Sgt. Donald Hancock, 21, son of Mr. and Mrs. Estle G. Hancock,
1037 Adams street, was killed in action in Germany on January 18. A
message from the war department giving this news was received by his
parents, Monday morning, shortly after 8 o'clock. In the mail, a short
time later, was a letter from Sgt. Hancock, written January 10. He told in
that, that he was participating in combat in a German town.
Sgt. Hancock who was widely known as a musician in high school
here, left Valparaiso university, where he was a sophomore to enter the
service in the fall of 1943. He had his first training at Fort Custer,
Mich., and then attended an instructors school at Camp Blanding, Fla. He
later had five weeks training at Fort Meade, Md., and arrived in France
December 5, 1944. He played in army bands while in the service.
Sgt. Hancock was born in Quincy January 20, 1924. He was
graduated from Quincy High school in June, 1941, and attended Carthage
college for a year before going to Valparaiso university, where he was a
pre-medics student.
Sgt. Hancock is spoken of as an outstanding musician of Quincy
high school by Paul E. Morrison. He played clarinet and saxophone and was
a member of both the band and orchestra, under Mr. Morrison's direction.
He won national honors as clarinet soloist and as a member of a clarinet
quartet of Quincy high school. Sgt. Hancock also won a scholarship to the
Petrie national band camp, Winona, Ind., for two sessions, and made a
country-wide tour as clarinet player with the Kryl orchestra.
Surviving besides his parents, are a grandmother, Mrs. Lodina
Hancock and other relatives. He was a member of St. James Lutheran church.
Duane A. Pierce
Copyright © 2002, Duane A. Pierce
Last Revised: February 15, 2002
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