Harold Hanke

(From Ozark Funeral Home)

Servanthood is an attitude exemplified by Christ “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant” (Philippians 2:6-7).

Harold Joe Hanke, better known as Joe, at the age of 79 of Anderson, MO has peacefully passed from this life into the Lord’s arms on May 5, 2024, following a long illness. Joe was born on May 26, 1944, in Okmulgee, OK, one of four children to Adolf and Vera (Brown) Hanke.

 

He married the love of his life, Pat in Elko, NV on December 10, 1976, after visiting Joe’s mother, whom, if you knew Vera, was a woman convicted with her own opinions about things and did her best to strongly advise Pat against going through with it. Shortly after their nuptials, Joe and Pat were determined to make their new blended family one unified front. Joe adopted Pat’s 3 children, Suzanne, Mike & Bill and with Joe’s 3 children, Kimberly, Jared and Josh, then together adopting Melissa, the “Hanke” family was complete.

Joe earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond. Which is also the same school that he participated in the very first Kindergarten program back in 1949. He lived a life of servanthood and began his career in law enforcement as a member of the Mesquite Police Department in Mesquite, Texas. He transferred to Orange County, California, then later became Chief Police in South Salt Lake City, UT. After moving his family back to Noel, MO in 1976, the place where he graduated from high school, was sworn in as a Marshall Deputy and soon after as a Municipal Judge also in Noel. Several years later, Joe became McDonald County’s Civil Defense Director and formed its first S.W.A.T. team under the guidance of Sheriff Don Schlessman.

Joe had that charismatic personality that attracted people to him which assisted in his award-winning career as a salesman with American Family Homes and later as a business owner of Sherwood Forest Homes in Anderson, Missouri. He retired in 2000.

Joe was a published author, “Prepare Today, Survive Tomorrow”, and also a certified training instructor for National disaster and emergency. He trained his children up with a sense of preparedness and sharp shooting marksmanship. In fact, every year during the all-day Thanksgiving family gatherings, when most American families were playing football in the yard, the Hanke family always had target practice or skeet shooting. It is still unclear whether the purpose for that was to hone the family’s shooting skills or just keep the masses out of the house during Thanksgiving Day cooking. Joe loved the outdoors and often took the family on camping and floating trips. One of Jared’s favorite childhood memories was when Joe took him and his brother Josh on a four-day camping expedition with his friend Steve Womack. Four days of extreme camping, living off the land, which included forging the forest for their meals, like eating worms, bugs and white bark off of trees, and building shelter from downed tree branches and leaves.

Joe lived a life of adventure and servanthood and passed those passions down to all his children. He earned his pilot’s license while in Utah. Later in life he bought a BMW Touring motorcycle and used it for missionary work as a member of the CMA, Christian Motorcycle Association. Joe and Pat wore their CMA colors while cruising to prisons throughout the country for the Bill Glass Prison Ministry. His daughter, Kimberly’s fondest memory with her dad was joining him in San Antonio, Texas for a weekend of riding and sharing their faith of Jesus Christ to the least of these. 

As the CMA riders departed for the first prison, they hit a patch of black ice on an overpass, which caused the motorcycle to slide out from underneath them. They picked themselves up without a scratch and got back on the bike, to shortly after almost be swiped off the road by another vehicle. Kimberly declared to Joe through their helmet microphone set that, “Today is going to be exceptional”, because someone was trying to prevent them from getting there. 

Joe ingrained in his children the purpose for “Grit and Grace”, determines that life challenges will neither defeat nor define us, to always get back up when life knocks you down; and gives kindness to ourselves and others even when it’s hard. Joe was a firm believer in walking the talk and felt led to partner with a team of men from the Christian Motorcycle Association to form an organization, “Friday Night High” that was an outreach ministry program assisting overcomers recovering from addiction.

Joe was preceded in death by his daughter; Brenda Lee Hanke, grandson; Jacob Lyn Hanke, son; Michael James Hanke, and son; Joshua Adolf Hanke.

Joe is survived by his loving wife Pat Hanke, children, Suzanne Marie Pruitt of Anderson, MO; William John Hanke of Goodman, MO; Kimberly Ann Ferguson of Celina, TX; Jared Garth Hanke of Pataya, Thailand; Melissa Marie Grigsby of Anderson, MO; grandchildren, Tyler Pruitt, Kristina Hanke, Stephanie Reid, Julie Grimes, Tanner Pruitt, Alexander Ferguson, Johnica Jones, Alecia Hutchison, James Hanke, Brian Grigsby; and sixteen great-grandchildren.

Funeral services are 11:00 am Monday, May 13, 2024, in the Anderson Chapel of the Ozark Funeral Homes with Pastor Cecil Hall officiating. Burial will follow at Peace Valley Cemetery in Anderson. Those honoring his life by serving as pallbearers are Tyler Pruitt, Tanner Pruitt, Alex Ferguson, James Hanke, Greg Beckner, Brian Grisby, Elmer Marshall and Jeff Disher. The family will receive friends on Monday morning at 10:00 a.m. in the funeral home chapel. Arrangements are under the personal care and direction of the Ozark Funeral Home in Anderson, Missouri.