Claren (Sonny) Everett Hanks was born January 6, 1941, in Rapid City, South Dakota to Everett and Zita Hanks. He passed away on August 28, 2023, at home in Trona, California. He was 82 years old.
He moved to California as a teen. He moved to Trona in 1970, where he worked for Kerr McGee as a maintenance man. He met Carolyn in 1972; they were married on January 27, 1973. He took on a family of five, along with his own two.
Sonny was part of the layoff in 1982, and they moved to Oklahoma. They missed Trona, though, and moved back where he worked for Jim Hunter. He took a job with Trona Joint Unified School District, where he retired after 17 years of service. He loved woodworking and taking things apart and making them work again. His greatest love was working on his tractor.
He is preceded in death by his parents, brother Bernie, Sister Christal, his son Claren Jr., and stepson Harold Massey Jr.
He is survived by his wife of fifty years, Carolyn, children and their spouses, Terry Vaughn, Zana(Charlie) Eisenhour, Wayne(Sandy) Massey, Tammy(Jim)Cicalese, Billy(Sue)Massey, thirteen grandchildren, many great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren and nieces and nephews.
The funeral service will be at Christian Fellowship of Trona, California, at 83435 Trona Road at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 9th, 2023.
A lunch reception will follow at the church fellowship hall.
The family asks, instead of flowers, that donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital.