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Marvin A. Fuller
ST. JOSEPH - Marvin A. Fuller, 82, died peacefully at Lakeland Hospital in St. Joseph on April 27, 2009.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 2 p.m. June 27 at Berrien Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 4340 Lincoln Ave., St. Joseph. The Revs. Don Wheat and Viola Moore will officiate the service, which will be concluded with military rites.
He was born June 16, 1926, in Ogden, Utah, to Thelma Foulger and Arthur L. Fuller. Marv joined the Navy in 1944 and served on the USS Saratoga in the Pacific Theater of World War II. He went to Antioch College and earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. While at Antioch, he met Catherine Emily Nyquist. They married Aug. 1, 1948, at her parents' home in Millburn, N.J.
Marv was hired by the Whirlpool Corporation as an engineer. In 1954, the family moved to the Twin Cities, where Marv resided for 55 years. After 18 years at Whirlpool, Marv bought Home Heating Inc. and had the business for 18 years before passing it on to his son, James.
Community service was important throughout Marv's life. He was a founding member of the Berrien Unitarian Universalist Fellowship 50 years ago. He was a lifelong Republican. For more than 30 years he was involved with the St. Joseph Lions Club. He was active with the Benton Harbor Police as a Senior Volunteer and Healing Racism. Marv was also engaged with the Lest We Forget-Veterans project, of which he was a co-founder in 2000. In the fall of 2007, he co-led a Lake Michigan College class on the history of WWII, a class that had a very large enrollment.
In addition to his interests in engineering and technology (including teaching heating and cooling classes at LMC during the 1980s), Marv loved history - U.S. war history and Mormon history. His own family of origin includes pioneer ancestors. Marv's great-grandmother made the migration to Salt Lake City with Brigham Young. He was proud of that successful group's migration and honored his Mormon roots.
Marv is survived by his wife of 60 years, Catherine (Kate) Fuller, and their three children: Diane (Michael) Brown of Peoria, Ill., Bruce (Kathy) Fuller of Lynnwood, Wash.; and Jim Fuller of Benton Harbor. He is survived by four siblings and some of their spouses: LouJean Millar in Pallyup, Wash.; Elsie Fuller in Star, Idaho, Charles (Audrey) Fuller of Centerville, Utah, Ronald (Letha) Fuller of Bountiful, Utah, and Jan (Kirk) Nielson of Salt Lake City, Utah. Also surviving are three grandsons, three stepgrandsons, one stepgranddaughter, and many nieces and nephews.
Marv was a man of many passions, giving and generous in spirit, who will be greatly missed by his family and friends.
Donations may be given to Lest We Forget or the charity of the donor's choice. The family is being served by the Dey-Florin Chapel of Florin Funeral Service, St. Joseph.
Atalene DeRuyter
BENTON HARBOR - Atalene DeRuyter, 89, of Benton Harbor passed away Friday, June 19, 2009, at her home.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, June 23, at Midway Baptist Church, 7517 Red Arrow Highway, Watervliet, with Pastor Mark Cowell officiating. Burial will follow in North Shore Memory Gardens. Friends may call from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday, June 22, at Midway Baptist Church. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Light Bearers Association or Midway Baptist Church Building Fund.
Mrs. DeRuyter was born Oct. 20, 1919, in Etna, Ind., to Ray and Frances (Grable) Kessie. She graduated from Columbia City High School in Indiana. On June 15, 1944, she married Cornelius DeRuyter in Fort Wayne, Ind. She was a member of the Midway Baptist Church. She enjoyed cooking, sewing, gardening, canning, and reading. She was very interested in politics and was an election judge at the polls for many years. She particularly loved spending time with family, especially her grandchildren.
Mrs. DeRuyter is survived by her two daughters, Karen (Charles) Moser of Watervliet and Deborah (William) Tenter of Coloma; six grandchildren - David Moore, John (Bethany) Moore, Angie Moore, Betsy (Jeremy) Steltner, William Tenter III and Dathan Tenter; six great-grandchildren; and a brother, Donald (Linda) Kessie.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, two sisters and one brother.
Relscha Mittelstaedt
BRIDGMAN - Relscha Mittelstaedt, 85, of Bridgman passed away on Saturday, June 20, 2009, at Lakeland Specialty Hospital, Berrien Center.
Funeral services will be held 10 a.m. Tuesday, June 23, at Pike Funeral Home, Boyd Chapel, 9191 Red Arrow Hwy, Bridgman, with the Rev. Thomas R. Brazinsky officiating. Burial will be in Graceland Cemetery, Bridgman. Friends may meet with the family from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at the funeral home. As an expression of sympathy, memorial contributions may be given to Lakeland Hospice or Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Glendora.
Mrs. Mittelstaedt was born Sept. 19, 1923, in Chotynka, Poland, the daughter of the late Ferdinand and Ida Joachim. On Dec. 26, 1948, she married Gerhard Mittelstaedt. He preceded her in death on Jan. 19, 2005. Gerhard and Relscha came from Germany on May 10, 1952, and went first to Missouri through a Lutheran church sponsorship. They worked hard and saved their money. After six months they moved to Southwest Michigan with Relscha's brothers, Ted and Adolph. From 1957 to 2005 she worked along side her husband on their family farm. She enjoyed gardening, canning and tending to the farm animals.
Survivors include a son, Guenther (Janice) Mittelstaedt of Nashville, Mich.; two grandchildren - Jennifer (Andrew Robinson) Mittelstaedt of Pendleton, Ore., and Joel Mittelstaedt of State Line, Nev.; a brother, Theodore (Lydia) Joachim of Bridgman; and two sisters - Herta (Walter) Risch and Olga (Karl) Strohschein, all of Germany.
Relscha was also preceded in death by two brothers - Heinrich and Adolf Joachim - and a sister, Lydia Keil.
Willis 'Bill' Kurtz
NEW BUFFALO - Willis "Bill" Kurtz, 78, of New Buffalo passed away on Friday, June 19, 2009, at St. Anthony Memorial Health Center in Michigan City, Ind. Arrangements have been entrusted with Sommerfeld-Smith Family Funeral Home of New Buffalo.
Bill was born on May 26, 1931, in Goshen, Ind., to Alvin and Edith (Huber) Kurtz. He came to the New Buffalo area in 1962 and had lived here since. He served his country in the U.S. Navy, having served in Korea and on the USS Boa. Bill was a life member of the American Legion Post 169 of New Buffalo. He was very active in both New Buffalo and New Buffalo Township politics, having served on the New Buffalo Planning Commission and the New Buffalo Zoning Board, as well as the New Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Department - both as chief and commander.
Bill was also a member of the Masons Orak Temple in Michigan City, the Shriners, where he played drums in the Oriental Band, and was also a former member of the New Buffalo Lions Club and the Moose Lodge 980 of Michigan City. He had worked at Sears, Michigan City, in store management for 30 years. After retiring from Sears, he worked as a consultant with Adams & Westland of Chicago.
Bill is survived by his wife, Lesley (McFadyen), whom he married on June 1, 1993, in Las Vegas; three sons, Norman (fiancee Vickie White) Kurtz of Knoxville, Tenn., Brian (Mary) Kurtz of Eau Claire and Ron (Terri) Kurtz of Crystal River, Fla.; stepchildren Michael (Lisa) Rhoads of Middletown, Md., Brenda (Phil) Pries of Medaryville, Ind., Peggy Davis of Sarasota, Fla., Kathie (Dale) Krueger of New Buffalo and Lisa (Shawn) Long of South Port, Fla.; 14 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; three brothers, Robert (Betty) Kurtz of Mathis, Texas, Calvin (Mary) Kurtz of Elkhart, Ind., and Warren (Patricia) Kurtz of St. Joseph; and a sister, Mary (Bruce) Propst of North Umberland, Pa.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Alvin and Edith; and former wife, Opal (Hardaway) Kurtz.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held on Tuesday, June 23, 11 a.m. at the Sommerfeld-Smith Family Funeral Home, New Buffalo. Bill's final resting place will be in Pine Grove Cemetery, New Buffalo. The American Legion will honor Bill by conducting graveside services. Visitation is on Monday, June 22, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home, with Masonic Services at 7 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to the Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children of Chicago.
Jewel D. Tutton
Jewel D. (Seiber) Tutton, 71, of Benton Harbor passed away Thursday, June 18, 2009, at Lakeland Regional Medical Center, in St. Joseph, after a long battle with cancer.
She was born April 16, 1938, in Wilson, Ark., to John and Sue (White) Seiber.
She was a graduate of Benton Harbor High School and grew up in the Benton Harbor area. On July 14, 1956, she was married to George Lewis Tutton in Benton Harbor.
Jewel loved all kinds of crafts, sewing, painting, making afghans and much more. She really enjoyed being a snow bird in Florida for more than 19 years, making many winter friends who became a second family over the years.
She is survived by her husband of almost 53 years, a daughter, Celia (James) Sommerfeldt of Grand Haven; a son, Lewis (Terri) Tutton of Fort Wayne, Ind.; brothers Bob Seiber of St. Joseph Township and Edwin Seiber of Crestwood, Ill.; and seven beloved grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers, William and Michael Seiber; a sister Frances Badgley; and four infant grandchildren.
Cremation has taken place, per her wishes. A private memorial service will be held at a later date. Memorials may be made in Jewel's memory to the Berrien County Cancer Service, 7301 Red Arrow Highway, Stevensville. Arrangements have been entrusted to Brown Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Niles.
Shirley DeJean Farmer
BENTON HARBOR - Shirley DeJean Farmer, 71 of Benton Harbor, passed away on Friday, June 19, 2009, at Lakeland Regional Medical Center in St. Joseph.
A funeral service celebrating her life will be held at 1 p.m. Monday, June 22, at the Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home, 2650 Niles Rd, St. Joseph. Burial at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Sodus will immediately follow the service. Visitation for family and friends is Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Farmer family.
Shirley was born on June 29, 1937, in Niles, to Ellis and Millie Rogers. She married Roy F. Farmer on Nov. 22, 1984 in Benton Harbor. She spent most of her life as a homemaker, but had time to be the secretary of the Bill Anderson Fan Club and as a Sunday school teacher.
Shirley is survived by her husband, Roy and her daughter, Sherry Cripe of Berrien Springs; three granddaughters, Brittany Glupker, Ashley Roderick and Tia Cripe; a great-grandson, Thai Wittman; two brothers, Ed Rogers of Sodus and Robert Rogers of White Cloud; a sister, Sharon Reynolds of Benton Harbor; a sister-in-law, Mary Dahms; and a niece, Deb Dahms along with many other nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; a sister, Margaret Jackson; a brother, Walter Rogers; and a nephew, Danny Dahms.
William 'Bill' Soper
BENTON HARBOR - William "Bill" Patrick Soper, formerly of Benton Harbor and Berrien Springs, passed away at home in Cheyenne, Wyo., on June 21, 2009. He was 55 years old.
Bill was born on Sept. 20, 1953, in Benton Harbor to Marion I. Soper and John H. Soper III. He graduated from Lakeshore High School in Stevensville in 1971. He was a member of the Elks Club and in many bowling leagues. He enjoyed the outdoors and loved fishing, hunting and traveling. His travels led him to reside in Cheyenne for the last part of his life.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, July 1, at St. Johns Lutheran Church in Baroda.
Survivors include his son, Martin Soper and daughter, Nina Soper, both of Raleigh, N.C.; a brother, John H. Soper IV (Sandra) of St. Joseph; two sisters, Pat Knipple (Larry) of Cheyenne and Mary Hooper (Charles) of Asheville, N.C.; five nephews and four nieces; and his lifetime friend, Karen Soper.
He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Marion Soper.
