Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2015 16:55:42 GMT -5
Glenn Harold Birkhofer, age 83, passed away on Tuesday December 16, 2014 after a long illness. He died at the Sparrow Hospice House of Mid-Michigan in Lansing.
He is survived by his loving wife Kathryn (Kate Ruble). They celebrated their 59th anniversary in August 2014. Glenn also is survived by his three children, Linda Short (Stanton), Brice (Dawn), and Stanley (Becky), and eight grandchildren, Paul, Sam, and Mary Short, Bobby and Rebecca Birkhofer, and Angelika, Andrea, and Alison Birkhofer.
Glenn was born in Trosky, Minnesota, a rural farm community, on November 25, 1931. He had an older brother, Howard, and an older sister, Harriet, both deceased. Glenn's parents were Arthur and Emma (Wilson) Birkhofer. His maternal grandparents immigrated from Sweden and his paternal grandparents from Austria.
He attended a one room schoolhouse through grade eight and was the only student in his grade. He was awarded the honor of never having missed a day of school in all those years and walked to school over a mile – many days in below zero weather. On the coldest days, his father took him on horseback to and from school. The Birkhofer family lived on a farm. The area did not have electricity until 1945 so Glenn grew up with oil lamps. When electricity came through the area, his father acquired an electric milking machine which they hooked up to their prized cow. She was so surprised that she keeled over dead. It became a funny family story through the years.
After completing high school in Pipestone, MN, Glenn was drafted into the army during the Korean War. He served as a chaplain's assistant in Battle Creek, Michigan, where he met his future bride. After his army discharge, he attended Tri-State University in Angola, Indiana and received his bachelor's degree in Accounting. He retired from Auto Owners Insurance after many enjoyable years as Director of Life Accounting. Glenn and Kate enjoyed many years of retirement.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Sparrow Hospice House of Mid-Michigan in remembrance of Glenn. To donate, please go to www.sparrowfoundation.org/donate and select "Hospice" in the Designation drop-down list. For the three weeks that he was there, Glenn was kindly and gently cared for by the compassionate hospice staff.e funeral will be Sunday December 21, 2014 at 3:30 p.m. at the Gorsline Runciman Funeral Home, 205 East Washington in Dewitt, Michigan. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. A catered luncheon will be served immediately following the service. A burial service for family will be on Monday at 10 a.m. in Gunnisonville Cemetery.
Officiating will be ministers Greg Harger and Jason Mcinally.
He is survived by his loving wife Kathryn (Kate Ruble). They celebrated their 59th anniversary in August 2014. Glenn also is survived by his three children, Linda Short (Stanton), Brice (Dawn), and Stanley (Becky), and eight grandchildren, Paul, Sam, and Mary Short, Bobby and Rebecca Birkhofer, and Angelika, Andrea, and Alison Birkhofer.
Glenn was born in Trosky, Minnesota, a rural farm community, on November 25, 1931. He had an older brother, Howard, and an older sister, Harriet, both deceased. Glenn's parents were Arthur and Emma (Wilson) Birkhofer. His maternal grandparents immigrated from Sweden and his paternal grandparents from Austria.
He attended a one room schoolhouse through grade eight and was the only student in his grade. He was awarded the honor of never having missed a day of school in all those years and walked to school over a mile – many days in below zero weather. On the coldest days, his father took him on horseback to and from school. The Birkhofer family lived on a farm. The area did not have electricity until 1945 so Glenn grew up with oil lamps. When electricity came through the area, his father acquired an electric milking machine which they hooked up to their prized cow. She was so surprised that she keeled over dead. It became a funny family story through the years.
After completing high school in Pipestone, MN, Glenn was drafted into the army during the Korean War. He served as a chaplain's assistant in Battle Creek, Michigan, where he met his future bride. After his army discharge, he attended Tri-State University in Angola, Indiana and received his bachelor's degree in Accounting. He retired from Auto Owners Insurance after many enjoyable years as Director of Life Accounting. Glenn and Kate enjoyed many years of retirement.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Sparrow Hospice House of Mid-Michigan in remembrance of Glenn. To donate, please go to www.sparrowfoundation.org/donate and select "Hospice" in the Designation drop-down list. For the three weeks that he was there, Glenn was kindly and gently cared for by the compassionate hospice staff.e funeral will be Sunday December 21, 2014 at 3:30 p.m. at the Gorsline Runciman Funeral Home, 205 East Washington in Dewitt, Michigan. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. A catered luncheon will be served immediately following the service. A burial service for family will be on Monday at 10 a.m. in Gunnisonville Cemetery.
Officiating will be ministers Greg Harger and Jason Mcinally.