Carol E. Hernandez

Carol (Walker) Hernandez 64 of Stanford passed away Saturday evening, August 28^th, 2021 with her family by her side in Benefis Healthcare in Great Falls after a long courageous battle of breast and lung cancer. She was born September 6^th, 1956 in Lewistown, MT the daughter of Dale and Thelma (Haeffele) Walker of Utica. She received her schooling in Central Montana and then began her working life with jobs in Idaho and Montana until the early 1980's when she made the move to Houston, Texas. There Carol met Arnold, the two were married on May 25, 1998 in Las Vegas, NV. Vegas was the perfect spot for Carol as she loved playing the slot machines. They made several trips back to Las Vegas over the course of their marriage. Carol owned the 510 Bar in Houston where customers and employees always felt at home, there were no strangers in Carol's bar. While in Houston, she also worked 30 plus years at Lone Star Ford where she was known as the honest salesperson. From going to work on her days off simply because customers wanted to see her to making sure they got the best prices, Carol always put others first. Almost every month she got the title of Salesperson of the Month.

Even though Carol's days were full with work, she would always take time for the two loves of her life, animals and fishing. Animals always came first in Carol's world. Carol loved animals. She spent countless hours taking care of strays of all kinds. She would feed them, water them, love them and make sure they were safe and cared for. If Carol happened to find a sick or hurt animal, she would catch it, comfort it and take it to the closest veterinarian.

Carol's other true love was fishing. She was known to many as the "fishing fool". She had a pier on the Texas - Louisiana border where you could find her in her recliner that her husband put there for her, often fishing all night long. When she caught what she would call a "monster fish" she would squeal with delight. Anyone who has ever been fishing with Carol knows that unforgettable sound and what pure joy sounds like.

Carol retired from Lone Star Ford in 2017. She wanted to be closer to family and moved back to Montana. Carol had a big love for her whole family, but especially for her nieces and nephews. She would do anything for each of them. Retirement couldn't slow Carol down. She went to work at the State Home in Lewistown and also ran The Bar 87 in Windham. She also enjoyed going to the sapphire mine above Utica where she spent many prior summers. You could always find her digging with her pick to get ore out. This was not an easy job for even a young person - but she loved it.

Carol is survived by her husband Arnold of Stanford, MT; sisters Dianne Walker of Plains, MT, Mary Sue (Lenny) Proctor of Windham, MT and Sally (Daniel) Horacek of Lewistown, MT; brothers Louie (Mary Jo) Walker of Utica, MT and John (Terje) Walker of Gering, NE; several nieces and nephews.

Graveside Services for Carol E. Hernandez will be Friday, September 24^th, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. in the Utica Cemetery with the Cloyd Funeral Home assisting the family.

Friends are asked to make memorials to any charity that will benefit animals or the charity of their choice and they may be left with the Cloyd Funeral Home. Condolences for the family may be posted online at www.cloydfuneralhome.com.