church at 11:00 am Thursday April 15, 2010, with Pastor Steve Culver officiating. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Rocky Ford Community Presbyterian Church Memorial Fund, 303 So.9th Street, Rocky Ford, CO 81067 or the Arkansas Valley Hospice, P.O. Box 408, La Junta, CO, 81050. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Ford-Ustick Funeral Home. Condolences may be sent or to view the video tribute go to www.fordustick.com. Hello, I'm Terry Hancock, a nephew of Eleanor's and today I'm honored to share a few words on her life. On behalf of Lee, Nancy, Bill and Karen, Russell, Clifford, Pat and Lee and their beautiful families thank you so much for being here today. The family would also like to thank Reverend Culver and everyone here at the Presbyterian Church whose love and support is greatly cherished. In chatting with friends and family members the past few days I'm always struck with the common theme that repeats as folks reminisce about Eleanor's life; one of a gracious, dependable, strong and loving person. She came from strong stock, which was apparent until the day she died. She also had a great sense of humor and I can just imagine her in heaven, without pain, joyously celebrating her new life with the Lord…and chucking that on this April 15th, she's up there having a great time while we're down here paying taxes! As the pastor mentioned, Eleanor came to La Junta from Missouri at the age of one. The place her parents set up their new life in 1921 was a bustling railroad town that was one of the most important stops on the transcontinental route of the Atcheson, Topeka and the Santa Fe Railroad. For those of us too young to remember when the rails were the main mode of transportation in this country, as my dad once told me, "kid, to put it in perspective, just imagine Denver International Airport but in the middle of La Junta, Colorado". That's how important the Santa Fe hub in La Junta was. Yes, in the day before major superhighways and airports, the rails were king. And everyday thousands of people stopped at the La Junta depot to change trains, make connections, or refresh themselves at the world famous Harvey House Hotel and Restaurant. The early 20's was also a time when the nation's highway system was first getting built. Here too La Junta was in the right place at the right time when the longest highway in America, stretching coast to coast over 3,000 miles went smack dab through town. This of course is Highway 50. All this transportation led to opportunities and that attracted a young entrepreneur by the name of Winston Gardner, or Pappy, as we lovingly called him. Pappy moved to La Junta with his beautiful wife Eleanor (or Mimi as she was called by many) and their newborn. Soon baby Eleanor was joined by 3 sisters…and Pappy found himself surrounded by what the locals referred to as "those beautiful Gardner girls". Pappy kept his brood well taken care of by outfitting scores of folks in the valley with new automobiles. He was a natural salesman and became and pioneering dealer of Fords and then Dodge and Plymouth. Pappy and Mimi were known to run a strict but loving household where education and responsibility were stressed. It was also a household that urged the children to be active in sports and enjoy the outdoors. Pappy Gardner was an avid sportsman who loved golfing (he was the founder of the La Junta Golf Course), an excellent marksman who hunted regularly and an experienced camper. Why, he even built a log cabin in the family's back yard so that camping out was as close as the other side of the clothes line. Mimi was an elegant and cultured woman who ran a tight ship at home, and taught her daughter's social graces and self reliance. With that backdrop, Eleanor was raised in a safe, nurturing environment. She would learn to golf, became an excellent swimmer (acting as a life guard), inherit her father's love of business, and both parent's appreciation of the simple beauty that surrounded them on the prarie. The excitement of having one of the country's busiest rail depots just a few blocks away also influenced Eleanor. She would recall going with her friends and sisters to the train station and yelling to those boarding "All aboard for Rocky Ford… stop in Swink to grab a drink". Eleanor also loved going to the depot to see the throngs of celebrities who regularly came through town; Everyone from sports figures like Babe Ruth, to Presidents Hoover and Roosevelt, to the biggest Hollywood stars like Clark Gable, Humphrey Bogart, Shirley Temple and Judy Garland…just to name a few. This access to the world made Eleanor want to experience travel and see the world herself. Something that she would do later in her life in a big way. In 1938 Eleanor went with her sisters to a local dance in La Junta. At that dance was a handsome young farm boy from Rocky Ford. When his buddies asked him which girl he wanted to dance with he piped right up and said "that beautiful blonde over there with the pig tails". And for the next 5 years Lee Hancock and Eleanor Gardner were an item. Lee says on their first real date to the dance pavilion at Holbrook Lake, Pappy and Mimi just HAPPENED to show up too. Lee and Eleanor were married in 1943 and it wasn't too many years later that first Billy and then Nancy filled their house with laughter. Lee was farming a place out southwest of town and after the war he and Eleanor moved the mess hall from the La Junta air base out to the farm and slowly transformed it into a beautiful home. I spent a lot of time in that house as it was only a quarter mile down the road from our place. You were always welcome at Lee and Eleanor's…and as a young lad I guess I had problems saying Eleanor's name…but I sure could say Auntie Anno. For my brother Brian and I, Lee and Eleanor were like second parents. Eleanor was a person always on the go. Anything the kids were involved in she was there; countless PTA meetings, square dancing, 4-H clubs, Mill Iron Wranglers, cub and girl scouts,And dozens of sporting events…many times packing up the car with kids and traveling all over the state and region. One particular trip I remember was when Bill and Brian were into rodeo, Eleanor drove all of us to Syracuse, Kansas to watch Bill ride bulls. I say "watch" but in reality Eleanor had her hands over her eyes most of the time fearful that the bull may be better at the sport than Bill. She also found herself having to learn how to cook unusual meals. You see, Pappy had taught Bill and Brian that when you go hunting you eat whatever you shoot. They soon learned to choose carefully as on more than one occasion the boys shot lowly jackrabbits that eventually became dinner. Eleanor always met these challenges with a chuckle and big smile. Eleanor was also very active in the church, and was a member of many clubs and social organizations. On top of all this, for years she worked at Southern Colorado Power Company. After the kids grew up Eleanor had the opportunity to travel to the far away places that she dreamed about as a small girl watching the trains pass through La Junta. She and Lee traveled all over the globe with some of their favorite traveling companions; Bob and Ruth, Harold and Maureen and Doug and Donna. The Hancock brothers and their wives had a ball wherever they went. And Lee says that for Eleanor their trip to Ireland and Scotland, and a later trip that they did following the travels of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, were among her favories. Lee and Eleanor had scores of friends, and the six couples that made up the Supper Club became especially close. Every month they would have dinner at one of their houses. During the Summer time these became monthly camping trips with all the kids included. And during those trips I don't think anyone enjoyed the beauty of nature more than Eleanor. In fact, it seemed like Eleanor found beauty in nearly everything. Lee who worked for the Highline Canal and whose job it was to make sure tumble weeds and other debris wouldn't clog the waterway, says he would shake his head in disbelief when Eleanor would exclaim how beautiful tumble weeds looked as they cart wheeled across the prarie. ….Lee knew he'd soon have to fish those tumble weeds out of the ditch! Bringing especially great joy to Lee and Eleanor were their four grandkids… and now their seven great grandkids. How Eleanor would delight in hearing the latest news of the children and she would light up proudly exclaiming how each one was doing in school or in their sports and activities. Having a tap on the horn after church on Sunday signaled the arrival of Grandma and Grandpa for a wonderful visit. In many ways Eleanor was a quiet individual. She was never a complainer and she didn't gossip or put others down. She followed her parents examples of dependability and self-reliance . Her mantra to her kids was "if you can't say something nice about someone don't say anything at all". Even in the final days of great illness Eleanor didn't complain. She faced her sickness with much bravery and taught us all a great lesson in the grace of living and dying. The woman who found great beauty in the simplest of things is today surrounded by beauty beyond our wildest imagination. And this world is left a better place because of her. Thank you Auntie Anno. Thank you Eleanor. We will love and cherish you forever.