BERTHA A. DAUBENDIEK

Age 89, of Avoca, died November 16, 2005 after a short illness. She was born January 31, 1916 in Arthur, Montana to Carl H. and Bertha Daubendiek. She grew up on a Montana homestead and a farm in Iowa until she was in the fifth grade. After graduating from Grinnell College, Iowa Phi Beta Kappa in 1936, she came to Michigan. Here she held positions as secretary to the president of the Economic Club of Detroit and to State Supreme Court Justice. She worked as a court reporter in Detroit, Mt Clemens, and Saginaw. She was one of the founders of the Michigan Nature Association and also served as executive Secretary of the MNA, since the beginning in 1952. In recognition of her outstanding work in the field of natural area preservation, she was honored by Governor Milliken as outstanding Michigan Volunteer of the Year 1974, awarded the title of Michiganian of the Year in 1979 by the Detroit News. In 1987 she received an honorary doctorate of science from Adrian College. She is listed in Who's Who of American Women and is the author of Michigan's Natural Beauty Road Law, which was enacted in 1970. In 1994 Bertha was inducted to the Women's Hall of Fame in the Achievement of Enviroment. In 1998 she received the George Fell Award and in 2002 a special lifetime achievement award. In April 2005 Governor Granholm honored M.N.A. and Bertha for establishing Michigan's first land preservation organization in 1952 to carry on a program of conservation education and habitat preservation. She is also one of the editors of several books. She is survived by two brothers Gene of Jefferson, Iowa and Joe of San Marcos Texas and one sister Ruth Harvey of Surprise, Arizona, and many nieces and nephews. Memorial visitation will be December 10, 2005 at Avoca Community Hall, 5396 Kilgore Road, Avoca, from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Memorials are suggested to Bertha Daubendiek Preservation Fund P.O. Box 102 Avoca, MI 48006. Arrangements are by Kaatz Funeral Directors, Avoca. For information and Guest Book kaatzfunerals.com