George Rinkenberger

By Kit Zinser

The Rinkenberger name was well-known and respected in the little town of Washington in the early 1900s.  The Rinkenbergers played an important role in the growth of Washington from the early 1900s until George’s passing in 1980.  The community still benefits from their hard work and vision.

George arrived on a cold February day near Oberlin, Kansas, to parents William and Mary Stumpf Rinkenberger. The family moved to Illinois, and George arrived in Washington in 1906 from Farmdale and began selling gasoline engines.

He operated Washington Supply Company from 1908 (at the age of 18) until 1969.  His father established the reputable Rinkenberger Lumber Company, and upon William’s passing in 1941, George took over, making the two companies an integral part of Washington’s business community.

In 1916, George was elected alderman and then was elected mayor of Washington in 1920, serving in that capacity for over 16 years.  His talents made him a candidate for Congress in 1928.

His list of accomplishments is long:  he was named Man of the Year by the TP & W Railroad in 1955 and named in Who’s Who in the Midwest in 1964.  He was in charge of the Washington Township polio drive from 1941 to 1950.  He was appointed Director of Danforth First National Bank.  His civic memberships included Peoria Consistory, Scottish Rite, Mohammed Shrine Temple, Order of the Eastern Star, Odd Fellows, and Rebekah Lodge, and he served as lieutenant governor for the Kiwanis Club for all of Illinois and Eastern Iowa from 1924 to 1930.

He was a devout member of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church and, for more than 60 years, was a member of the Washington Masons as a past Master. 

George married Nellie Keil in 1913, and she died in 1960. He later married Vera Antrim in 1961. Upon his death in 1980, his wife Vera survived along with his daughter Mary Helen Shelander, six grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.  

This is another example of a hardworking, dedicated young man who sought to make Washington a great place to live.  We are lucky to have known him.