Eilene R. Seils

Eilene R. Seils, 87, formerly of St. Joseph, passed away Wednesday, January 14, 2009, at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing MI. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 2:00 P.M. Tuesday, January 20, 2009 at Starks and Menchinger Family Funeral Home, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph, with Pastor James Whitman officiating. Burial will follow at Riverview Cemetery. Friends may call from 5:00 P.M. until 8:00 P.M. on Monday, January 19, 2009 at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to Berrien County Baptist Church or to the American Lung Association. Those wishing to share a memory or sign the guest book online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com. Mrs. Seils was born May 14, 1921 in Sodus, MI, to William & Grace (Becker) Hoople. She graduated from Benton Harbor High School in 1941. On July 12, 1941, she married Harold C. Seils. She lived in Benton Harbor until moving to St. Joseph in 1953. She had 22 years of office experience working at Nowlen Lumber Company and Michigan Fruit Canners. Eilene was a charter member of the Berrien County Baptist Church, a former past commander of Chapter 17 Auxiliary of D.A.V., the Michigan D.A.V. Auxiliary, and she was a past president of V.F.W. #206 Auxiliary. In her spare time she enjoyed reading. In March of 2005, she moved to Charlotte to live with her daughter Marilyn (Seils) Slivensky. Eilene was blessed with 9 grandchildren: James Head of Montana, Jane Perry of Florida, Renee Nemeth of Salisbury, Maryland, Erich Slivensky of Charlotte, Dustin Ann Slivensky of Stevensville, Christina Edge of Benton Harbor, Richard Seils Jr. of South Haven, and Amanda Rippen of Salisbury, Maryland. Her life was also graced with 15 great grandchildren and 3 great-great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents Grace Hoople in 1962 and William Hoople in 1973; one son Richard Seils of Benton Harbor in 2008; and one daughter Rose Ann Rippen of Salisbury, Maryland in 2009.