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Schirlinger, Hawkins named Outstanding Senior Citizens

Staff photo by Kevin Sweeney Bob Schirlinger, left, and Donald Hawkins, both of New Ulm, were named the 2019 Brown County Outstanding Senior Citizens in the Senior Citizens Day program at the Brown County Fair.

NEW ULM — Two men who take time to make time for others were recognized Thursday as Brown County’s Outstanding Senior Citizens for 2019. Bob Schirlinger and Don Hawkins were honored during the Senior Citizens program at the Brown County Fair.

The two will be eligible for the Minnesota Outstanding Senior Citizen award that will be presented at the Minnesota State Fair.

Don Hawkins, 90, has lived and worked in New Ulm since 1959. As a mechanic for a farm implement dealer, he was known as the guy farmers could depend on when they needed help after hours

Later, “Hawk” became a bus driver for New Ulm Bus Lines, driving a school bus out into the country and out by the Harkin store. He took special care to know all of his school children by name, and greeting them every day. He mentored the older kids, and looked after the younger students. He especially enjoyed being the bus driver asked to teach bus safety lessons to the kindergarten students.

Hawkins worked on special projects for teachers and the schools, wherever needed.

“When they needed something built, they said, ‘Ask Hawk,'” and I’d build it,” Hawkins said. He enjoyed woodworking projects with kids. He would cut all the pieces for different projects and bring them to school so students could learn about woodworking.

Tanya Schull, principal at Jefferson Elementary, said the wooden cabinet Hawkins made to hold the Little House on Prairie Dolls is still being used today.

After retirement, Hawkins turned his daily walks into opportunities to visit with friends and keep an eye on who might need assistance. He made deliveries for the local food shelf, and when his church, United Church of Christ, wanted to put up a Little Free Library, Hawkins is the one who built it.

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Bob Schirlinger, 73, is well known for his activities on behalf of the community, especially through his service with the Lions Club. He is a 19-year member, and for 15 of those years has served at the Low-Vision Center of the New Ulm Public Library, helping with the distribution of magnifying machines to enable people with low vision to read.

Schirlinger has been the top ticket seller for ten year for the Lions Spring Raffle, raising money for the club’s civic projects.

Schirlinger served for five years as a trustee for the Minnesota Lions Diabetes Foundation, working to help find a cure for this disease.

On a weekly basis he has helped deliver food donated by Cash Wise to the New Ulm Food Shelf, and for five years has headed the Walmart Wellness Day promotion, promoting free blood pressure checks and blood glucose tests.

He has served on the State Street Theater Committee for three years, and served a year on the Big Ideas Committee in New Ulm to help spread the word about the value of careers in skilled trade.

The past two years he has been a bell-ringer for the Salvation Army. In the summertime for the past 15 years he has worked at the Cash Wise Brat Stand selling brats for the Lions, Sons of the American Legion, and the Knights of Columbus.

He was a member of the New Ulm Figure Skating Club, serving as Pull Tab chairman for four years to help keep the cost of skating to a minimum for skaters. He served a two-year term on the Human Rights Commission.

Schirlinger credited his wife, Bonnie, with “bringing me out of my shell,” and the Lions Club for giving him the opportunity and encouragement to get out and work with people.

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