Henry “Hank” Pawlak, 91, of Grinnell, passed into eternal rest Saturday, Dec. 2, 2017, at St. Francis Manor in Grinnell.
A funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 9 at the Trinity Lutheran Church near Grinnell, with the Rev. Catherine Burroughs, pastor of the church, officiating. Organist will be Teresa Ziegenmeyer. Casket bearers will be Bob Kriegel, Rod Massengale, Harold Moyer, Roger Pawlak, Dennis Snook and Jim White. Honorary bearers will be Dwight George, Bill Hansen, Pete Guillaume, Tom Guillaume and John Ruthotzke. Interment will be in the Trinity Lutheran Cemetery near Grinnell. The family will be present at the church one hour prior to the service.
Memorials may be directed to the Trinity Lutheran Church or to the American Alzheimer’s Association and sent in care of the Smith Funeral Home, P.O. Box 368, Grinnell, Iowa 50112.
Hank was born June 11, 1926, in near Victor, to Anton and Auguste Bringmann Pawlak. He was raised in the Victor area, attended rural school near the family farm and graduated with the Class of 1944, from Victor High School.
On Dec. 25, 1945, he was united in marriage to Margaret C. Finley at the Trinity Lutheran Church. Following their marriage, the couple resided in Grinnell, where they raised three children and became the proud grandparents of three grandchildren. The couple celebrated 54 years of marriage prior to the passing of Margaret in 2000. Hank originally worked as a carpenter, constructing homes, and then, in the late 1950s, he managed the Industrial Beverage Company, Inc. in Grinnell, for Dorothy Palmer. Hank and Margaret purchased the business in the 1980s, when Hank subsequently became the president and CEO and operated it until 2008, when he retired.
Hank was a member of the Trinity Lutheran Church, served on the church council and taught Sunday school. He has also belonged to the IOOF Lodge in Grinnell. He enjoyed working with his hands and fixing things, a true handyman always ready to help and teach others. He had a passion for hunting and fishing. In his spare time, he also enjoyed listening to country music, reading and cooking/baking, with Sunday morning pancakes his specialty. Many family gatherings would find him outside grilling or in the kitchen preparing a holiday feast. Family was very important to Hank. He was also very proud of his pet beagles, Buttons and Bows, his constant companions, who were followed by their beagle sisters, Thelma and Louise, until he moved into St. Francis Manor.
Survivors include his children, Henry D. Pawlak of San Diego, Calif., and Markijean (Michael) Graham of Newton; and his grandchildren, Christopher and Corinne Pawlak, both of San Diego, and Dr. Michelle Graham of Milwaukee, Wis. He was preceded in death by his wife; his parents; one son, Thomas Pawlak; one daughter-in-law, Joyce Pawlak; one sister, Agnes Davis; and four brothers, Anton Jr., Charles, Johnny and Bernhard.