Virgil Rudolph Hanford

January 1, 1927 ~ November 21, 2011

Virgil Rudolph Hanford was born January 1, 1927, to Franklin Douglas Hanford and Virgie Hattie Tilson Hanford in Omak, WA. Virgil was the third of four children born to Frank and Virgie. At a young age, the family moved to Chelan and then Wenatchee. He attended and graduated from Wenatchee High School. In 1944, at the height of WWII, he joined the United States Marine Corps, attended boot camp at Camp Pendleton in California and joined the 4th Marine Division in time to go into Iwo Jima and several other islands in the South Pacific. He was discharged in 1947, returning to Wenatchee and marring Ellen Louise Southwick. Virgil and Ellen made their home in East Wenatchee when Grant Road was a dirt road, moving to the Squilchuck in 1954. Virgil was a lifetime orchardist and moved the family one more time in 1969, to the beautiful Entiat Valley. Virgil passed away peacefully on November 21, 2011, with his loving wife, Ellen, at his side, in his home at Entiat.

Virgil is survived by his wife, Ellen Louise Southwick Hanford of Entiat; his son, Randal Virgil Hanford and wife, Gayle Walker Hanford of Ravensdale, WA; his daughter, Kathryn Ann Hanford Wiley and husband, Harold Wiley of Soap Lake, WA; his grandchildren, Brooke M. Hanford Hemple and husband, Jim of Lacey, WA, Brian C. Hanford of Bonney Lake, WA and Joshua B. Hanford and wife, Megan of Enumclaw, WA; his great-grandson, Kyler Virgil Hanford, also of Enumclaw, WA; two nephews, Lanny Hanford of Kennewick and Frank Hanford of Twisp; and numerous other great-nieces and nephews and 'adopted by love' kids. He was preceded in death by his father, Franklin Douglas Hanford; mother, Virgie Hattie Tilson Hanford; and brothers, Howard Hanford and Ralph "Bus" Hanford.

There will be a Viewing from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Monday November 28, 2011, at Telford's Chapel of the Valley in East Wenatchee, with Graveside Services to be held at the family cemetery in Sherman, WA (Sherman is on the other side of Wilbur) on Tuesday, November 29, 2011, at 1:30 p.m. Memorials in Vigil's name may be made to Chelan County Fire District #8, c/o Mike Asher, P. O. Box 517, Entiat, WA 98822. Arrangements are by Telford's Chapel of the Valley, East Wenatchee, WA.