Norman C. Hanks was born in Jay Em and was the eldest of six kids, who he would help raise and mentor throughout his life. Norman grew up tending a small herd of ranch animals and learned how to work and train teams of horse. They were later used on a small ranch and sawmill when the family moved to the Laramie Peak area. He served in the Army during the Korean War from 1953 to 1955 and after being honorably discharged, he returned to continue working in the family business. In 1964, he married Jeannie Kafka. He later accepted the position of ranch foreman for the Bard Ranch Company’s McFarlane Ranch in 1970. Ten years later he and his wife also became partners/owners in her parents’ 75 Ranch. Norman enjoyed training and the company of his cattle dogs, most notably Rowdy and Old King. Old King who literally saved Norman’s life when an old bull “got on the fight” and ran a horn through the chest of one of Norman’s favorite horses. The dog latched on to the tail of the bull and spun in circles in anger which distracted him long enough for Norman to escape with his life. One time Norman proved he was cowboy tough when he had a horse wreck far from home on a winter day. Despite a broken neck, he started walking toward home. Aranch hand found him and went for assistance. He was taken to the hospital, where doctors found that in addition to the broken neck, he needed emergency surgery for a heart valve problem. He survived the surgery, and after nearly a year in recovery he returned to working on the ranch.
Norman C. Hanks
