Murle B. McNutt

Murle B. McNutt, 88, Patriarch of our family, met our Lord and Savior peacefully on August 28th 2010. He was a lifelong resident of Grand Ledge born on September 6, 1921 to William and Ada (Jacobs) McNutt, the youngest of six children. He graduated from Grand Ledge High School in 1940 and served honorably in the U.S. Army during WWII as a mechanic in the Aleutian Islands and Anchorage, Alaska. He married Lucille Durham on July 24th, 1945 and they were together for over 61 years until her death in 2007. Murle, along with his brother, Ed, owned and operated the M & M Gas Station Service in downtown Grand Ledge. He worked at Oldsmobile and U.S. Truck Company, was a school bus driver for Grand Ledge and retired from Tri-County Beverage Company in 1983. He was also a car porter for Grand Ledge Ford and Paradise Motors. Murle was very active in his community and a model citizen. He joined the Grand Ledge Volunteer Fire Department in 1949 and is the city's longest serving fireman with over 61 years of service which has been a great source of pride for him and his family. His children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren all have fond memories of riding in the "big red fire trucks" with him during the city's many parades. He had the honor of being King of Yankee Doodle Days in 1995 and he was a former member of GLEAP. Murle sold tickets at various high school athletic events for over 18 years and was known by all as Grandpa. Murle loved stock car racing, camping, fishing, traveling, and attending his family's extracurricular events. He was a member of Grand Ledge Church of the Nazarene and will always be remembered as a staunch Christian and devoted family man. Many will fondly remember his famous "handlebar mustache". He was preceded in death by his wife; son, Murle "Butch"; grandson, Darrell Jr. "D.J."; brother, Harvey; and sisters, Wilma Baker, Bernice Mills, and Magdalena West. He is survived by son, Darrell (Patricia) and daughter Rita (Thomas) Baker of Grand Ledge; daughter-in-law, Jeanne of Riverdale, MI; brother, Edward of Okemos; brother-in-law George (Bobbye) Durham of Gilmer, Texas; 7 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. The family would like to express their gratitude and thanks to the kind and compassionate staffs of Clare Bridge of Delta and In-House Hospice Services for taking such wonderful and tender care of our beloved dad. A funeral service will be held Thursday, September 2, 2010, 11:00 a.m. at the Church of the Nazarene 3432 Jefferson Hwy. Grand Ledge, MI 48837 with The Reverend Richard Hand and The Reverend Ray Duck, officiating. Interment will follow with military honors at Oakwood Cemetery. The family will receive friends Tuesday and Wednesday from 2-4 and 6-8 at the Holihan-Atkin Funeral Home, Grand Ledge. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Grand Ledge Fire Department, GLEAP or Grand Ledge Church of the Nazarene. Online condolences and guest book entries may be made at www.holihanatkin.com