This is a tribute to a member of the community who passed away several weeks ago.
George Patten Rahn was the firstborn son of Jewel Helmly and George Leroy “Roy” Rahn, making his debut on Aug. 27, 1932. He grew up on a farm in Berryville with a family in the naval stores business.
From an early age he loved sports. He dreamed big of being a successful boxer and participated in many sports. His sister, Betty Waller, recalls that their father bought a second-hand hay baler so that he and his brother, Reiser Rahn, could bale hay.
Bermuda grass was a big thing for farmers in this area at the time and their father Roy thought he would give them something good to do. Betty remembers that George wanted to schedule the baling of hay around the time the ball games were broadcast so he could listen to those games on the radio.
Family was very important, and he grew up loving gatherings, events and just sitting around and talking. This continued throughout his life, later on enjoying the telephone and conversations with family and friends.
While George was growing up and in his teens, he became very interested in the family automobile and persuaded his father to spruce up their 1947 Kaiser, purchased from Herman Gnann and Lamar Burns, who were in business together.
George wanted the car to have white wall tires. The car was blue with red rims and after the whitewalls were on the car, it was quite a sight on the road — red, white and blue — with lots of ribbing taken from his uncles and cousins.
He talked his father Roy into putting white clip on rims, a fad at the time, to kick it up another notch and with the wide whitewalls on their dirt road, it got to be quite a mess. Before very long, his father got rid of the whitewalls. George always enjoyed driving his friends, dates and classmates.
George was a graduate of Effingham Academy in 1949. There were only 11 grades at that time. He was my mother’s classmate and remained close to many of the 17 who graduated together.
George promised all of his classmates that he would treat them to a reunion 25 years after they graduated. True to his word, in 1974, after taking several painting jobs through the summer to finance the endeavor, according to his wife, he treated all of his classmates and spouses to a wonderful dinner at Johnny Harris in Savannah, picking up the bill for all.
It is rather unusual that of this class, 77 years old this year, he is the first one who has passed away.
George wanted to coach and teach and pursued a college education at Georgia Teachers College (now Georgia Southern University) in Statesboro. His family would drive over to Statesboro and have dinner at Franklin’s Restaurant and attend the basketball games on campus where George was team trainer. He took great pride in introducing his father to the players and the family really enjoyed these times.
When the draft board was about to call, George left college and enlisted in the Coast Guard, serving in Connecticut and New York. Upon his return, he went back to college at Statesboro on the GI bill. He met his future bride, Betty Robertson, while there.
George married Betty, whom he once told me was “my Marilyn Monroe.” Married for 51 years to the love of his life, they reared two daughters, Rozanne Aimone and April Helmly. Gaining two “sons,” Charley Aimone and Clay Helmly, with their marriages, he cared deeply for all of his family.
His four grandchildren, Emily and Drew Aimone and Glenn Patten and Zach Helmly, brought him much pleasure and he was very proud of their accomplishments. George began and operated one of the first Christmas tree farms in the area and his daughters and family enjoyed making cookies to serve their holiday clients.
He especially enjoyed hunting, fishing and entertaining at his duck camp on the Savannah River. There was a special bond that he had with his buddies and loved sharing his place and good food with them.
“Coach,” as he was affectionately known, coached and taught for 30 years in Effingham County, including a stint as headmaster at the Effingham Academy, a private school that was situated on the present property of the Effingham County Library, Health Department and Recreation Department. It was my good fortune to have him as my teacher for several years in Springfield Elementary and Effingham County High School.
Coach Rahn taught me health, math and driver’s education. I am sure he never forgot chaperoning my 8th grade class train trip to Atlanta on the Nancy Hanks.
Coaching practically all sports, he had championship teams in tennis and baseball. With no public courts available, he built his own tennis court and allowed students to practice there and gave many lessons. He instilled a great competitive spirit in those he coached and his enthusiasm for life and sports was very evident from the time you met him. He was inducted in the Effingham Sports Hall of Fame and the Effingham County High Hall of Fame.
George and his family were faithful members of the Springfield United Methodist Church where he taught Sunday school, served as a trustee and in many other capacities. He was a past chairman of the Effingham Methodist Campground Trustees.
Serving for many years as a marshal at Effingham County Sunday School Convention, he called the names of the Sunday schools in the order of the day as they marched into the tabernacle. Always a part of Camp Meeting, he was one of the steadfast at the Rahn tent up until this year.
A member of the Forest City Gun Club, Coach Rahn was a volunteer for the Effingham 4-H Club, working with shooting sports after he retired. A member of the Springfield Jaycees, he received an award for outstanding local president for the First District Junior Chamber of Commerce in 1959-60. He sold Franklin Insurance for a time as a side job to help fund educating the girls. George was active in the Effingham County Retired Teachers and served as past president.
Unfortunately for the last 13 years, a series of strokes and declining health left him with a different quality of life, but he made the best of it. Betty and the girls, as well as friends and family, faithfully stood by for support. Betty took him for drives in the afternoons where they enjoyed dining in the little local eateries and made new friends wherever they went.
He stayed a part of the community through his contacts and the drives around the area that he loved. Important to everyone who knew and loved him, it was a very sad day for all of us when the Lord called George home on Aug. 14, 2009.
No doubt this man, who loved to serve others, is up there in heaven sitting on a porch somewhere with all the Rahns and others who passed on before him laughing, talking and having a great reunion.
Effingham County lost a kind and gentle man who had played a role of influence in all who knew him in life whether family, student or friend. Coach Rahn’s personality, moral integrity, cheerful encouragement and the good example he set had a positive impact on the many young people he taught and coached.
Farewell, Coach Rahn, your job was well done; may you now rest in peace.
This was written by Susan Exley of Historic Effingham Society. If you have photos, comments or information to share, contact Susan Exley at 754-6681 or e-mail her at: susanexley@historiceffinghamsociety.org.
