Doris Grace (Long) Hanks, age 85, of Wolf Point, Montana, passed away Friday, March 25, 2016, at Faith Lutheran Home.
Doris was born on November 14, 1930, in McCone County, Montana, on the home place south of Wolf Point to Ray and Anna (Aadson) Long. She was delivered by a mid-wife in her 80’s, Mrs. William Busse. Doris lived on the farm until she was around 14 when her father died. Doris, her mother Anna and her sister Jenice then moved into a two-room in town. Anna later bought a four-room home where the three of them lived. Doris also spent a considerable amount of time with her sister Hazel and her husband Bud in her early years, and loved bring with their family.
Doris met her future husband, Dennis (Jake) Hanks, at the Stampede Carnival in 1948/. Four months later, Jake stepped on a rusty nail while carpentering with his brother-in-law, Lou Street, and being temporarily laid off, according to Doris, “He decided to make good use of his time and ask this girl he liked a lot to run off and get married. Well, with his foot swelled into a size 12 shoe, he looked pretty pathetic. I really wasn’t sure if it was love or pity, but I sure wasn’t going to wait any longer to find out. We gathered up our attendants and off to Miles City we went to tie the knot.” They were married October 9, 1948.
Not even 18 years old, Doris took on being a great wife and soon a mother. She was very talented: a great cook, artist, seamstress, beautician, to name a few. She did several homestead paintings for family friends, made out of this world prom dresses, cut many, many men’s, women’s and children’s hair, including lots of perms.
Doris adored her children and grandchildren, and was known to bestow upon them red lipstick kisses every chance she got. It was a sad day when her and Grandpa started going south to Apache Junction routinely for 25 years; and being the youngest there and full of fun, everyone loved her.
Doris LOVED socializing and especially dancing. She was always very classy and had her own sense of style, looking forward to any chance to dress up. Everyone took notice when Doris walked into the room; she was beautiful and vibrant.
Camping was another favorite. She was known to pack every conceivable luxury to treat her children and grandchildren: Watermelon, fried chicken, her signature caramel rolls, even ice cream wasn’t out of line.
Doris loved farm and ranch life. She was always ready to drop everything to move cows, help fix a baler, or plop a newborn calf into a warm tub of bathwater born during severe weather. Riding horses, however, was her very favorite; any chance she had, you would find her riding her beloved horse, “Ginger.”
She was one of a kind, and we loved her so.
Preceding Doris in death was her husband, Dennis Hanks; her mother, Anna Long; father, Ray Long; three brothers, Clarence, Bud and Shorty; three sisters, Hazel Pipal, Verine Hansen and Jenice Davis; and a son-in-law, Greg Bridges.
Survivors include: son Dan (Kerry) Hanks; two daughters, Joann (Rick) Heser and Connie Bridges; 11 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, and a very special friend, Jim Reinhart.