Ish Hayner 1912 - 2007

We buried Ish Hayner yesterday.

Ishmael Hansford Hayner was 95 years old. All but eight years of his life were spent here in the Westmoreland section of Huntington. Ish was one of the first individuals I came to know here at Westmoreland Baptist. When I met him, 4 1/2 years ago it was at a Sunday School class Christmas Party. I was immediately impressed by the old guy who squeezed my hand like a vise. "How about that grip?" he said as he grinned at me. "Not bad for a guy 90 years old, huh?"

Ish talked to me at length on that December evening. He spoke of his love for the Lord and for his church. He told me of his beloved wife, Honey, who passed away after 63 years and 4 months of marriage. He told of two sons (one of whom was a preacher) who had also passed on. He bragged about his two surviving sons, 11 grand children, 19 great grandchildren, and his great, great grandchildren. He talked of his life work which included a few years in the grocery business in the coal camps of southern West Virginia, and of 33 years at the local Owens - Illinois Glass plant. His experience of teaching a boys Sunday School class for many years was part of the discussion that night. He spoke in reverent terms about having been named a "Life Deacon" after years of service to his church. His ordination had taken place on New Year's' Eve, 1945, and he launched that big grin when I told him, "That was five years before I discovered America!"

No one was a stranger to Ish. His quick smile and firm handshake greeted everyone with whom he came in contact. With that, always came the offer to feel his rock hard bicep, and the perennial question, "What about that grip?" He was like a grandfather to everyone, and although he claimed he couldn't do much for the Lord or the church any more, I always bragged on his ministry of faithfully calling each church member on their birthday to sing "Happy Birthday". Westmoreland Baptist Church is full of people whose lives had been touched by Ish Hayner, and his faithful service to Jesus Christ.

I could go on and on, but if I could sum up the life of Ish Hayner in two words, they would be "integrity" and "faithfulness". He understood the office of Deacon as well as anyone I have ever known, and he modeled that spirit of service all of his life.

Although several of the men of our church looked in on Ish on a regular basis, his health eventually deteriorated to the place where he required someone to be with him 24 hours per day. In January, his family in Cincinnati finally had to make arrangements to place Ish in a beautiful assisted living facility near them, but Ish never got over leaving Westmoreland and all of his friends here. His son, Ed, said that it was hard to make the decision which would leave Ish to either "die of a broken neck in Huntington, or a broken heart in Cincinnati." However, it was a decision they had to make.

Ish went to be with the Lord on Tuesday afternoon, June 19th. Now I have said for years that I believe that when we first come into the presence of the Lord, surely we will go on our faces before Him in worship and adoration. But, if it is permitted to shake the Savior's hand, I can just picture Ish with that twinkle in his eye and that smile on his face saying, "How about that grip?"

I last saw Ish in May when a group of us made a trip to visit him in Ohio one Saturday. We look forward to seeing him again in his new home!