Vol. 123, No. 6
INSIDE
Harry Werland retires; Mary Pruitt named new VP ➤ Pg. 2
How agents are dealing with COVID-19 ➤ Pg. 3
Camp continues to prepare for summer season ➤ Pgs. 8-9
hermannsonslife.org
April 2020
‘Unsung hero’ donates life-saving kidney By ELAINE SOTO Assistant Communications Director “It was all meant to be,” kidney donor Heather Johnson said. When so many circumstances came together perfectly for Paul Pankratz to receive a life-saving donor kidney, all involved agreed – it was God’s plan all along. “God was there every step of the way,” Heather said. The story begins on the front porch of the Hermann Sons Life Camp Clinic last summer. Heather Johnson of San Antonio is a nurse at Converse Elementary and works at the Camp clinic during the summer. Shelly Pankratz, Paul’s wife, who works in special education at Comfort Middle School, also worked at the clinic last summer as the health manager. Paul and Shelly reside in Comfort and both are members of Comfort Lodge. Shelly said she had not worked at the Camp for a couple of years until the then new Executive Camp Director Ian Brassett contacted her and asked her to come back and work during the summer of 2019. See CAMP, Pg. 11
Donor recipient Paul Pankratz, from left, his donor, Heather Johnson and wife Shelly reunited at the Camp clinic in early March.
COVID-19 forces changes in schedules SAN ANTONIO – Hermann Sons Life, its lodges and members are adjusting to a new way of life because of the COVID-19 crisis. Changes have been made in the operating procedures at the Home Office and at the Retirement Home. Upcoming events have been canceled or postponed and some lodges have already canceled their April meetings. Here’s a rundown of what we know as of March 25. Understand that just because your lodge’s information is not listed here does not mean that the schedule has not changed. It just means we have not been contacted as of this
date. Watch our Facebook posts for the latest information. Home Office The Home Office remains open with normal business hours. In-
surance companies are exempt from any stay at home orders that have been issued. The staff is working on a rotating schedule to minimize their ex-
posure to one another. The office is closed to the public except for deliveries and by appointment. In a Facebook post on March 19, President and CEO Eugene Zollinger outlined the operating procedures under which the Home Office will be operating until further notice. Members who need to drop off paperwork or a payment can use the drop box at the side entrance of the building that faces the driveway between the Home Office and the San Antonio Home Association Building. See, VIRUS, Pg. 3