Meet George Pankratz – Nov. 1953

The same Nov. 12, 1953 edition of the Lorain Journal that included a profile of E. J. Kelley (that I posted yesterday) also featured a story about another elderly Lorain character with a strong work ethic who spent some of his life on Lake Erie. His name was George Pankratz and he had an interesting story to tell, written for the Journal by Joe Gilmore.

As the story at the top of the page notes, "Few people in Lorain, or anywhere, can look back to the turn of the century and remember experiences as clearly as if they happened only last year. George Pankratz can. But he is only 71, a youngster in the ranks of the city's pioneers.

"George Pankratz, who fires tugs in the harbor, is not an extraordinary man in his accomplishments. He modestly refers to himself as "only a laborer." He has never skippered any famous lake freighters, never carved a city out of a wilderness and never made a great mark in the annals of Lorain history.

"Still, there's something about the sparky little man that denotes strength, vitality, spirit and character. Perhaps it [is] because he just won't quit.

"Well past the retiring age, according to national working standards, Pankratz has no intentions of retiring from his job. "I figure on working until I can't work anymore," he said.

"A marine engineer by trade, Pankratz came to Lorain in 1895 as a boy of 14, finished his schooling here and went to work. His starting pay was six dollars a month. "I used to deliver meat for Bill Ashbolt when he had a meat market on Broadway, remember running around on the muddy streets in a cart pulled by a small pony." At the time he worked at the meat store, Broadway was the only paved street in town. All the rest were dirt – mud in rainy weather.

"Pankratz spent most of his life on the lakes. He worked on tugs for a while in 1911, then began fishing commercially. His most vivid recollection is when the bottom fell out of the fishing tug Saturn in 1922. He and five other crew members aboard the boat left the vessel minutes before it sunk. He was serving as engineer.

"He has been working at his present job since 1940, after he retired from engineering jobs. He has served aboard many of the lake freighters, tugs and barges, always a part of Lorain's marine activities.

"During the building of the breakwalls of the harbor, Pankratz worked on a tug named George Pankratz. Although the name is the same, he doesn't know the man for which the tug is named. "It belonged to some fellow in Wisconsin. No relation to me."

"During the winters of his years on the lake, Pankratz worked at the American Shipbuilding Company. This winter, he figures on working at his present job of repairing tugs for next summer's work.

"Pankratz now lives with his wife and two children at 1222 Ninth Street. Although he is the sole support of his small family, he insists that he does not continue to work for that reason alone. "I like my work," he said. "I've just never thought about retiring."

"On the piano in his comfortable home is a clock that has run perfectly for 40 years. Unlike its owner, the clock ceased to work a short time ago. Pankratz simply can't understand why it stopped."

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Mr. Pankratz passed away on September 27, 1966 at the age of 84. His obituary noted that he was a retired Marine engineer and fireman for Great Lakes Towing.

"He was born in Russia and lived here 70 years. He was a member of St. John United Church of Christ, Eagles Lodge 343 and Tugmen's Association."

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Note that on that same page of the November 12, 1953 Lorain Journal is another celebrity Blue Bonnet wearer: Mrs. Johnny Mize, wife of the famed ballplayer who at that time was winding down his baseball career.