Larry Hanna was a husband, father, WWII veteran, and lifelong, active Methodist. His faith journey influenced many and will continue to do so as a result of the generous gift he left the Resurrection Foundation when he passed in 2018. He lived his life by faith, raised his family with faith, and through his estate planning has ensured that others can receive the gift of faith. His gift enables the Church of the Resurrection to be a witness to faith for many generations.
Larry’s life, and the way in which he gave witness to his faith, reminds us that God promises always to be with us even through life’s hardships. He knew both joy and heartbreak; he was the father of three and was widowed twice. His daughter, Sandy Buntin, shares her father’s story and how his faith impacted her:
Dad was raised by a very devout Christian mother and father. He loved his mother very much and she had a huge influence on his faith journey. His family belonged to a little country church in Oklahoma and eventually became active in a Methodist Church in Hennessey, Oklahoma. After serving in WWII, he came home, got a job, married, and started a family. When I was only 4 years old, my mother died in a freak accident; she fell through the floorboards while in a neighbor’s attic, landing on the garage floor below. One of the things that most deeply affected me through this loss was Dad’s unwavering faith; we still went to church and he never seemed to doubt
God’s goodness and presence.
A year later, he married a woman who had lost her husband four years earlier and had a daughter the same age as me. Both Mom and Dad worked very hard to blend this ragtag group into one family. Every Sunday, we went to church. No exceptions. We grew up with devotions read by Dad every night and prayers before every meal and before going to bed each night. Dad’s faith was a big part of my upbringing. Praying and going to church was part of our lives just like going to school and eating meals were. As I grew older and encountered many of life’s challenges, Dad’s unwavering faith continued to draw me into a personal relationship with Christ. Dad was a longtime Methodist. When Mom died, he moved to Tallgrass Creek joining the Church of the Resurrection in 2003. He became an active member of the Morningstar Sunday School class where he found community with a group of people he enjoyed.
Larry Hanna’s legacy is immense and is a sweet reminder that God is always in the
midst of our life journeys – loving us, caring for us, and making all things new.