Mr. George Hausler

A Tribute to the Life of George Häusler
A Time of Loss: Age Birth-10, Estonia.
On April 24, 1933, Aleksandra Häusler gave birth to her fourth child, Georgi Häusler in Narva, Estonia. Aleksandra, a Russian Baroness from Petrograd, Russia, fled to Estonia during the Russian Revolution. Estonia was George's home for only 10 years, but it was a place where he experienced tremendous loss. World War II was raging and Germany and Russia were both vying for control of Estonia. One night, while sitting on his mother's lap in a bomb shelter, George promised Jesus he would always believe in Him if He would spare his life that night. George's life was spared, but by the age of 8, he lost both parents and his brother. To survive, his Aunt Emma placed him on a farm to tend sheep for two women whose husbands were away fighting in the war. In 1944, the Russians began invading Estonia so Aunt Emma came back for George and they fled Estonia forever.
A Time of Wandering in the Wilderness: Age 10-18, Germany.
To flee Estonia, Aunt Emma and George had only one option - they had to cross into German territory. Recounting that difficult time, George said, "you find out quickly what people are capable of when faced with survival." In Germany, they were placed in a work camp for refugees where God protected his life again. Surviving on meager rations of potatoes, George was dying from scurvy. Although his father, Oskar Häusler, had passed away, his father's former profession as a pharmacist proved to be heaven-sent. It was through Oskar's old connections that his sister, Emma, obtained vitamin C which saved George's life. In 1945, they heard the wonderful news that "the war was ended!" Reminiscing about that time, George vividly recalled the day Allied Forces dropped food boxes from planes for the hungry masses. He said, "the Americans had the best food - my favorites were Spam and chocolate!" George and his aunt remained refugees in Bavaria, Germany until 1951 when he was 18.
A Time of Freedom and Opportunity: Age 18-25, United States of America.
In 1951, opportunity arrived - an Estonian farmer in upstate New York sponsored George to work on his dairy farm. In 1953, he enlisted in the Air Force after signing an "intent to become a US citizen." The Air Force provided training in electronics and radar services, paving the way for a long career at Bendix (now part of Honeywell). His job at Bendix provided an opportunity to carve out a life for himself and, once again, have a home and a family.
A Time of Building: Age 25-27, Japan.
Bendix sent George to Japan in November of 1957 where he worked on radar installations for the US military. One night, he went to an officer's club where he met pretty Kikue Minami who was working at the coat check counter. They dated over the next year and it seemed meant-to-be. They shared a love of Russian Literature, classical music, and talked of building a family. On December 8, 1958, George and Kikue were married. They stayed in Japan until 1961 when George returned to the United States with his bride and first son, George Victor.
A Time of Providing and Nurturing: Age 28-92, United States of America.
George and Kikue had two more sons, Philip and Robert. George's top priority was providing for his family. While they moved several times for George's Bendix career, most of their years were spent in Maryland. He retired from Bendix after a 44-year career. George and Kikue's legacy includes 10 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren. After Kikue passed away on October 11, 2013, George said goodbye to the place they called home for 43 years and made his final move to Marco Island, Florida (his happy place). George never forgot his promise to God. He remained a faithful Christian and was forever grateful for God's bountiful blessings. After an uncertain and traumatic childhood, God not only blessed George with a beautiful wife and family, but a home in a country where he found political freedom and opportunity. George Häusler, a Christian, Husband, Father, Patriot. He will be missed.
In memory of George, donations may be made to the Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) Foundation at pkdcure.org.