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On behalf of the board, I'm saddened to announce the passing of Mr. George Hellmann, member #194. With such a low membership number, Mr. Hellmann must have been with the NDC practically from it's very beginning.
I don't have any other details at this time, but cards of sympathy can be sent to his wife Kathleen at the address listed in the club roster.
It's supposed to be fun!
1949 De Soto Custom Convertible (project)
If memory serves me right, George had a nice black '59 DeSoto and was a very fun and friendly guy. I recall he attended the 10th Convention in Asheville, NC, we hosted. Sorry to hear of his passing.
Mark
My family and I had the pleasure of knowing George for a lot of years. He was an active member of the DeSoto Motor Cars of Illinois chapter and attended several conventions, including the 2nd convention in Arlington Heights, IL. He was a good friend and absolutely loved talking about anything DeSoto or Lionel train related.
George grew up into a family that had a 1953 DeSoto and was friends with the owner of a local DeSoto-Plymouth dealer. In 1958 he bought a brand new 1958 white/gold Adventurer hardtop. He loved that car, especially the noise it made when the dual 4 bbls opened up. His favorite story was when he took a young lady out for a ride and he claims he got it up to 148 mph on the speedometer! He also recalls the hubcaps having been stolen more than once and having to order more! In 1960 he joined the army and gave his mom permission to trade the car in because it was "too big" and "too powerful". She traded it in on a base Corvair, which George kept all these years, but he never forgot that first Adventurer.
In 1986, he bought a 1959 Fireflite Sportsman hardtop from Indiana with only 16,000 miles. A few months later, in 1987, he bought a 1959 Adventurer hardtop out of Detroit. When his health started declining in the summer of 2016, I bought both those cars from him. Living nearby, I was still able to visit and attend some shows with him throughout 2017. As someone who always liked talking cars and trains, I am sure he and Alan are up there talking about 1959 DeSotos!
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The visitation is this Saturday, from 11-2. Details are in the obituary below:
George T. Hellmann
Born: December 31, 1935; in Covington, KY
Died: January 2, 2018; in Richmond, IL
George T. Hellmann, 82, of Richmond, IL, passed away Tuesday, January 2, 2018 at his residence.
He was born in Covington, KY on December 31, 1935, a son of the late Wilfrid and Dorothy (Herrmann) Hellmann. He was married to Kathleen Steinwand on June 6, 1964, at Colby, WI. He was an active member of St. Joseph from 1960's to 1980's, serving on the church council, a member of the Knights of Columbus and taking care of the sound systems and any other electronic concerns. He served in the U.S. Army as a SP/4 in the Signal Corps from June 1960 to Nov. 1962. He was a member of Paul C. Hoffman American Legion Post #253 in Richmond. He was a self employed installer/repairman for Carillon Music sound systems for churches and other institutions for over 50 years, retiring in 2017.
George had a variety of hobbies and interests including photography, radios, theater organ, trains and cars. He was a member of DeSoto Motor Cars of IL, Walter P. Chrysler Club, IL Railroad Museum, Midwest Train Collectors, S.C.A.T.S. (Stateline Classic Antique Touring Society).
George is survived by his wife, Kate; two sons ,Andrew (Cyndi Motley) Hellmann, of Virginia Beach, VA; Jon Hellmann, of McHenry, IL; granddaughter, Airman Basic Jasmine Hellmann; four sisters, Mary Carol Hellman OSB, of Villa Hills, KY; Dots (Dave) Due, of Covington, KY; Marney Bresser, of Union, KY; Ginny (Jim) Robke, of Ft. Wright, KY; two brothers, Fred (Linda) Hellmann, of Harrison, OH; Steve (Jane) Hellmann, of Lexington, KY.
He was preceded by his parents; and three brothers, Billy, Jerry and Dennis Hellmann.
Visitation will be from 11:00 a.m. Saturday, January 6, 2018 until the funeral service at 2:00 p.m. at Ehorn-Adams Funeral Home 10011 Main St, Richmond, IL. Rev. Fr. Paul Nadolny will officiate. Inurnment will be in Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood, IL with military honors at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions to Richmond Fire/Rescue District 5601 Hunter Dr Richmond, IL 60071 or JourneyCare Foundation, 405 Lake Zurich Rd, Barrington, IL 60010.
For information, please call 815 678-7311 or visit http://www.ehornadams.com .
Published in the Northwest Herald on Jan. 4, 2018
