Obituary of Harold A. Hancock

Harold A. Hancock, age 97 of Scotland passed away Saturday, November 8, 2014 at the Good Samaritan Society in Scotland, SD. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 AM, Saturday, November 15, 2014 at St. Benedict Catholic Church, Yankton with Rev. Ken Lulf officiating. Burial will be in the Garden of Memories. Visitations will begin at 1 PM, Friday, November 14, 2014 at the Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Home and Crematory, Yankton with a Scripture service at 7 PM. Visitations will resume one hour prior to the service at the church. Pallbearers will be Mark Hancock, Jeff Hancock, Randy Straus, Tyler Hancock, Cole Hancock, Raegan Straus, Lester Mueller, Patrick Bauder, and Vernon Gall. Harold Andrew Hancock was born November 10, 1916 to Coleman Hancock and Elizabeth Kern in Alton, Iowa. He started school in O'Neil, NE then in 1927 moved to Vermillion. Harold's step dad, Hiram Collins, passed away when he was 17. He attended high school in Vermillion until his junior year. Harold was united in marriage to Esther Mueller on January 9, 1939. They lived on a farm near Meckling then moved to a farm in the Sigel area. In the spring of 1943, they lived on a farm near Tyndall, SD for two years. Finally Esther and Harold bought a farm near Lesterville and lived there until January 1977. They raised two children, Janice and Robert (Bob) during those years. In the early 1950's, Harold was able to locate his birth father through correspondence with the adjutant general in Washington, D.C. Coleman Hancock and his wife were living in Los Angeles. After a reunion, Harold and his family legally changed their last name from Collins to Hancock. After retiring from farming, Esther and Harold moved into a new home in Yankton. Harold was employed at Cimpl's Meat Packing as a Federal Meat Inspector for 11 years. Esther died at the age of 67 on April 22, 1984. Harold married Ann Svanda on February 5, 1985 and she passed away on June 5, 2003. Harold was a member of the counsel at St. John the Baptist Church in Lesterville for 12 years. He also assisted in organizing the Scotland Cooperative in 1960. Harold's memory will live forever in the hearts of his two children: Janice Straus and her husband, Gilbert of Winter, Wisconsin and Miramar Beach, Florida and Robert (Bob) Hancock and his wife, Carol of Vacaville, California; three grandchildren: Jeffrey Hancock, Mark Hancock and Randy Straus; seven great grandchildren: Alexandra Hancock, Tyler Hancock, Olivia Hancock, Cole Hancock, Raegan Straus, Logan Straus and Jaxon Straus; two half-sisters: Fedilis Foster of Lakewood, California and Marilyn Greenwood of Gunnison, Colorado and nieces and nephews. Harold was preceded in death by his wives, Esther and Ann, his parents and two half-sisters: Marcella Denison and Zita Cap. The family requests that memorials be directed to: Good Samaritan Society, 130 Sixth Street, Scotland, SD 57059.