Carl F. Pagels

Carl Frederick Pagels, 83, of Benton Harbor passed away on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025, in St. Joseph. He was born Sept. 4, 1942, in Berrien Springs to Frederick and Alice (Grime) Pagels.

Carl started his career at Klug's, a John Deere dealership, in Eau Claire, in the 1960s. From there, he drove a semi for Tidey's Trucking in Eau Claire before moving to Clark Equipment Company and Compaction America before retiring. After retirement, Carl continued to work on and repair farm equipment, snowmobiles, four-wheelers, and lawn mowers. He also drove a semi-truck for Ross Skibbe Farms hauling cucumbers, zucchini, corn and soybeans. Carl had an incredible mechanically minded way of experiencing the world around him. He had the inane desire to figure out "how things worked" – a quality that was the gift he shared passionately – and subsequently the legacy he leaves behind.

His family will remember all the time he spent teaching them how to break down, fix, and re-build anything and everything, but especially the car he proudly built with Dean back in his younger years. He also enjoyed working on farm equipment for his neighboring farmers and friends. Later in life, he developed a surprising fondness for several of his wife's cats – keeping a few after her passing – "Missy" being his most beloved. In his free time, he enjoyed spending time outdoor snowmobiling, fishing and hunting.

Carl will be missed by his stepson, Dean Sweet; his grandchildren: Scott and Adam Thomas; his great-grandchildren: Cooper, Piper and Hudson; and his siblings: Joyce (the late Earl) Totzke, Kathryn (the late Carl) Gostola, and Sharon (Jack) Dehring; his brother-in-law, Ross (Deb) Skibbe; his nephew and niece, Dustin (Rachel) Skibbe, and Sarah (Joe) Brookshire; and his great nephews and great nieces, Westin, Aubrey, Joey, and Sullivan.

He is preceded in death by his wife, Madalyn (Skibbe) Pagels; his stepdaughter, Amanda Sweet and his parents.