George Hankwitz

George Ivan Hankwitz was a kind, caring man who tried each day to share his happiness with his family, friends and community. He was a man who cared for everyone he knew, and expressed this care through his generosity and willingness to always lend a helping hand. But most importantly, George loved spending his time being a loving, supportive father and grandfather to the people who brought his life joy.

Born on March 14, 1923, in Scottville, Michigan, George was one of three children of Gus and Mabel (Kline) Hankwitz. George was just a child during the booming era of the Roaring 20s, but by the time the Great Depression had toppled the nation’s economy in the 1930s, he was old enough to understand the value of a dollar and the importance of helping others in need, a trait he would carry with him throughout his life. George’s father, Gus, ran the local canning factory before later building a cider factory. George worked at both of them while growing up. His parents also opened their hearts and home to many of the boys in the community and thus their home became dubbed the “Hankwitz Home for Wayward Boys.” George often lost his bed to them, but didn’t mind for many of them became his good friends and they stayed in contact all their lives. As a young boy, George often got into his share of trouble, including the time he painted his uncle’s brand new Model T. It was originally a shiny black, but after George got done it was banana yellow and, although he was proud of his paint job, his uncle was not impressed.

George graduated early from Scottville High School in 1943. He was an excellent athlete, representing his school in multiple sports and in 1942 was named All-State in basketball. It was also during his high school days that George had a beloved 1923 Ford Model T he called “Brenda”. He and his buddies, George Sanders and Charlie Pepperman, drove Brenda all the way to Indiana, an adventure written up in the local newspaper. Their journey took 27 gallons of gas, 8 quarts of oil and took them through Columbia City, Huntington and South Bend. Since Brenda did not have a top, their adventure became even more exciting when it rained. Shortly after graduating, George enlisted in the U.S. Navy, where he trained to be a fire controlman and served in the Pacific Theatre during World War II. He was honorably discharged in March of 1946.

After George returned home from the service, he once again made the choice to serve others, this time by being a volunteer firefighter with the local fire department. Aside from his volunteer work, George was also a lineman, building steel electrical towers for L.E. Myers Power Line Construction for several years. He then moved on to Maddox and Parsons, repairing appliances but ultimately settled in a job at Merrill Electric, where he installed airport runway lighting throughout the state. His work often took him away from home for the week. After a weekend at home, George was teary-eyed on Sunday evening in anticipation of leaving his family the next morning. Due to health problems, he retired from Merrill after 18 years. Most people think of retirement as slowing down and taking things easy, but not for George. He saw it as a time to help people in his community doing odd electrical jobs or repairing appliances. Because of his generous spirit, however, he had a hard time billing people for the work. His greatest joy was always in helping others.

Another wonderful thing happened to George after his military service - he met Lois Chadwick at the drugstore where she worked in Scottville and they were married in the summer of 1947. For a short time the newlyweds lived with George’s parents, then built their own home on High Street in Scottville. The home was originally built next door to the current location so that they could construct the basement on the permanent site before moving the house onto the foundation. Though proud of his home, George was equally proud of the huge garden next to their home, which he meticulously maintained. George and Lois soon filled their home with five children: Mike, JoEllen, Lana, Sandy and Terry. Although their marriage ended in divorce in 1994, George humbly credited Lois for wonderfully raising their children.

A loving and caring father, George derived endless joy from watching his family grow and succeed. No matter what they did, he was always supportive of his children. Mike, George’s oldest son, is a college football coach and a former player at University of Michigan. George lived for football Saturdays and road trips with the family to Mike’s games in places like Ohio, Indiana, Iowa and various bowl games. To show his support, George always wore apparel promoting the team Mike was currently coaching while the old school garb was donated to the local school for kids in need. His family recalls many of those memorable day trips with a frantic car ride to get to the games, but most importantly, they cherish the time spent together as a family. George always liked to bring a little piece of home with him to give to Mike wherever he was coaching. This usually consisted of fresh Mason County apples, which often times were taken back to campus on the equipment truck because they weren’t so little or light. Mike is currently coaching at Colorado as Defensive Coordinator, and George faithfully showed his support and pride as he did throughout Mike’s career. George also poured the same kind of love and support into the relationships with his grandchildren as he did with his own children. The Hankwitz athleticism was also passed on to his grandchildren, as evidenced by all of their involvement in multiple sports.

Although George’s family and work kept him busy, he valued his community and remained actively involved. As a loyal supporter of the Mason County Central Schools, George could often be found climbing the light towers at the McPhail football field changing the bulbs for the games or climbing the water tower in town to check the levels. His generous nature overflowed not only to friends and neighbors, but also to the kids in the community, often slipping them money to get a burger with their friends after a game. Another community enterprise to which George gave his complete support was the Scottville Clown Band. He drove their bus for a while and rarely missed a concert when they were in the area.

With a strong background in sports, George stayed active playing baseball/softball and basketball on several independent teams including the Muskegon Continental Red Shields, Peterson Brothers and Dow AC teams, all championship-caliber teams that played against semi-pro traveling teams. George was also a superb bowler and highlighted this in April of 1986, when he bowled a perfect 300 game at the Scottville Lanes. This perfect game included 21 consecutive strikes – 8 before, 12 during and 1 after for proof. During his 30 years of bowling, George’s team consisted of his good friends, Jimmy White, Bob Garret, Bill Albatis, Russell Partrich, Clayton Spencer, Rod Merrill, L.D. Gunnett and many others. But George’s athleticism didn’t stop there; he was also an avid golfer in the Optimist Club league and often took part in the Mason County Central Education Foundation golf outing.

People were the most important thing to George and he demonstrated it by the kind way he treated them. He was willing and able to make friends with anyone, quickly putting them at ease with his warm smile, looking for ways he could help and encourage them. He enjoyed getting together with friends and family playing pool/snooker games, cribbage and setback card games. One of his favorite activities, however, was going to his friend Rudy Kivela’s home on Saturdays to enjoy the sauna. This get-together ritual began in 1964, with George, Rudy and Ed Malkowski, when the sauna was steamed by rocks stacked over a wood fire. The sauna had many improvements over the years to its current cedar lining with a changing room and gas heater. George claimed this activity kept him healthy, and the men solved many world problems during their “fitness” time. Whether it was for fitness or the camaraderie, he rarely missed a Saturday session. Being a social creature, George’s daily routine included coffee time at North Country Café, a bowl of Canadian Cheddar Soup at Grand Hotel, afternoon lunch break at Steve’s, a trip to Tom’s Barber Shop for the local daily happenings and playing pool or cards at the Scottville Senior Center. And if electrical work was needed, he was only too happy to offer his services.

George cherished the times of his life whenever they occurred. When his younger brother, Lowell, wanted to quit school, George stepped in like a father figure and stubbornly pushed him to be the best man he could. George had an old school personality, with a stubborn edge, but he was always there when his help was needed. He was also known to be somewhat of a flirt, attracting the attention of his friend and companion, Sally Woodward. George's affection also encompassed his dog "Bronco". It was easy to remember that George got this dog when Mike was coaching at Western Michigan. George had a sweet tooth and his favorite snacks included M&Ms and cashews, but, if needed, any kind of candy would do.

George lived in Scottville all his life. It is the place he called home, and the place where he created a lifetime full of memories with his family and friends. George touched many lives during his 81 years on earth - lives that are better for having known him. He will be greatly missed.

George Ivan Hankwitz died on Tuesday, January 11, 2005. He was preceded in death by his parents, and his brother, Lowell Hankwitz. George’s family includes his children: Mike (Cathy) Hankwitz of Longmont, CO, JoEllen Kalymon of Plymouth, Lana (Lee) Ostergren of Midland, Sandy (Rich) Shereda of Free Soil, Terry (Margene) Hankwitz of Ludington; his six grandchildren: Kristen Kalymon, Luke and Abby Shereda, Lindsey and Katie Hankwitz, Lee Ostergren and Jake Hankwitz; his sister, Barb (Jim) Keating of Ludington; many nieces, nephews, adopted brothers and good friends.

A Life Story Service will be held for George at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, January 14, at the Stephens Life Story Funeral Home in Scottville. Burial will take place at Brookside Cemetery. Friends may spend time with George’s family on Thursday, January 13, from 7-9 p.m. and on Friday from noon until time of service at the funeral home. Please visit George’s personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you may share a memory, order flowers or make a memorial contribution to either the Scottville Clown Band Scholarship Fund or the Scottville Senior Center.