The Death of
George H. Honig
George and Alda McCoy Honig's Tombstone

The tombstone has the wrong date of death for George. He died in 1962.

George and Alda McCoy Honig's Tombstone

The George and Alda McCoy Honig graves in Mt. Zion Cemetery on County Road 200 N. in Richland, Indiana were marked with plaques on March 31, 2012. The final installation was completed in May. The plaques give a brief description of each of their lives along with a photo. Costs of the plaques were paid for with donations and a contribution from the Spencer County Historical Society. Installation was done by a member of the Society.

 

Death Certificate

According to the Certificate of Death, George Honig died in Vanderburgh County, Indiana on May 4, 1962. The time of death was 3:00 A.M. His marital status was widower. He was listed as white, male, age 77. His date of birth is 08/03/1884 and the place of death was Newton Rest Home. Primary cause of death given was Cerebral Arteriosclerosis. Physician or coroner was S. L. Johnson, M.D. The funeral home was Alexander East Chapel with burial listed as Mt. Zion, Spencer Co., Indiana. Date of burial was 05/07/1962. (His death certificate is incorrect as several documents indicate he was born 08/03/1874.)

Burial was in Mt. Zion Cemetery on County Road 200 N. in Luce Township, Spencer County, Indiana. He was buried next to his wife. There were no children.

Browning Genealogy Obituary

Found on the Browning Genealogy Obituary Search:
Honig, Geo H 87 5-4-62 Alex East (funeral home)
Newton Rest Home (local address) Mt. Zion Cem., Spencer Co., Ind.
Rev Dix Asleson
Artist & sculptor, created Lincoln Pioneer Village at Rockport, Ind.
Bronze plaques: Erie Canal, on Courthouse lawn, E'ville Museum, Coliseum, Amphitheater, & at Rockport, Henderson, New Harmony & Newburgh, Joe Cook tablet @ 4th & Oak
Sis: Mrs H H John, Tucson, Ariz
Mrs Rose Anderson, Checotah, Okla
Nephew: Dr Stephen Johnson, E'ville

The Evansville Courier, May 5, 1962

George Honig, 87, Ex-Sculptor, Dies

George Honig at 87 Years of Age

George H. Honig, 87, creator of Lincoln Pioneer Village at Rockport, Ind., died at 4:00 a.m. Friday at Newton Rest Home after an illness of several years.

For 33 years he had worked to build Southern Indiana into a historical mecca around Abraham Lincoln. His dream was not totally in vain, for while he failed to turn the Tri-State into a Lincoln paradise, he did much to preserve the story of Lincoln's Indiana boyhood.

A native of Rockport, Honig said at the dedication of Lincoln Village in 1935 that he hoped to see the whole city of Rockport become a shrine that would attract 500,000 visitors a year.

"The area is one of the pioneer cradles of western democracy," Honig stated in a talk at the dedication of the village's new museum in 1951. In the speech he outlined in detail his plan to create his historical wonderland.

First he wanted to mark Rockport's little known historic spots with sculptured signs elevated on concrete post so motorists could easily read them. He also pointed out the need for two more buildings in the village. One was the huge log store that Thomas Lincoln built. The other was to be a replica of the first sawmill in Indiana, built in 1816. The sawmill, according to Honig, stimulated Lincoln's inventive mind and taught him how technology can take the load off the backs of men.

During his lifetime of collecting facts about Lincoln he wrote a still unpublished book on Lincoln's life.

Honig's best known works in Evansville are the two bronze war memorial groups at the Coliseum, the memorial at the site of the old Erie Canal on the Courthouse lawn, and the plaque on the grave of General Robert Morgan Evans, for whom Evansville was named.

Other early pioneers of the Tri-State inspired the series of bronze tablets honoring Kentucky pioneers at the Henderson County, Ky., Courthouse. Some of his other works were the Dress Plaza flagpole, the Audubon Memorial in Henderson's Sunset Park, the Rotary Civic Award tablet at the Museum, and the tablet at Fourth and Oak streets marking the birthplace of comedian Joe Cook.

Honig also created hundreds of paintings in his life time and in 1957 as named the first honorary member of the Evansville College chapter of Kappa Pi, national art fraternity.

His wife, the former Alda McCoy of Evansville, died in 1955. She was a well-known pianist here and gave piano lesson for many years.

Honig had been in the rest home more than a year recovering from a fractured pelvis received when he tried to leave another rest home here.

Surviving are two sisters, Mrs. H. H. John of Tucson, Ariz., and Mrs. Rose Anderson of Checotah, Okla., and a nephew, Dr. Stephen L. Johnson of Evansville.

Friends may call after 6 p.m. Saturday at Alexander Funeral Home East Chapel.

The Rockport Journal, May 11, 1962

Designer of Lincoln Pioneer Village Dies

George H. Honig, 87, who designed and supervised construction of the Lincoln Pioneer Village in Rockport, died at 4 a. m. last Friday at the Newton Rest Home in Evansville. He had been in declining health for several years.

Mr. Honig was a prominent sculptor, painter, historian and collector. He had accumulated huge stacks of historical data, much of it connected with pioneer families of this county, during a lifetime of research through court house records and other sources. His ambition was to get this data assembled into usable form but he never succeeded in getting proper assistance for this meticulous job and was unable, at an advanced age, to do it himself.

Mr. Honig's dream of turning this area into a Lincoln paradise never materialized but he did much to promote the story of Lincoln's boyhood days in Indiana. The Lincoln Village, dedicated in 1935, has attracted more than a quarter million visitors to Rockport.

Some of Honig's more familiar works are the bronze groups on the Memorial Coliseum in Evansville, other historical markers there and bronze tablets at Audubon Park and in Henderson. He also created hundreds of paintings during his lifetime as an artist of varied talents.

Mr. Honig was a native of Rockport. His wife, Alda McCoy Honig, well known pianist, died in 1955.

Surviving are two sisters, Mrs. H. H. John of Tucson, Ariz., and Mrs. Rose Anderson, of Checotah, Okla.; and a nephew, Dr. Stephen L. Johnson, of Evansville.

Funeral services were held Monday at the Alexander funeral home in Evansville with burial in Mt. Zion cemetery west of Rockport.

The Rockport Democrat, May 11, 1962

George H. Honig Dies in Evansville

George H. Honig, 87, died early Friday in the Newton Rest Home at Evansville.

Well known throughout the tri-state area for his works of art sculpture, he had been in failing health for several years. A year ago, he suffered pelvic injuries in a fall at another nursing home.

Probably his greatest living memorial is the Lincoln Pioneer Village here which he designed and helped to build in 1935. His other well known works include two bronze memorial war groups in the Evansville Coliseum, the memorial at the site of the old Erie Canal on the court house lawn there, bronze tablets honoring Kentucky Pioneers at the Henderson County court house, the Audubon Memorial in Henderson's Sunset Park, and others. Many of his plaques and memorial pieces can be seen in and around Rockport.

He was an avid Lincoln scholar and painter and and in 1957 was named the first honorary member of the Evansville College Chapter of Kappa Pi, national art fraternity.

Honig's dream was to make Rockport a Lincoln shrine that would attract thousands of visitors a year. With the increase in tourist interest here, that dream may have become a reality.

He had been a widow since 1955, following the death of his wife, Alda McCoy Honig, a well-known pianist.

He is survived by two sisters, Mrs. H. H. John, of Tucson, Ariz., and Mrs. Rose Anderson, Checotah, Okla., and several nieces and nephews.

Funeral services were held Monday morning at Alexander Chapel in Evansville with continued services at the graveside in Mt. Zion cemetery conducted by the Rev. Barthol Rogers.