MINNIE MAE SMITH HANKS ____________________________________________________________ This information graciously contributed by Joe George: jgeorge@northcoast.com You can return to the main table of contents for this Person family document by going to the books section of the Ark. USGW archives. You can also get a full copy of the document by contacting Joe. USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other presentation. ____________________________________________________________ A7 MINNIE MAE SMITH HANKS Born August 12, 1873 near the Wabash river in Indiana, the daughter of John Speed and Julia Lipps Smith. While Minnie was a child the family moved to Yell County, Arkansas and settled in old Neely community about 1880. After the death of her parents by 1884, she lived for awhile with her brothers Ballard and Frank. After Ballard's marriage, she lived part time with her sisters, Jennie Person and Martha Phillips on White Oak mountain. When she was a young lady she returned to old Neely to pick cotton each fall. While at old Neely she would visit the graves of her parents at Bata Mill cemetery and Walter Cooper, a young boy at the time, would accompany her to the cemetery. Rev. Matthew and Jane Hanks moved to White Oak mountain near Diamond a few miles beyond the Phillips farm. By 1890 they had moved from Mississippi where their son, Elmer Tobe Hanks, was born on January 7, 1867 at Bass Springs. Ila and Pinknie Hanks were a sister and brother of Tobe's. Pinknie sold eyeglasses (spectacles) all around the country while the family lived at Diamond. While at the home of her sisters, Minnie met and married E. Tobe Hanks. The marriage license was bought at Russellville, Arkansas and the marriage ceremony was performed at Diamond on May 1, 1891. They lived near his parent's home which was the old Pack Store place. Tobe and Minnie lived on the hill in front of the Lish Blaney farm in Pope County, Arkansas. They had four children: B1 Gerald Speed Hanks was born February 22, 1892 and died July 20, 1892. B2 Mamie Iola Hanks was born June 24, 1893 and died December 4, 1896. These two children are buried in the New Hope cemetery on White Oak mountain. Uncle Tobe built a rock wall around the graves and it still stands there in 1968. It is said that one of these children was sick and Grandmother Hanks got the medicine confused when she reached for it on the fireplace mantel where all the medicine was kept. A wrong dose is said to have caused the child's death. B3 Aubrey Hanks was born April 14, 1896 and B4 Amy Francis Hanks was born September 29, 1898. Around 1900, the Hanks left the mountain to live in Oklahoma. The Phillips followed the Hanks by 1901. From 1908-1910, the Hanks and Phillips lived at Quanah, Texas and perhaps Medicine Mound in Hardeman County. In 1911 the Hanks family moved to Floyd County to farm. Later, they owned and operated the Hanks Hotel on North Main Street in Floydada, Texas. They lived in Floyd County 30 years. While they were in the hotel business, Jennie Person visited them and they accompanied her to visit another sister, Martha Phillips, who had settled with her family in Ada, Oklahoma. B3 Aubrey E. Hanks of Floydada, Texas married Mattie Meadows on December 13, 1913. They had nine children. Mattie died December 10, 1953 and Aubrey Hanks now lives in New Mexico in 1968 with his second wife. Two of his sons have died, Earl on Mag 22, 1953 and Fred on November 17, 1955. B4 Amy Francis Hanks married John Malcolm Daniel on February 23, 1919. He was in a car parts business in Floydada. Two children were born to them: C15 Kathryn Daniel and C16 Malcolm Daniel. Amy Hanks Daniels died of brain cancer on March 17, 1957. She is buried near her parents in Floydada cemetery. Minnie Mae Smith Hanks died at Matador in the Motley County hospital September 15, 1942. E. Tobe Hanks died in the People's Hospital in Floydada on December 11, 1952. Interment for both was in Floydada cemetery. They were lifelong members of the Methodist Church.