Mary Louise "Aunt Zeke" Myrkle

Mary Louise Myrkle (Zechiel), 90, of Decatur, died Wednesday, July 30, 2025, at Rose Arbor Hospice in Kalamazoo.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at 1:00 PM on Monday, August 4, 2025, at First United Methodist Church, 326 N. Lowe St, Dowagiac. Friends may visit with her family from 4:00pm-6:00pm on Sunday, August 3, at Clark Chapel – Starks Family Funeral Homes, 405 Center St, and from 12:00 PM until the time of service at the church. Pastor Chris Momany and Pastor Anna Moon will officiate. Interment will be in Hamilton Cemetery, Decatur. To share a memory or message of condolence, please visit Mary Louise's personalized webpage at www.clarkch.com.

Memorial contributions can be made to the Webster Memorial Library in Decatur, Michigan or to Animals Best Friend of Oshtemo, Michigan.

Mary Louise was born on December 12, 1934, to Delbert and Lena Zechiel of Benton Harbor, Michigan. The family resided in Twelve Corners when she was a young girl, relocating to a farm in Decatur in 1946. She was a graduate of Dowagiac High School and married Ralph Myrkle of Dowagiac on November 19, 1955, at the Keeler United Methodist Church. Mary Louise became a Registered Nurse after studying at Englewood Hospital in Chicago, and later earned a Master's Degree from Michigan State University.

From the 1960s through the 1990s, Mary Louise and Ralph lived in Bancroft, Michigan while pursuing their respective careers in Flint. She taught at the Hurley Hospital School of Nursing and later worked for the American Red Cross in both Lansing and Kalamazoo. They attended the Durand First United Methodist Church for many years. She played piano, sang in the church choir and later played bells in the church handbell choir.

In retirement, Ralph and Mary Louise relocated to the Zechiel family farm in Decatur, and spent winters in Avon Park, Florida.

Mary Louise (known as Aunt Zeke to younger family members) was an animal lover her entire life, with a special fondness for her cats and hummingbirds. She loved square dancing and RV'ing with her husband. Together with family they travelled as far south as Florida and as far north as Alaska, managing to visit nearly every US state and Canadian province in the process.

Mary Louise enjoyed sewing and quilting, collecting cookbooks, and seemed to know what every species of tree and plant were on sight. She was generous by nature, caring for her elderly parents as they aged and contributing to many different charities. She loved ice cream, and also fresh sweetcorn, tomatoes, asparagus, strawberries and melons, looking forward to them every summer. She also liked antiques, especially glassware and oil lamps, along with several very nice old cars and tractors that she owned with her husband.

She is survived by her sister and friend, Helen Jean Walker of Midland, MI; daughter, Mary Lynn Knapp of Rockford, MI; son, Bryan (Amanda) Myrkle of Decatur, MI; 6 grandchildren, Julianne (Josh) Minnie, Melody (Tim) Leszczar, Robert (Hollie) Knapp, Melinda Brewer, Lauren Myrkle, Lily Myrkle; and 14 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Ralph Myrkle; son-in-law, Mark Knapp; and grandson, Steven Knapp.