John Corum Hankins, son of Thomas Leander Hankins and Samantha Angeline Petty, was born on 22 December 1893 in Hopkins County, Kentucky.¹“U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917–1918,” digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6482 : accessed 4 Sep 2013), John Corum Hankins, serial no. 2717, Hopkins Co., KY; from U.S., World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918, M1509, NARA, Washington, D.C;  John’s DOB 22 Dec 1892 and full name. His father, who was the informant on his death certificate, gave his birth date as 8 December 1894, but other evidence indicates that date is incorrect.²“Kentucky, U.S., Death Records, 1852–1965,” digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1222 : accessed 4 Sep 2013), death certificate no. 23559 (1923), John C. Hankins; from microfilm 7016130–7041803, KY Dept. for Libraries and Archives, Frankfort. John gave the 1893 date when he registered for the World War I draft, his wife recorded that date in her Bible, and that is the date used in John’s obituary.³“U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917–1918,” John Corum Hankins. Gertie Tapp Hankins Bible, The New Testament (New York: American Bible Society, 1914), privately held by Sue Morgan London, AZ, copy provided to Linda McCauley, Mt. Vernon, KY, 2004. “J. C. Hankins,” undated clipping, ca. Sep 1923, from unidentified newspaper (probably Madisonville (KY) Messenger), privately held by Sue Morgan London, AZ, copy provided to Linda McCauley, Mt. Vernon, KY, 2004. Two other sources offer the most compelling evidence to support the 1893 date. Dr. Michael Brown’s ledger lists an “obst. visit” to wife of Lee Hankins on 22 Dec 1893,” and the 1900 census lists John as six years old, born in December 1893.⁴Dr. Michael Brown, “Ledger,” Hopkins Co., KY; copy privately held by Rick Thorpe, Earlington, KY, 2004, “obst. visit” to wife of Lee Hankins on 22 Dec 1893. 1900 U.S. census, Hopkins Co., KY, population schedule, Dalton, enumeration district (ED) 70, sheet 4A, p. 215 (stamped), dwelling 63, family 61, Lee Hankins; digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7602 : accessed 8 Jan 2010); from NARA microfilm T623, roll 528.

At age 16, John worked as a farm laborer and was baptized after joining the Concord General Baptist Church.⁵1910 U.S. census, Hopkins Co., KY, population schedule, District #3, enumeration district (ED) 90, sheet 7A & B, dwelling 143, family 146, Tom L. Hankins; digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7884 : accessed 8 Jan 2010); from NARA microfilm T624, roll 481. “J. C. Hankins,” undated clipping from unidentified newspaper. He married Gertie Tapp, daughter of Abner Tapp and Amanda W. Riddle, on 28 December 1910 in Hopkins County.⁶Hopkins Co., KY, Marriages, 12-1910–12-1911: 52, marriage bond and certificate, Hankins-Tapp, 1910; Hopkins Co., Clerk, Madisonville. “Kentucky, U.S., Death Records, 1852–1965,” digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1222 : accessed 4 Sep 2013), death certificate no. 14187, 1925, Gertie Hankins; from microfilm rolls 7016130–7041803, KY Dept. for Libraries and Archives, Frankfort; parents. Gertie was born on 8 August 1887 in Kentucky, probably in Hopkins County.⁷Gertie Tapp Hankins Bible.

John and Gertie had three children, all born in Hopkins County. Helen Lee was born on 25 August 1913.⁸Gertie Tapp Hankins Bible. William Perry was born on 24 August 1916 and lived less than three months.⁹Gertie Tapp Hankins Bible. He died on 15 November 1916 and was buried in Grapevine Cemetery in Hopkins County.¹⁰Grapevine Cemetery (Grapevine, Hopkins Co., KY), William P., son of J. C. & Girtie Hankins marker, photographed by Linda McCauley, 30 Oct 2004. Jewel Franklin was born on 4 August 1920.¹¹Gertie Tapp Hankins Bible.

John registered for the World War I draft on 5 June 1917 in Hopkins County. The registrar described him as tall and slender with brown eyes and hair. He gave his occupation as self-employed farmer.¹²“U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918,” John Corum Hankins.

At the time of the 1920 U.S. census, John, Gertie, and Helen lived on Hanson Road in Hopkins County, which is north of Madisonville. John worked as a cemetery sexton.¹³1920 U.S. census, Hopkins Co., KY, population schedule, Mill Precinct, enumeration district (ED) 108, sheet 13B, dwelling 275, family 282, John Hankins; digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6061 : accessed 20 Jan 2010); from NARA microfilm T625, roll 576.

John died on 7 September 1923 in Madisonville at age twenty-nine. The cause of his death on his death certificate is unreadable, but heart lesions were a contributory cause.¹⁴“Kentucky, U.S., Death Records, 1852–1965, 23559 (1923), John C. Hankins. According to his obituary “While departing this life he pointed toward heaven and seemed to pass to the beyond in a spirit of prayer.”¹⁵“John C. Hankins,” undated clipping from unidentified newspaper. He was buried in Grapevine Cemetery next to his and Gertie’s infant son, William.¹⁶Grapevine Cemetery (Grapevine, Hopkins Co., KY), J. C. Hankins marker, photographed by Linda McCauley, 30 Oct 2004.

Gertie lived less than two years after John’s death. She died on 13 June 1925 in Hopkins County of uremic poisoning. She was also buried in Grapevine Cemetery, likely by John and their infant son, but she does not have a marker.¹⁷“Kentucky, U.S., Death Records, 1852–1965,”, 14187 (1925), Gertie Hankins. Their children, Helen and Jewel, went to live with John’s parents.¹⁸1930 U.S. census, Hopkins Co., KY, population schedule, Madisonville, enumeration district (ED) 11, sheet 18A, dwelling 362, family 480, Samantha Hankins; digital images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6224 : accessed 8 Jan 2010); from NARA microfilm T626, roll 751.

Helen Lee Hankins

Helen was born on 25 August 1913 in Madisonville.¹⁹Gertie Tapp Hankins Bible, dob. “Helen Lee Morgan,” Arizona Republic (Phoenix, AZ), 23 Feb 1993, p.33, col 3; digital image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : accessed 2 Jan 2021), birth place. She married Oden Liberty Morgan on 22 January 1939, and they had one daughter.²⁰Sue Morgan London, daughter of Helen Hankins Morgan. “U.S. World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940–1947,” digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2238 : accessed 4 Nov 2020), Oden Liberty Morgan, serial no. 1576; from Records of the Selective Service System, 1926–1975, Record Group 147, NARA, St Louis, Missouri; full name. Oden’s parents were Frank N. Morgan and Verdie J. White. He was born 12 July 1919 in Christian County, Kentucky.²¹“U.S. World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940–1947,” Oden Liberty Morgan.

Helen and Oden settled in Mortons Gap in Hopkins County, but because of Helen’s health issues, the family moved to Arizona in the late 1940s.²²“Mortons Gap,” Madisonville (KY) Messenger, 7 Mar 1944, p.3, col 6; digital image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : accessed 2 Jan 2021), lived in Mortons Gap. Sue Morgan London, daughter of Helen Hankins Morgan; health information. “Arizona, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1865–1972,” digital image, Ancestry (https://ancestry.com/search/collections/60873 : accessed 10 Jan 2021), Jewel F. Hankins-Thelma C. Ottoson, 2 Sep 1949, Pima County; from County Marriage Records. AZ History and Archives Division, Phoenix, AZ; moved to AZ before Jewel married there. By 1951, they lived at 3822 N 32nd Place in Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona, and Oden worked as an auto mechanic.²³Phoenix Arizona City Directory 1951 (Chillicothe, OH: Baldwin ConSurvey Company), p. 1867, entry for Oden L. Morgan; imaged in “U.S., City Directories, 1822–1995,” digital image, Ancestry, (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2469 : accessed 10 Jan 2021) > AZ > Phoenix > 1951 > Phoenix, AZ, City Directory, 1951 > image 476.

Helen died on 20 February 1993 in Sun City, Maricopa County, Arizona.²⁴“Helen Lee Morgan,” Arizona Republic, 23 Feb 1993. Oden died on 30 October 1997 in Peoria in Maricopa County.²⁵“Oden Morgan,” Messenger (Madisonville, KY), 1 Nov 1997, p.3, col 1; digital image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : accessed 2 Jan 2021). They are both buried in National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona in Phoenix in Maricopa County.²⁶Find A Grave (https://www.findagrave.com : viewed 2 Jan 2021), memorial 1011306, for Helen L. Hankins Morgan gravestone and memorial 10111630, for Oden L. Morgan gravestone, (National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ), digital image, 17 Feb 2012, by D & J Altman.

William Perry Hankins

William was born 24 August 1916 in Hopkins County.²⁷“Kentucky, U.S., Birth Index, 1911–1999,” database, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry/search/collections/8788 : accessed 19 Mar 2021), birth certificate no. 40674 (1916), William P. Hankins; from Kentucky Birth, Marriage, and Death Databases: Births 1911-1999, Dept. for Libraries and Archives, Frankfort. He lived less than three months, dying on 15 November 1916, probably in Hopkins County. The cause of his death is unknown. He was buried there in Grapevine Cemetery.

Jewel Franklin Hankins

Jewel was born on 4 August 1920 in Hopkins County, Kentucky.²⁸“Kentucky, U.S., Birth Index, 1911-1999,” database, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/8788 : accessed 28 Jan 2021), birth certificate no. 40677 (1920), Jewel F. Hankins; from Kentucky Birth, Marriage, and Death Databases: Births 1911-1999, Dept. for Libraries and Archives, Frankfort; DOB and birthplace. He worked as a salesclerk before joining the U.S. Army on 6 January 1941 in Madisonville. He was a staff sergeant in the 563d Signal Company and served in Algeria-French Morocco, Tunisia, Sicily, Naples, and Rhineland. He was discharged on 24 July 1945.²⁹“U. S. Army Enlistment Record and Report of Separation,” Jewel F. Hankins, serial no. 20 544 240, original in possession of Sue London Morgan, AZ, copy provided to Linda McCauley, Mt. Vernon, KY, 2021.

He married Thelma Christina Ottoson on 2 September 1949 in Pima County, Arizona.³⁰“Arizona, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1865–1972,” Jewel F. Hankins-Thelma C. Ottoson, 2 Sep 1949.  “U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936–2007,” database, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/60901 : accessed 19 Jan 2021), Thelma Christina Ottoson, SSN 094012055; from Social Security Applications and Claims, 1936–2007, Social Security Administration; middle name. Thelma was born on 7 May 1915 in Jamestown, Chautauqua County, New York, to Thorwald M. Ottoson and Ida C. Carlson.³¹“U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936–2007,” Thelma Christina Ottoson. In 1952, Jewel and Thelma lived at 67 1/2 E. Thomas Road in Phoenix, Arizona. He worked as a radio tech.³²Phoenix Arizona ConSurvey Directory 1952 (Phoenix, AZ: Mullin-Kille Co. and Baldwin ConSurvey Co.), p. 1756, entry for Jewel F. Hankins; imaged in “U.S., City Directories, 1822–1995,” digital image, Ancestry, (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2469 : accessed 10 Jan 2021) > AZ > Phoenix > 1952 > Phoenix, AZ, City Directory, 1952 > image 452.

Thelma died on 10 April 1998. Jewel died on 5 February 2005. They are both buried in National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona in Phoenix.³³Find A Grave (https://www.findagrave.com : viewed 2 Jan 2021), memorial 36491619, for Jewel F. Hankins and memorial 748060, for Thelma C. Hankins, (National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ), digital image, 29 Sep 2009, by D & J Altman.