Long-time Alliance resident Marvin (Cork) Hawley passed peacefully in his sleep in Centennial, Colorado on April 2 at the age of 94.
Marvin was born on July 4, 1927 in a farmhouse near West 10th Street in Alliance to Chester and Louise (Boness) Hawley. He graduated from Alliance High School in 1945. Some time in the intervening years he acquired the nickname Corky.
He worked at the Alliance Army Airfield doing odd jobs for a while before working for a few local ranchers, eventually settling in as a ranch hand for Bernard Briggs.
He was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1950 and served one tour of duty in Korea where he was awarded a Bronze Star Medal with a Valor attachment for his selfless actions on January 23, 1952.
After returning from Korea he traveled around the western US working on ranches, roping in rodeos and exploring. He returned to the Alliance area where he found work on the Messersmith ranch northeast of town. There he met Florence Moore who taught at the country school near the ranch. He married Florence on June 3, 1956. After moving around western Nebraska they moved into a house in Alliance in 1964.
Marvin worked as a machinist at Sidles on E 3rd Street, then as a maintenance worker at the Alliance Post Office. He moved on to working as a mail clerk and finally as a mail carrier. He retired from the Post Office in 1992.
Cork loved hunting and fishing. He spent many weekends pursuing those passions with his sons and daughter along with numerous nieces, nephews and friends. He tinkered with many ideas in his garage, inventing gadgets for use around the house. He also loved tending his garden and was proud of the grapes he grew on his property.
Cork was preceded in death by his wife Florence, his parents, brother Don and sisters Madelyn Kloke and Joanne Failor. He is survived by sisters Dorothy Holthus of Mitchell, Nebraska; Betty Morse of Eugene, Oregon and Marilyn Risseeuw of Eugene, Oregon, children Gary of Aurora, Colorado, Neil of Queen Creek, Arizona and April of North Platte, Nebraska along with four grandsons and two great-granddaughters.
A memorial service will be held at the Alliance United Methodist Church at 1:00 pm on Saturday, April 30, 2022.