The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.

Meet Your Neighbor

Meet Your Neighbor Bryce Hanger of Raritan. In fact, he may be your new neighbor as he just rented his first home from Jim Blender, a nice little brick home, he said.

Bryce was born in Burlington Medical Center in Iowa and raised in Raritan.

His parents are L. Sean Hanger and Leann (Johnson) Hanger of Burlington, IA. His father is retired from GE after an accident and has been rehabilitating at home the last two years. The ordeal has been traumatic but with Leann now off work from GE and home caring for Sean, he slowly improves.

Bryce has two step brothers Colter Jarrett and Trent Jarrett and two sisters Emily and Carlee Hanger who all live in Burlington, IA. With that said, Bryce says, "I am still the youngest!"

Bryce's grandparents are Larry and Roberta Hanger of Raritan who he is especially close to. He said Larry is retired from GE and Roberta had worked at Burlington Basket factory.

"I have a lot of respect for my grandfather," Bryce said. He started working at the age of 11 before child labor laws, working at an ice company in Ft. Madison, IA. When he married, he worked hard putting a roof over his family's head and clothing and fed my dad and my aunt Gretchen, picking up odd jobs and doing whatever he could. "He's hard working and dependable," Bryce said.

Bryce graduated from Burlington High School in 2011 and he loves history. He worked for awhile as an Archaeological Field Technician for the State of Illinois out of the Western Illinois Field Station in connection with the University of Illinois. He did such things as surveying along the US 34 Highway that was being built. To continue in that route, he would need to enroll in more classes but has taken a job at Stronghurst Grain & Merchandise as Maintenance and a pit guy. He really loves the job saying "every day is a new day, full of challenges. It takes hard work and commitment!"

Bryce is a member of the Raritan Baptist Church, enjoys sports, being a fan of Illinois teams-Cubs, (not the White Sox), Black Hawks, Bears, and Bulls. He also enjoys skateboarding since he was put on a skate board at age 8. "I have fallen a lot but I still love it," he says.

Special family activities have been the yearly Cub-Card game trips to St Louis, rafting on the Current River, and Camping.

His future plans, he says, is to "Succeed: Push on and prosper where others fail."

His outlook on life is, "No matter how life brings you down, keep your head up and keep pushing forward."

Bryce ended by saying, "I like the humble feeling you get around here. People wave, are friendly. It is more comforting. It's a really good place to live.