Harland Davis "Jack" Hand

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Harland Davis "Jack" Hand, age 81, of Rockville, Mo., died on Saturday, Dec. 18, 2005, at the Cedar County Memorial Hospital after suffering complications from a heart attack.

He was born on Dec. 8, 1924, in Taberville, Mo., to Frederick and Ella Davis Hand. The Hand family were fifth-generation residents of Missouri, having homesteaded the original farmland in the 1850s.

Jack attended school in Taberville, graduated from the Appleton City High School in 1942, and received degrees from Missouri State University and Stanford Financial Management University in business administration.

In 1945, Jack joined the Army/Air Force as a bombardier and flew missions in the European Theater of World War II. He remained in the Army Reserve, retiring as a Major in 1984.

Following his military service, Jack returned to College and then began a successful career in the oil industry. He worked for Cities Service Oil Company, Gulf Oil, and Chevron Oil and lived in Kansas City, Mo., Tulsa, Okla., New Orleans, La., and Houston, Texas. Following his retirement in 1985, he returned to the family ranch.

Jack was a noted cattleman and horseman, raising registered Polled Herefords and champion quarter horses. He was active in the American Quarter Horse Association, American Polled Hereford Association, the Taberville Fire Department, Army Reserves, American Rifle Association and in numerous community affairs.

He was preceded in death in 1984 by his first wife of 35 years, Jo Ann Newkirk Hand; his brothers, Howard Hand of Nevada, and Herbert Hand of Adrian, Mo.; his sisters, Helen Harrison of Shawnee Mission, Kan., and Lorraine Jerome of Overland Park, Kan., Ruth Hand of Kansas City, Mo., and Charlotte Hand of Rockville, Mo.

He is survived by his wife, Oswalda Neitfeld Hand, whom he married in 1996; his daughter, Marcia Hand Barnett of Dallas, Texas and granddaughter, Reghan Davis Barnett.

Funeral Mass for Harland Davis Hand was held on Wednesday morning, Dec. 21, at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church with Father Bill Krudwig officiating. Interment was in the Taberville Cemetery under the direction of the Hackleman and Sons Funeral Home.

Memorial contributions my be made to the Taberville Fire Department, Taberville Cemetery Association and the Alzheimer's Association.