Edward E. Wiessner

Edward E. Wiessner, 83 of St. Joseph, went to be with his Lord & Savior on Friday, February 15, 2008 at his home surrounded by his loving family. A Celebration of Life Eternal will be held at 10:00 A.M. Tuesday at Stevensville United Methodist Church, 5506 Ridge Rd., Stevensville. Burial will follow at Riverview Cemetery in St. Joseph with military rites conducted by Coloma American Legion Post #362, VFW Post #1137 of Benton Harbor & VFW Post #6803 of Watervliet. 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 Stevensville United Methodist Church or Hospice at Home. Those wishing to share a memory or sign the guest book online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com. Mr. Wiessner was born August 16, 1924 in Kalamazoo to Marinus & Tessa (Clapp) Wiessner. He graduated from Central High School in Kalamazoo in 1942 & attended Tuscaloosa University in Alabama. On October 3, 1947, Ed married the former Helen Cronkright in Kalamazoo. He was employed for fourteen years at The Shakespeare Company in Kalamazoo as a design engineer. In 1955 Ed and his family moved to the Twin Cities to take a job with Whirlpool Corporation, also as a design engineer. He retired in 1984 after 29 years of employment. After retirement Ed was employed part-time for several years at Kerley & Starks Funeral Home. He served his country in the US Army during WWII, stationed in the Asiatic Theater. Ed was a member of the Stevensville United Methodist Church and a servant to The Lord. Ed was a former member of the St. Joseph Elks. He was a member and past president of the Lakeshore Lions Club, the Shoreline Investment Club and the Whirlpool Management Club. In his spare time, Ed enjoyed tending to his yard and making bird houses & feeders & other crafts. There are many in the area who were blessed by his handy work. Ed had a wonderful sense of humor and always had a joke or story to tell. He and Helen enjoyed winters in Hobe Sound, Florida for twenty years. Ed is survived by Helen, his wife of sixty years; his daughter Janet (Brad) Carroll of St. Joseph; his son Edward Wiessner, II of St. Joseph; four grandchildren-Jill (Rick) O’Daniel, Joy (Ken) Rathman, Melissa Carroll, Amy Carroll; six great-grandchildren; his sister Wilma Johnson of Kalamazoo; and several nieces & nephews. Ed was preceded in death by his daughter Sheryl G. Poschke in 1978, his parents, two brothers-John & Arthur Wiessner, and a sister Marie Smith.