Ida Hannum, always willing to help

Ida Hannum, recently of Ocean View, died Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021. Known as Judy, or affectionately, Mrs. Hannum to her friends, family and students, she was a longtime resident of Putney, Vt.

She was born Julia Idanel Below in June 1934 in Bordley, Ky., the daughter of the late Clayton and Willie (Pride) Below, and was one of 11 children. They were a close-knit family, having regular family reunions since 1977 to show their “Below Pride.” She attended and graduated from Morganfield High School, and matriculated and graduated from Western Kentucky State College with a degree in elementary education. During her final year of college, she met and married a young Army officer, David B. Hannum Jr., and spent the next 30 years living across the United States, Germany and Japan, until finally settling in Dave’s hometown of Putney, where she lived until 2020. In addition to being a loving mother and Army wife, she was a teacher, Girl Scout leader, den mother, Red Cross volunteer, justice of the peace, and most recently school secretary at the Putney Central School for nearly 20 years. She was a generous person and always willing to help her community in any way she could. She will be dearly missed by many.

Judy is survived by her five children, David Keith Hannum and his wife Wendy of Stewartstown, Pa., Karen Hannum Jayne and her husband David of South Bethany, Kerri Hannum Smyth and her husband Robert of Monkton, Md., Kraig Below Hannum and his wife Michele of Ocean View, and Lt. Col. Kelly Mikal Hannum and his wife Amy, currently stationed in Osan, South Korea; three sisters, Dorothy Hohmann of Texas, Virginia Below of Arizona, and Helen Mills of Kentucky; a brother, John Below of California; 11 grandchildren, Joshua Jayne, Matthew Jayne, Andrew Jayne, Leigh Smyth, Robert Eaton, Schuyler Hannum, Everett Hannum, Analiese Hannum, Caralynn Hannum, Oliver Hannum, and Phineas Hannum; and seven great-grandchildren, Hannah Jayne, Sophie Jayne, Abigail Jayne, Tessa Jayne, Hayden Higgs, Greyson Jayne, and Isabella Eaton.

Judy will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery with her husband of over 54 years, the late Col. David B. Hannum Jr. The details of the service will be announced at a later date. 

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation, Parkinson.org/ways-to-give. 

Arrangements are under the care of Melson Funeral Services in Ocean View.

Online condolences may be made by visiting melsonfuneralservices.com.