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Obituary for Abram M. Hanks
Abe was born in Park Rapids, Minnesota in 1935, to parents Abe and Grace Hanks, the youngest of four children. They moved the family to Cottage Grove, Oregon in 1939. There, Abe was involved in Boy Scouts and was a member of the Methodist Church. He graduated from Cottage Grove High School in 1953 and signed up along with three of his best buddies for the Naval Reserve.
In 1955, Abe moved to Gold Beach where he met the love of his life Deloris “Bunny” Moore. Abe and Bunny married in 1956 in Gold Beach, made their home in Ophir and had three children, Ron, Julie and Judie. They spent a summer living and working in Powers in 1959, and in Coos Bay for a short time, before returning to Ophir and their permanent home in 1960.
Abe worked sawmills, loaded logs in the woods and loaded barges for Sause Brothers, and in the 70’s started his career as a heavy equipment operator doing power line construction. He started and built a successful sawmill operation where he and his business partner and son cut and sold myrtlewood lumber. In the 80’s, a gift shop was added.
Abe was an avid hunter and lifetime NRA member, enjoyed fishing and was a heck of a (lucky) golfer with two holes-in-one to his name. He loved to travel with Bunny and spent many winters RV’ing in Arizona after his retirement in 1997. He had a ready smile and a good joke whenever friends came to call, and enjoyed listening to music, and playing cards and board games where Bunny usually won.
Abe was one of the original board members for the Ophir Water District and served on the Ophir School District’s Budget Committee. As a younger man, he belonged to the Oregon J.C.s where he gained his deep appreciation for helping others and taught his children, by example, the art of giving. This became a lifelong commitment for Abe and he continued that service through his membership in the J.C.I. Senate, Coquille Valley Elks, Masons and Shriners.
Abe is survived by his wife Bunny; son Ron Hanks (Donna) of Ophir; daughters Julie DeLorenzo of Boise, Idaho, and Judie Hanks of Ophir; brother Bill Hanks (Lorraine) of Moscow, Idaho; sister Alice Allen of Gold Beach; grandchildren Scott Mickelson, Colby and Tiffany Hanks and Hank DeLorenzo; and great-grandchildren April and Autumn Mickelson.
He was preceded in death by his father Abe Hanks, mother Grace Hanks Messinger, stepfather Dale Messinger, sister Rosemary Bannan, brother-in-law Ralph Allen, and recently his son-in-law Tom DeLorenzo.
A Celebration of Abe’s life will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday, March 19, 2016 at Docia Sweet Hall at the Curry County Fairgrounds, Gold Beach, Oregon, with a reception immediately following.
The family would like to thank the many angels and volunteers with Coastal Home Health & Hospice for taking such good care of Abe and for being a friend to Bunny.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to Coastal Home Health & Hospice (coastalcares.org) or the Shriners Hospitals for Children, Office of Development, 3101 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239.
