Paul R. Ziemer

Paul R. Ziemer, 82, of Stevensville, passed away, Thursday, August 6, 2009 at Lakeland Continuing Care Center in St. Joseph where he resided for the last eight years. The family acknowledges the entire staff for the fine care which they gave to Paul over those years. A Celebration of Life Eternal will be held 11:30 A.M. Tuesday, August 11, 2009 at Christ Lutheran Church, 4333Cleveland Ave., Stevensville with Rev. Philip Quardokus officiating. Burial will follow at Lincoln Township Cemetery in Stevensville with military rites conducted by Stevensville American Legion Post #568. Friends may call from 5:00 until 8:00 P.M. Monday at Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph. Memorials may be made to Christ Lutheran Church. Those wishing to share a memory or sign the guest book online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com. Mr. Ziemer was born March 7, 1927 in Benton Harbor to Rudolph & Amelia (Meisel) Ziemer. He was baptized at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church by Rev. Haase on March 27, 1927, and confirmed on April 6, 1941. He attended Benton Harbor High School, but left early to join the United States Navy. Paul served on the USS General WA Mann AP-112. He was honorably discharged from the Naval Reserve in January 1948. On February 7, 1948, he was married to the former Florence E. Vieregge at Trinity Lutheran Church in St. Joseph by Rev. A. R. Gallert. Paul was employed at New Products for twenty-seven years, then twenty-one years at Bendix-Bosch in St. Joseph from where he retired in 1992. Paul was a member of Christ Lutheran Church, Stevensville American Legion Post #568, Bendix Golf League and an avid fan of the LA Dodgers. He was active in the Lakeshore Little League Baseball as coach of the Falcons for four years, and as manager of the Robins, which he took to the league championship in 1970. In 1974 he returned to high school in Lakeshore Public Schools to earn his diploma. Mr. Ziemer is survived by his wife of sixty-one years, Florence; two daughters-Lynn (Delmar) Lange of Stevensville, Paula Pugh of Stevensville; two sons-Mark (fiancé-Juliana Chang) Ziemer of Pine, CO, James (Christine) Ziemer of Arvada, CO; nine grandchildren- Nichole (Seth) Ray, Joshua Lange, Paul (Sabrina) Pugh, Jason and Michael Pugh, Chelsae Ziemer, Andrew, & Rachael Ziemer, and Matthew Marshall; two sisters-Helene (Lenord) Siewert of St. Joseph, Lydia Griechen of Valparaiso, IN; and a sister-in-law Carolyn Ziemer of St. Joseph. He was preceded in death by his parents, and his brothers-William, Arnold Ewald Ziemer.