A beloved former retail clerk in the local business community died this week, and I hope you will indulge me as I share with you the story of my mother-in-law, because she epitomized what quality customer service should look like in her many years of service to our region.
For sixty-five years Hans & Vi Hanke were virtually inseparable on this planet. What God joined together in May of 1951 was never remotely asunder until the Lord called her home this week. In the final moments of her life on Tuesday, June 21, 2016, at Lakeland Healthcare in St. Joseph they pledged to one another to reunite in heaven.
Vi, as she was known to family, friends, customers, church members and most everyone else, was born Waltraud Scherler on January 28, 1929 in Osnabruck, Germany to Heinrich Clamor and Karoline Emma Scherler. She had one brother Fritz who preceded her in death in 1996.
Vi married Hans Hanke, of Schonbrisen, Sutedenland in Bavaria after meeting her in Bad Essen, Germany, on May 26, 1951 and they followed Fritz to the promise of the American dream in 1953. Their son, Mike Hanke, was born in Germany in 1953 and together, they arrived on Ellis Island in the New York Harbor a family bewildered, but filled with hope for a great life. Lured by the manufacturing industry in Michigan’s Great Southwest they settled on the shores of Lake Michigan in Benton Harbor, where Hans took up skilled trades in the tool and die industry working for Industrial Rubber, Whirlpool Corporation, and then retired from Bendix Corporation, forerunner to the present day Bosch Braking Systems of St. Joseph.
Their only daughter, Carol, was born three years later on Flag Day in 1956 in Benton Harbor and a family life filled with the natural highs and lows, ups and downs was begun in earnest.
Vi took up the retail trade as a clerk at the former Goldblatt’s Department Store in the old Fairplain Plaza in Benton Harbor. A number of years later she moved down the strip to the Hall of Cards and Books where she was a familiar face for many years to come, and a longtime customer favorite for her upbeat personality and first-class customer service attitude. She was also an avid baseball supporter for her son Mike and a proud band parent for her daughter Carol, who doted on her grandchildren and family pets. She and Hans were regular fixtures at the John & Dede Howard Band Shell Municipal Band performances every weekend and holiday for decades in St. Joe.
Vi also lived a life of service to her church, St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church of Benton Harbor where for many years she was very active, having served on the Ladies Aid Society and the Altar Guild as well as her years of counting and cataloging the donations of fellow church members following the weekly services.
Vi was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Fritz, a nephew Klaus Scherler from Spokane, Washington, and beloved pets Sandy and Kelsey. She leaves behind her son Mike (Sherron) Hanke of Fort Worth, Texas, her daughter Carol (Pat) Moody of St. Joseph, Michigan, grandsons Eric Hanke of Austin, Texas and Matthew Hanke of Richardson, Texas, step-granddaughter Patricia (Shawn) Brown of Sammanish, Washington, step-grandsons Matthew Perez, from Norman, Oklahoma, Sean (Jennifer) Perez from Dallas, Texas, Jason Moody of Minneapolis, Minnesota and Peter Moody of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, step-greatgrandsons Sterling and Tyson Brown of Sammanish, Washington, sister-in-law Freida Scherler of Spokane, Washington, and her very special fur baby, Chuck (“Butchy” as she called him) who would follow her to the ends of the earth.
Funeral arrangements are being handled by Starks & Menchinger Funeral Services of St. Joseph. Cremation has taken place. Visitation with family members will take place at 10am on Friday, June 24, 2016 at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church at the corner of Colfax & Kline Avenues in Benton Harbor followed by services at 11am. Private interment will take place with family later that day at Riverview Cemetery in St. Joseph.
In lieu of flowers, family members ask that donations be considered to the Humane Society of Southwest Michigan, Animal Aid of SW Michigan, or St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church.
I also wanted to share this story with you to honor the incredible work of my wife, Carol, who had become her mother's health care advocate and sustained caregiver over the past couple of years. Throughout her adult life, Carol visited her mom and dad at their home in St. Joseph every day. She was there rain or shine, in sickness and in health. Every. Single. Day. She absolutely adored her mom, and worked diligently to help her maintain the best quality of life possible to the very end. She kept a bedside vigil staying through the entire night to comfort her mom's final hours.
Those who know Carol know her diligence and dedication to whatever task she takes on whether it's for her role at Whirlpool Corporation, at our home, in the care of her family, or any project she tackles. I can't begin to tell you how proud I am of the things she does for everyone, and I simply wanted to honor her and her mother for the lives they have lived. Godspeed to the entire family, and thanks for taking a moment to read this. You honor us all for having done so.
I also want to thank the caregivers at Lakeland Health who treated us extremely well, Olivia Starks at Starks & Menchinger for her outstanding professionalism, and whoever the saint was that allowed Chuckie to pay a brief farewell visit to his beloved grandmother in her hospital room on Monday night.
