Perry Rankin

Former Hastings resident, W. Perry Rankin, 83, died, Monday, March 10, 2008 at Bryan Medical Center, Lincoln, NE. Services are pending with the Brand-Wilson Funeral Home and Cremation. Memorial service will be Friday, March 14, 2008 at 11:00 AM at the Church of the Nazarene in Hastings, NE with the Rev. David Speicher and Rev. Dale Phillips officiating. Book signing will be Thursday, March 13, 2008 from 9 AM to 9 PM at the Brand-Wilson Funeral Home and Cremation. Burial will be in Sunset Memorial Gardens, Hastings, NE. Condolences may be sent to the family from, www.brandwilson.com. W. Perry Rankin was born February 16, 1925 on the kitchen table in Cambridge, NE to Walter M. Rankin and Angelette (Barnes) Rankin. After graduating from Cambridge, NE high school in 1942, Rankin attended Doane College for one year before being drafted into the military on August 13, 1943. He served throughout World War II in France and Germany with the 70th Recon Troop, 70th Infantry Division. Before receiving his discharge papers on April 24, 1946, Rankin had an opportunity to acquire nine college credit hours at Shrivenham England University, which was staffed by professors from the United States. He continued his education back home, graduating from the University of Nebraska in January 1949 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. Rankin married Patricia Boyd on July 10, 1949. They have two children, Randy and Carol. Rankin worked in banking in Holdrege, NE for five years before receiving his real estate brokers license in 1955 and joining Spitznogle Auctioneers in Kearney, NE. He moved to Hastings in 1962 and began Rankin Realty. He retired in 1999. Rankin was Nebraska Realtor of the Year in 1984 and was appointed to the Nebraska Real Estate Commission by former Governor Kay Orr for a six-year term beginning in 1987. Rankin was a past President of the Hastings Economic Development Corporation, served as Treasurer of the Overland Trails Council of boy Scouts of America, and chaired the Advisory Board of Good Samaritan Village. In 1977 Rankin was elected to the Board of Directors of the United Methodist Conference on Evangelism and the Holy Spirit. His life was most affected by becoming an Eagle Scout in 1938 and being committed to the principles of the Scout Oath and Scout Laws, accepting Jesus Christ into his life, and being baptized in the River Jordan in 1980. Rankin is survived by his wife, Patricia; daughter and son-in-law Carol and Steve Schmidt; son and daughter-in-law Randy and Vicki Rankin; grandchildren Thomas Schmidt, Jessica Schmidt, Aaron Rankin, Jonathan Rankin, and Hannah Rankin; and step-grandchildren Jonathan Foster and Jerrod Foster.