Clara E. Hancock (Spannagel)

**Please scroll down and click the red box to view Clara's funeral service.**

Mrs. Clara E. Hancock, 96, passed away peacefully at home with friends and family by her side, on February 16, 2022, in Midland, MI.

Clara began her life in Tuscola County on June 14, 1925, born to the late Carl and Amelia (Bulde) Spannagel. Her parents immigrated to the U.S. from a German settlement in Urbach, Russia in 1910. Clara, along with her parents and 3 older brothers, Carl, George and John, lived in numerous places throughout her childhood but eventually settled in Hemlock, MI. There, she met the love of her life, Virgil "Leo" Hancock. The pair met at an outdoor movie in 1941 and were married on August 8, 1943, shortly after Clara graduated from Hemlock High School. Soon after, Leo joined the WWII efforts overseas and had to leave his new bride behind. Before leaving, he told Clara "Wait for me until after the war and I will wait on you for the rest of my life." Clara waited for Leo until October of 1945, when he returned from war, and Leo waited on her for the rest of their 61-year marriage. He preceded her in death on November 19, 2004. Their lives were greatly blessed by their relationships with Philip, Gail (Woodard) and Gary Loftis, whom they considered their children.

During WWII, Clara worked at GM Steering Gear, making triggers for carbine rifles. She then moved to Michigan Bell Telephone Company (later known as AT&T), where she worked as a telephone operator. In 1981, after almost 40 years of service, she retired from "Ma" Bell as a business professional. To this day, her close friends from the telephone company (Rosemary McGinty, Christina Longstreth and Nelda Fryfogle), nicknamed "The Telephone Girls", have stayed in contact and play cards every Sunday. Clara also kept in touch with her other long-time telephone friends and held monthly breakfast sessions for many years.

Always wanting to stay active, she later went to work at the Midland Mall as a Customer Service Representative. During this time, she became known as the "The Lady with a Positive Attitude" and would hand out "Positive Attitude" pins to those in the service industry whom she felt provided exceptional service. Clara served as President of the local chapter of ABWA (American Business Woman Association) and, in 1972, was named President of the Nokomis Chapter. She often joked that ABWA really stood for "Another Broad With Ambition". She was part of the Telephone Pioneers, Red Hat Society and Zonta International. She held numerous volunteer positions in her community, including some at Midland Center for the Arts. Clara was energetic and loved to keep busy so she also became a member of Curves. In 2004, she moved to Hidden Pines and eventually became the association's President for a number of years. In 2004, she was named the "Cadillac Woman" by the Midland Daily News. Over the course of 33 years, she and Leo purchased 22 Cadillacs from the former McArdle Buick GMC Cadillac in Midland, MI.

Clara was raised with a strong Christian upbringing and always thanked God and her parents for the strong family values that were instilled upon her since her early years. She believed every day was a gift from God and that He gave us all talents to use on Earth, which we should use well. She was a proud member of Our Savior Lutheran Church, where she worked with many friends on quilting, Christmas cookie sales, annual rummage sale, funeral luncheons, car shows, Bible camps and many other events. Her faith and love for people were the cornerstones of her life.

Eventually, Clara was diagnosed with macular degeneration and had to give up driving, but not her independence. She knew she had to adapt to her situation and embraced technology, which she thought was important in order for people her age to be able to communicate more efficiently. When she was no longer able to attend church in person, she would live stream the service on her iPad. She used verbal commands with Alexa to listen to music, get weather reports and call friends. She used Facetime to stay in contact with friends and to be able to "see" them. She listened to audiobooks, used her "reader" and magnifying glass and also used the text-to-talk feature on her cell phone for sending text messages.

Clara loved seeing the world and was able to make a few international trips with friends. In 2008, Clara met Ron Sherman, a fellow Hidden Pines resident. Until the time of Ron's passing in 2014, she spent time adventuring with him and his children, Pamala Keeter, Cindy Jackson & Randy (Wendy) Sherman, and have remained close friends to this day.

For her 90th birthday in 2015, Clara's family hosted a party in which they crowned her "Miss Universe", complete with a crown and a cape. She said, "Someone needs to be Ms. Universe and it might as well be me!" Nearly 200 people were able to attend the party, which is a true testament to how many people loved and cared for Clara. She was witty, charismatic, always positive, giving and full of great advice and wisdom. Overall, she was the type of friend that made you better because of knowing her. Gems like Clara are one-in-a-million and we are beyond blessed to have been a part of her wonderful life.

In 2019, Clara became a published author after writing a book about her family and life. The book, called "My Memories", is available for purchase on Amazon. In 2020, Clara joined Peer 360 Recovery as a recovery-support person. She embraced the group and attended Zoom meetings every day. She was enlightened by the group, which covered topics surrounding substance use disorder (SUD), and wanted to make sure that those who were struggling be offered support and acceptance, regardless of where they were in their journey. She was passionate about this cause and held a Zoom meeting with the Peer 360 group to express her gratitude for the support they offer the community and to let them know she will continue to pray for their journey in recovery.

In the final chapter of Clara's life, she sold her last Cadillac and turned her garage into a She-Shed where she entertained numerous friends & visitors. Gayle Gutchak, a long-time friend, helped with the transformation. For those who knew Clara, you would know there was never any shortage of visitors flowing through Clara's house and her schedule was often abundantly full. If you were a guest at Clara's, she'd say "Make yourself at home, the food is in the kitchen." Midwestern hospitality was definitely found in her home.

During the last few months of Clara's life, she was supported by grandnieces Rebecca Spannagel, Melissa Bagley (Spannagel) and her dear friend, Dolores Porte. Thank you also to Jennifer Laskowski and Willy Caven for their exceptional care over the past few months. The support team would like to thank all of her friends who visited regularly and enriched Clara's life in her final days. She often spoke of how grateful she was for the people who blessed her life.

If you would like to make a donation in Clara's memory, please consider Our Lutheran Church (Midland, MI), Peer 360 Recovery Alliance or Mid-MI Health Hospice Care.

Visitation will be held at Wilson MILLER Funeral Home, 4210 N. Saginaw Rd., Midland, MI on Friday, February 18, 2022 from 4p.m. to 7p.m. Funeral services will be held Saturday, February 19, 2022 at Our Savior Lutheran Church, 1501 N. Saginaw Rd., Midland, MI at 11 a.m with Rev. Gary Lyvere officiating. Visitation will be at the church from 10a.m. until the time of service. A private family interment will follow at Richland Township Cemetery, Hemlock, MI. Personal messages of condolence maybe offered to the family at www.wilson-miller.com.