Born in East Texas, Nacogdoches, directly descended of its founder, Don Antonio Gil Y’Barbo, Frances Marie Pena Hancock was heir to a rich heritage. Her stories were of life. A life of dreams, a life of the past, our origins, and how these shaped our future. Memories. As she spoke to me of the early years her voice was of the outdoors; creek crossings, riding horses, playing marbles (winning), and walks in the woods; a brave little girl exploring along the way to school in the early mornings, taking pause to listen to birdsong, plucking a flower, or collecting a treasure that caught her eye…my vision is of her skipping along, crossing the log to the opposite side of the creek, and up the hill. She was always fearless.
One of my favorite stories was of a six-year-old helping grandma (Mary Christina Flores) in the garden, stopping her, she confided, ‘I’ll marry a sailor one day’. (Grandma chuckled, no doubt.) Years later she moved to Houston, attending school there, while living with family. Coming home on weekends was an adventure, and while waiting for the bus on November 21, 1949 she met that sailor; Emmery D Hancock, twenty-one days later, December 11, 1949, they married sharing an amazing sixty-three years until his passing in 2012.
Always a plant lover, she collected flowers, tending them with care, excited to share a new lily; daylilies were her favorite. Stopping aside the rode to visit and share with others… this is how her collection grew, and she knew each cultivar by name. Seeds, roots, rhizomes, cuttings, anything that showed the promise of new life she would place it in the ground. Marie was quite the businesswoman too. She and Ed opened a greenhouse, selling bedding plants, and starting plants for our own gardens. The gardens were huge, the produce abundant, and her chickens, yes, she raised them, gathered eggs, sold them as well. A true entrepreneur: we learned to be self-sufficient. She not only excelled outdoors, but indoors as well. She kept an immaculate house, tended fish, guppies were her favorite. Painted ceramics and making jelly! We always had jelly, not the store-bought kind, but her own special, home grown fruit jelly. Muscadines were the best. She served as a ‘Pink Lady’ volunteering 3700 hours for the Nacogdoches Medical Center Volunteer Auxiliary from March 2003-October 2011. Yet still finding time for home, her life was of the outdoors, always of the outdoors, nothing else came close.
Marie was a lifelong member of Immaculate Conception Church in Moral. Her religion was of deep importance to her, the church, always a part of our lives, and she, never without a rosary, which she prayed daily for all of us, anyone in need, or that she felt the compulsion to offer up in prayer. Mama felt it important to give back to be appreciative of the gifts life offered. She loved her family, her boys, and the littles. A recent memory is of Kyndal, and Hudson, two of the great-grands, snuggling with her on the couch, a regret is the other 27 great grands, and 6 great-great’s will not know her.
She is survived by a sister, Inez Leverne Smith of Round Rock, TX; four sons, Ronald Hancock, and wife Sue of Nacogdoches; Robert Hancock, and wife Susie of Carrizo Springs, TX; Richard Hancock, and wife Carolyn of Beaumont, TX; James Hancock, and wife Shelley of Frankston, TX, and one daughter, Rebecca Martin of Nacogdoches, TX. ;18 grandchildren, Stephanie Hancock, Liea Marie Caudle, Darrell Freeman, Charlie Freeman, Russell Freeman, Christina Hancock, Sean Hancock, Dakota Hancock, Trey Hancock, Dayne Martin, and wife Sarah, Ann Gaspard, and husband Jimmy, David Fuston, Joseph Hancock, Martha Johnson, and husband Sam, Roberta Hancock, Jennifer Matlock, and husband James, Elaine Collins, and Terry Williams, Jr., and wife Cynthia. As well as 27 great-grandchildren, and 6 great-great grandchildren, numerous extended family members, nieces, nephews, and treasured friends.
In addition to her parents, and loving husband, she was preceded in death by a sister, Mary Abbie Smith of Livingston, TX, grandson, Jerry Glenn Hancock, great-granddaughter, Courtney Leigh Wright, great-grandson, Adin Freeman, and daughter-in-law, Wanda Sue Hancock.
Pallbearers: Charlie Freeman, David Bush, Charles Montes, Tony Jasso, Cody Freeman, Joseph Hancock.
Honorary Pallbearers: James Wright, Dakota Hancock, Trey Hancock, Elijah Hancock, Hudson Fuller, Addis Chandler, Sean Hancock, Aaron Caudle, Jared Hancock, Myles ‘Sully’ Hancock, The Nacogdoches Medical Center Volunteer Auxiliary.
The family will receive friends, Wednesday, August 19, 2020, from 6:00 until 8:00 PM, with a Rosary to begin at 7:00 PM, at the funeral home. Mass of Christian Burial will be held, Thursday, August 20, 2020, 2:00 PM, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. Burial will follow at Moral Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 1422 CR 724 Nacogdoches TX 75964.
Special Appreciation from Mrs. Hancock’s family are extended to the staffs of Accolade Hospice of Nacogdoches, and Westward Trails Nursing Facility.
Funeral arrangements under the direction of Cason Monk-Metcalf Funeral Directors.
