Marvin Darrell Unruh

Marvin Darrell Unruh Battle Creek Marvin Darrell Unruh, age 88, of Battle Creek, died at Lifespan Good Samaritan Hospice Residence on Wednesday, October 6, 2010. Marvin was born near Pawnee Rock, Kansas on July 19, 1922, to Carl and Goldie (Koehn) Unruh, where he and his family resided until the age of 14. Having lost the family farm during the Depression he then came to Bedford in 1936 with his family, as his father was able to work at Post Cereals. He graduated from Battle Creek Central in 1940 and shortly thereafter enlisted in the Army Air Force serving five years thru World War II. Marvin served for two years with the 8th Air Force in England, servicing the B-17. He began his Air Force duty as an aircraft armorer and later converted to the maintenance field. Following his Air Force duty, he worked as an installer for Michigan Bell Telephone Company for three years, and then returned to military service with the Michigan Air National Guard as an aircraft mechanic, retiring medically from the U.S. Air Force in May 1971, as a Chief Master Sergeant. He gained the distinction of being one of the first members of the Battle Creek ANG group. He is survived by his wife, the former Mavis Symonds, whom he married in England on March 7, 1945. Also surviving are his daughter, Lynette (Greg) Owen of Rochester, WA; two sons, James (Judy) Unruh of Marshall and Steven (Linda) Unruh of Bloomfield Hills, MI. Marvin enjoyed spending time with his 8 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and all 4 siblings. Marvin used to build fires to heat the old Bedford Bible Church on Sunday mornings back in 1937 38. He was baptized in that church in 1937. Marvin was very involved with the Boy Scouts and was a Scoutmaster at Riverside School, a member of the Elks Club, Sportsman Club & Centerline of Calhoun Co. Marvin was a Life member of the V.F.W. & member of the American Legion. His favorite hobbies were hunting, fishing, skeet shooting, stained glass work, building and repairing wooden canoes and researching the Unruh family history. Until recently, Marvin and Mavis enjoyed 25 winters in South Texas, where they developed several long lasting friendships. At the request of the family, they will receive friends 5:00-7:00 p.m. Friday at the Farley-Estes & Dowdle Funeral Home. Funeral services to celebrate Marvin's life will be held at the Bedford Bible Church at 12:00 noon on Saturday, October 9, 2010. Interment with full military honors will follow at Bedford Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Lifespan Good Samaritan Hospice Residence. Personal messages for the family may be placed at www.farleyestesdowdle.com