- Date Of Birth: November 15, 1918
- Date Of Death: April 25, 2010
- State: Michigan
Hugo F. Jankens
November 15, 1918 – April 25, 2010
Mr. Jankens passed away Sunday afternoon, April 25, 2010. Age 91 years. The son of Paul and Bertha (Himmler) Jankens was born November 15, 1918, in Detroit, Michigan. Mr. Jankens was a member of Beaver Zion Lutheran Church in Auburn and in his life was also a very active member of Zion Lutheran and Mt. Olive Lutheran congregations, Bay City, and Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Lincoln, MI.
He was baptized into the Christian faith in St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Detroit on December 1, 1918. He was later confirmed into that same faith at Zion Lutheran Church in Bay City, MI, where he later married Elizabeth Knaub on August 23, 1941. Elizabeth went before him to heaven on September 12, 2001. They are survived by their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Hugo was a member of the Greatest Generation, serving his country with honor during the Second World War. He entered the United States Army on November 9, 1942, and was inducted at Fort Custer, MI. During his service in the Pacific Theatre, he was stationed in Papua, New Guinea during the New Guinea and Luzon Campaigns, both major military campaigns of World War II. Among his many military awards, he was presented the Victory Medal, The Asiatic Theater Ribbon with 2 bronze battle stars, 3 overseas bars, one service stripe and the Good Conduct Medal. He was honorably discharged from service on December 28, 1945, having attained the rank of Staff Sergeant.
Hugo was blessed with a keen mathematical and artistic mind and made his living working creatively with his hands. He was an artist in the craft of woodworking and was employed as a cabinet maker and carpenter his entire working life. He retired from Dow Chemical Company in 1981 and had also been employed earlier in life by Defoe Shipbuilding Company and The Woodcraft Company, both of Bay City, MI. His love of woodworking continued into his retirement and is evidenced by the many pieces of cabinetry, furniture and beautifully inlaid wood accessories he created over the years, most of which were gifts to children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. At the age of 80, he decided he would try his hand at carving. His attention to detail, his keen eye, his love for the wonder of nature and his God-given talent is apparent in the many carved fishes and birds that he created over the next ten years that will forever remind us of his amazing artistic gift.
Hugo’s eye for God’s creation came out of a love for the outdoors. He was an avid hunter and fisherman his entire life who spent countless hours in those pursuits with friends, family and by himself, in quiet woodlands and waters. He was never as happy as when he was in the woods. The year turned 80, he harvested an eight-point whitetail buck with a bow on opening day, just a short walk from his home at Lost Lake Woods Club in Lincoln, MI. His children and grandchildren enjoy the sports today in large part because of his example of sportsmanship and appreciation of Michigan’s natural resources as well as his love of the outdoors. We will think of you Dad, when the winds whisper in the woods, as the smell of fall welcomes another season and with every cast of a pole. Every opening day, your birthday, we will think of you fondly and we will remember opening days past with you by our side on the hunt.
Hugo is survived by his children; Robert (Paula) Jankens and Gary (Debra) Jankens of Bay City, David (Sue) Jankens of Spanaway, WA, and Laura (Brett) Peil of Auburn, ten grandchildren; Steven Jankens, Jennifer Boks, Joshua (Adrienne) Jankens, Kyle Jankens, Allie Jankens, Nickolas Jankens, Emily Peil, Hilary Peil, Carly Peil and Zachary Peil, as well as six great grandchildren; Amelya, Carson and Jordan Jankens, Jayden Boks, and Autumn and Parker Majeske.
In addition to his parents, he is also preceded in death by his brothers Erhard, Arthur and Edward Jankens, his brother Donald Weeks and his sister, Lillian Ulrich, as well as numerous other family members and dear friends who had the honor of knowing him during their lives. The family would like to extend thanks to the staffs of Huron Woods Nursing Center, The Colonnades Assisted Living Center and The Carriage House Nursing Center for providing him with quality care over the last few months. He left this world with dignity and surrounded by caring people.
Hugo F.
Source link
