Read: Revelation 3
May 19, 1907-March 14, 2005
Rev. C. Hanko was the oldest living pastor in the Protestant Reformed Churches. He was ordained and installed into the ministry in 1929 at Hull, Iowa Protestant Reformed Church. In 1935 he went to the Oak Lawn, IL Protestant Reformed Church. Ten years later, 1945, he went to the Manhattan, MT Protestant Reformed Church. In 1948 he accepted the call to First Protestant Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, MI. He later moved to Redlands, CA in 1964 where he served some seven years. His final charge was in Hudsonville, MI where he went in 1971. In 1977 he retired from the active ministry.
"The Gospel: A Command, Not an Offer" Ephesians 2 (A "Reformed Witness Hour" radio message.)
Rev. C. Hanko passed away early in the afternoon, March 14, 2005. He was 97 years old. Probably many knew him personally and maybe had him as your pastor. He was well known and well received in our churches as a gentle, loving, wise leader. He began his ministry in 1929 in Hull Iowa (I hear that he preached 3 years hearing hardly a good word about his sermons, and when he enquired about this from an elder, the elder said, "Dominee, if there is a problem, we'll let you know"). From there he went to Oak Lawn in Illinois in 1935. Here the family lived, according to his son Prof. Herman Hanko, in a chicken coop that was modified into a home. This was during the depression. In 1945 he went to Manhattan in Montana. In 1948 he moved to First in Grand Rapids where he served with Revs. Hoeksema and DeWolf. He lived through the split there, and continued there until 1964 when he moved to Redlands. In 1971 he came to Hudsonville, eventually retiring in 1977. Now, 28 years later, and 31 years after his wife passed away, the Lord has given him deliverance.
Funeral service was held in the Hudsonville Protestant Reformed Church at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 17. Rev. G. Van Baren officiated.
Our sympathy goes to the Hanko family and relatives in this loss. We give thanks to God for the blessings, through Rev. Hanko, to our churches.
(Information provided by Pastor Rodney Kleyn
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