Roger L. Hansard

Published 5:36 pm Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Roger L. Hansard, 94, of Demopolis, passed away Monday, Jan. 13 in Demopolis at Bryan W. Whitfield Memorial Hospital.

He was born in Oostanaula, Ga., on Dec. 15, 1919. He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Demopolis for some 50 years, having moved his membership from the First Baptist Church of Northport. He served in WWII in Gen. Patton’s Third Army in the Seventh Armored Division, which drove 72 hours to relieve the Allies at the Battle of the Bulge. Among his adventures while in the service was the rescue of an abandoned, wounded German soldier. He had to swim a creek to reach the German. After the war, he served in the U.S. Postal Department as a letter carrier for 26 years.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Gertrude Benefield Hansard; parents, H.B. Senior and Mary Ethyl Fountain Hansard; brother, H.B. Hansard Jr.; and grandson, Jeremy Jones.

He is survived by his daughter, Diane (Wayne) Duncan of Atlanta; his son, Fred (Kim) Hansard of Demopolis; sister, Dr. Mary Hansard of Demopolis; grandchildren, Lindsey (Chris) Weeks, Matthew (Amanda) Hansard, Nicholas (Andrea) Dancy and Michael (Cesarina) Dancy; nephew, Larry Hansard; and great-grantchildren, grand and great-nieces and nephews.

Services will be at the Demopolis First Baptist Church at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 15 with visitation at the church at 10 a.m. Burial will be in the Tuscaloosa Memorial Gardens at 2 p.m. with the Rev. Carl Williams officiating and Kirk Funeral Homes Demopolis Chapel directing.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Demopolis S.P.C.A. or other charity.