A peculiarly sad death occurred on last Friday evening when Harvey Hanks passed away. Mr. Hanks had come to Salida for a visit with his mother, brother and sisters, and while here, knowing he was in need of an operation he went to the D. & R. G. hospital and was very successfully operated [sic] for hernia about ten days before his death. To all appearances he was making a splendid recovery. His mother and sisters had spent the afternoon with him leaving him in excellent spirits and apparently physically all right, but within an hour they were recalled and found him unconscious caused by a blood clot on the brain from which he never recovered. His brother, Ray, was also with him when he died. Mrs. Hanks had gone home to Denver on Wednesday previous to his death. Harvey Albert Hanks was born in VanHornsville, New York, on October 30, 1873. He, with his parents, removed to Colorado Springs when ten years old, coming to Salida four years later. He remained here until he graduated from the Salida schools when he went to Denver to attend business college. While in Salida he was employed in the jewelry store of A. M. Carpenter, now owned by D. J. Kramer, for several years, then going to Denver to engage in the same business. Later he took up electrical work, and when he died was electrician for the D. & R. G., with headquarters in Denver. He was the oldest son of Mrs. Mary Hanks, of Salida, and besides his mother he leaves to mourn his loss a wife, Mrs. Bessie Brown Hanks to whom he married on November 25, 1887, 6 children, Hazel, Ruth, Roy, Ray, Byrle and Joyce; three sisters, Mrs. L. B. Stevens, of California, Mrs. Tom Pierce and Miss Helen Hanks, of Salida; three brothers, Dr. S. J. Hanks, of New Mexico, Charles Hanks of Denver, and Ray Hanks, of Salida. His oldest sister, Mrs. Stevens, is ill in San Francisco following an operation, and owing to her precarious condition has not yet been told of her brother's death. Funeral services were held at the Lorton & Wenz undertaking parlors on last Monday afternoon, Rev. G[sic]. W. Brakebill, officiating. A quartet from the Methodist church, consisting of Miss Anna and Mrs. Sam Axford, E. E. Albright and F. D. Granger furnished the music. In Denver the funeral services were held on Wednesday afternoon from the Hoffman parlors. Mrs. Mary Hanks, Mrs. Tom Pearce[sic], Miss May Hanks and Mr. Ray Hanks accompanied the body there and they were joined by Dr. Hanks in Denver. There is always sorrow felt when death claims a man in the prime of life, but when that man is living a life that is shedding its influence for good in the community, is a devoted son, brother and husband, and has a number of little children dependent upon him, the sorrow is more keenly felt and the sympathy of an entire community goes out to the bereaved family.

--The Salida Record (Salida, CO) Fri. Apr. 23, 1920

(The Reverend in Salida was Q. W. Brakebill)