Austin Z. Hanner

Austin Z. Hanner, 91, of Pearcy, Ark. departed his very busy life on this earth on Oct. 18, 2015 with his loving wife Wilma Irene Lowe Hanner by his side. Austin was born in New Albany, Miss. on Feb. 16, 1924 to the late Zack Hanner and Hattie Mae Wigington Hanner. He moved to Arkansas as a young child and grew up in the Gladden and Gieseck communities south of Parkin, Ark. He attended Parkin Public Schools where he played both basketball and football. After graduating high school in May of 1942, Austin headed to Poplarville, Miss. where he attended Pearl River Community College. It was at Pearl River College that he saw the first college game he had ever seen and he was playing in it! It was at this time that Austin decided to join the military. He was in the U.S. Army from Dec. 5, 1942 until March 26, 1943. During this time a U.S. Marine recruiter asked him if he would like to join the Marines. After explaining that he was already in the Army, the man told Austin if he could pass a test that he could still join the Marines. He passed the test and served in the U. S. Marine Corp from March 27, 1943 until July 21, 1946 where he was in the Military Police and an Athletic Officer in the Pacific Area Occupation of Japan. While serving in the Marine Corp he earned Rifle Expert and was awarded the Good Conduct Medal. He was in the first group of Marines to land at Nagasaki after the atomic bomb was dropped. After military service, he returned to Poplarville where he met Wilma Irene Lowe, his future and only wife. She was still in high school and he was six years older, but he caught her eye while working a basketball game with a cast on his leg. He didn't stand a chance of getting away and he was one lucky man to catch such a beautiful woman. Before he could marry Wilma, Austin first traveled to Durham, N.C. where he attended Duke University and completed the Navy V-12 Training Program. While attending Duke University, he got sick and had his tonsils removed, this is nothing abnormal, except these tonsils were on display for many years, and may still be, due to their large size. After Duke University, Austin returned to Mississippi. He worked as both a head coach and high school principal at Wiggins Consolidated School in Wiggins, Miss. It was in Wiggins that on Dec. 19, 1947, Austin made the best decision of his life and married Wilma Irene Lowe in a double wedding ceremony, and their life together began. Austin continued to work in Wiggins. On Jan. 30, 1949 their first daughter Alicia Sherryl Hanner arrived. With Wilma in agreement, Austin continued with his education and attended the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, and in 1949 he received his B.S. Degree with a Major in American Government and Social Studies. Austin played semi-pro baseball while in Wiggins, coached and made lifelong friends. Austin soon was ready to head back to Arkansas and became employed with Keiser High School in Keiser in 1950. With a second daughter on the way, Wilma remained in Mississippi and on Sept. 13, 1951 another daughter, Sheila Gail Hanner arrived. Wilma and the two girls then moved on to Keiser to be with Austin. His education continued, and in 1952 Austin received his M.A. Degree with a Major in School Administration from Memphis State University. Austin worked at Keiser Schools until 1954. Austin coached many kids and made many friends that he always remembered. A new job then led the family to Osceola, Ark. where he was the Junior High Principal and Head Basketball Coach for Osceola High School. Their third daughter Nancy Susan Hanner arrived on June 6, 1954. On May 17, 1956 their fourth daughter Sonya Anita Hanner arrived in Osceola to complete the family. There would be no son to play football for Austin, but the future had grandson possibility. Wilma was very ill during this time and Austin was always proud to tell everyone about the town of Osceola opening them a bank account and depositing money for them so that he could pay the medical bills. His coaching and work blessed him with many good friends here, and their paths would continue to cross for his lifetime. One of those students/friends is Mr. Voy Guillantine who will preside over the funeral services for Mr. Hanner. In July of 1958 Austin took on a new job as High School Principal in Tuckerman, Ark. where he remained until June 1959. Though his work here was brief, he continued to be in touch with some of these people throughout his lifetime. In July of 1959 Austin would take the last public school position he would have as Superintendent of Schools for Turrell Public Schools. He was very involved with church, school and community. This is the town that his girls have always thought of as their first real home. There were many good friends and many good memories made in this small town, not to mention some outstanding basketball that the whole family attended on the home games. He held this position for six years; remaining there until June 30, 1965. He was still continuing his education at this time. Two of his pallbearers are from this town. The next stop in his life was where he stayed the longest. On July 1, 1965 Austin, Wilma, and the girls moved to North Little Rock, Ark. They bought their first home on Loop Road where they lived for 45 years. The house was purchased from the Harvey Young family who had four boys. The Austin Hanner had four girls. Both men came from the Parkin, Ark. area and both men worked for the Arkansas Department of Education. There was a newspaper story in the Little Rock paper about this. Austin loved the story. Austin accepted a job as Supervisor of Instruction in the areas of Health and Physical Education, grades 1-12, and Middle and Junior High Schools at the Arkansas Department of Education and held this position from July 1, 1965 until 1970. Sherryl and Sheila graduated from Sylvan Hills High School and that one bathroom house got a little bit larger when they were gone! He also earned his 60-Hour School Administrator's Certificate from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville His next job did not require moving. In 1970 Austin became the Director of Teacher Education, Certification, Teacher Evaluation, and Teacher Testing at the Arkansas Department of Education. In 1974 all of the girls were married and gone from home and grandchildren were born. The first grandson arrived and he was named Austin Kyzer. A boy at last and the same name- it just didn't get much better than that. They were very close. Next came more grandsons and a few granddaughters. The girls were always special and treated like girls and teased, but the boys got taught how to be strong and tough. One grandson, Gabe Hannahs wanted to share a name with Austin so badly that he renamed Austin "Big George" and himself "Little George". That is what they called each other, always. Most all of the grandkids felt this way about Austin. Austin's college education was finalized at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway where he did some additional graduate studies. He was very proud of this position with the State Department of Education and held it until he retired on July 31, 1987. Austin grew up loving athletics. This love continued his entire life. His officiating career began in 1942 and continued until 2002. He officiated in seven different decades the 1940s-2000s. During that span of his career Austin worked in six Arkansas state final championships in football (at least one game in each classification) and one AHSCA All-Star football game. He also worked a state girls' basketball tournament in Mississippi. The Arkansas High School Athletic Administrators Association presented Austin with the Award of Merit. In 2004 Austin was inducted into the Arkansas Activities Association (AAA) Arkansas Officials Association Hall of Fame. After officiating football, he continued to be involved with the Arkansas Activities Association as the coordinator of the high school observers, who evaluate the officials, through the 2013 high school football season. There are too many officials that he worked with through the years that he admired, but a few of them are doing him the honor of being pallbearers for his funeral. After his service to his country, Austin became a member of The American Legion and was a lifetime member, serving 70 years with the organization and performed various duties throughout the years and received many awards. He was exceptionally proud to receive the American Legion Department of Arkansas Blue Cap Legionnaire of the Year award for the State of Arkansas in 1991 and The American Legion Department of Arkansas Americanism Award of the Year for 1997. His love and respect for his state and his country was true. He began working with The American Legion Boys State Program in 1958 and was a chairman of the program for 25 years. In 2000 he was honored by induction into the American Legion Boys State Hall of Fame for his dedication and service to the program for 50 years. Other previous services to The American Legion consisted of coaching American Legion Baseball, serving as an area Baseball Commissioner, Commander of American Legion Post 1 in Little Rock and as state finance officer. Austin received numerous awards from many places in Arkansas for his work with school education, teachers, athletics, etc. He was proud of each and every award and honor bestowed upon him. He was very proud of Arkansas in that so many fine leaders came from here that first went through The American Legion Boys State program. He was proud to say that President Bill Clinton, Governor Mike Huckabee and Senator Tom Cotton, just to mention three people, went through the program and, to say the least, have achieved great success in life. He was especially proud of Senator Tom Cotton as the Senator's father Len Cotton was one of Austin's good friends. He was honored to know these four men as well as hundreds of others that he met and worked with throughout his 50 years with The American Legion Boys State Program. Austin had the honor and privilege of meeting and knowing many fine leaders for the state of Arkansas as he was serving on the Arkansas Veterans Affairs Commission until 2013 and the Arkansas State Veterans Beautification Commission until 2014, serving under Governor Huckabee and Governor Beebe. It may seem like he worked a lot and was gone from home a lot, but he was a very respected and loved husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, etc. It was in the 1990s that more grandchildren arrived and football in the family arrived. Another grandson was born and named after Austin Z. Hanner. The Z was for Zach and Zak Colston became the first grandson to really love football and play high school football. Zak was born, raised and still lives in Pensacola, Fla. but Austin had retired from work, so Austin was able to make a trip or two down and see him play high school football. Austin made sure Zak had the right shoes to play the game and he was very proud. Zak has a son named Zachary who will continue to carry on the name. Austin has a granddaughter in Pensacola, Fla. who also carries on his name–she is Sydney Hanner Colston and gave birth just two months ago to Tessa, who was the newest great-granddaughter for Austin and Wilma. In 2011 Austin and Wilma were able to travel to Pryor, Okla. and visit with their granddaughter Cindy Bowline Carroll, and great-grandsons Aaron, Shane and Caleb Bowline. He had never been able to visit until then, but this time was extra special. Great-grandson Aaron wanted them to meet Carson Bowline–Austin and Wilma's first great-great-grandson. Carson now has a brother Mason. Shane has since given them two more great-great-grandchildren, a girl Preslee and a boy Zane. In January 2011, after 45 years living in North Little Rock, Austin Hanner decided to make one more move. He and Wilma moved to the Lake Hamilton area to live with daughter Sonya Mosher and her husband Todd. Austin finally had a man in the house to talk with about football and other sports. Chris Mosher with his son Calem also lived in the home for a short while. It was with Calem, a great-grandson that Austin learned what it was like to live with a little boy in the house. The bond between that now three year-old and Austin ran deep and was full of love. Their home was large and had plenty of room, so also living in the home was his granddaughter and her family consisting of Samantha and husband Jordan and their sons Hunter Galster and Jackson Galster. From 2011 until 2014 Austin often went to watch these boys play football at Lake Hamilton. These two boys are now getting on the field with their great-grandfather's officiating arm bands and playing their hearts out to gain his pride and approval. They know he is watching and that he finally has had plenty of boys to play the great game of football that he loved so much. Austin could see Lake Hamilton school grounds, hear and see the buses run in the mornings and afternoons, hear the band playing, hear the noise of track meets and hear the baseball and football games at night from his front yard. This brought back memories of every small town school district he had ever worked in and made him happy. He very often quietly performed his duties for the Arkansas Activities Association from the Lake Hamilton football stands as he observed many high school officials who worked games there. He usually sat in the visitor stands and they never knew he was there. He would go home each night and talk with admiration about the players and coaches and the officials he had observed. He would then contact "Mr. Brodell" at the Arkansas Activities Association and let him know how things were going. This was part of his life. It is the part that we can remember today. We will remember more tomorrow and wish that we had included it in this final tribute to him. If you haven't seen your name or don't see a picture at the funeral home in his video tribute, the family asks that you please know that you were not forgotten. If you remember Austin, he remembered you. Austin was always thankful to each and every one of you that he was able to meet and share a path with. In each town whether you were at the school, the town library, the grocery store, the post office, the church, or anywhere else you have been lovingly remembered throughout his life and the family thanks you for your love, and kindness and devotion. When someone dies, so many people want to know what happened. Austin's passing was simple. Our family leader got tired, as he put it. He was ready to go, and when the Lord saw it was time he lifted him up. Austin knew his entire family up until the very end. He was living in The Pines Nursing Home since January 2015. His loving wife Wilma was by his side. They looked out for each other every day. They wanted to be together for as long as possible and they were. He had a wonderful family. The best way to describe him is to use words that he saved for only a select few: "He was a fine man." Austin was preceded in death by his parents; one daughter, Alicia Sherryl Hanner Kyzer; brother, Robert F. Hanner; two grandsons, Michael "Scooter" Adams and Richard Todd Adams; and great-grandson, Cody Austin Kyzer. He is survived by his wife of 67 years; Wilma Irene Lowe Hanner; daughters, Sheila Colston of Pensacola, Fla., Nancy and husband Dave Garrison of Stuttgart, Ark., and Sonya and husband Todd Mosher of Pearcy, Ark.; four grandsons; four granddaughters, 10 great-grandsons; two great-granddaughters, three great-great-grandsons; one great-great-granddaughter; and one sister, Bama Sue Hanner Dolan of Cordova, Tenn. Funeral services will be held at 11:30 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015 in the Chapel of Roller-Owens Funeral Home (501-791-7400), 5509 John F. Kennedy Blvd., North Little Rock, Ark. Burial will follow at Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday at the funeral home. Serving as Pallbearers will be Bob Hickingbotham, Len Cotton, Voy Guillantine, Dr. Tom Kimbrell, Dr. Tim Kimbrell, Gordon Hornaday, Robert "Straw" Yelder, and Don Brodell. Serving as Honorary Pallbearers will be Gabe Hannahs, Gary Heral, Jim Clark, Wesley Rooks, Members of The American Legion, Members of The Arkansas Activities Association, Arkansas Boys State Staff, The Staff of The Pines Nursing and Rehabilitation Center of Hot Springs. Memorial contributions can be made in honor of Austin Hanner to the Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery Beautification Foundation, P.O. Box 6648, Sherwood, Ark. 72124. Online Guestbook: www.rollerfuneralhomes.com/owens.