Amiel William Zielke

Amiel William Zielke, 85, of Fairplain and Ft. Myers, Florida, passed away Thursday, October 12, 2006, at Lakeland Hospital in St. Joseph. A Celebration of Life service will be held Monday, October 16, 2006, at 11:00 A.M., with Rev. Robert Braman, Ph.D., officiating at First Congregational United Church of Christ, 2001 Niles Ave., St. Joseph. Burial will follow in Riverview cemetery. Friends may visit with the family on Sunday, October 15, 2006 from 5:00P.M. to 7:00P.M., at Kerley-Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph. Memorial donations may be made to First Congregational United Church of Christ. Amiel was born February 22, 1921 to Reinhold and Augusta Zielke in Bridgman, Michigan. He served as a Sergeant in the U.S. Army during WWII, from 1942 to 1946. He was a loyal employee of New Products Corporation in Benton Harbor for 46 years. Amiel married Dorothy Eleanor Menchinger on June 20, 1948, in St. Joseph. He loved his adopted state of Florida where he and Dorothy wintered for the past 20 years. He will be missed dearly by his Ft. Myers friends. Amiel loved being a “gentleman” farmer and tended to his concord and French hybrid grapes. His roses and vegetable garden were admired by all. But mostly, he loved being surrounded by his grandchildren, Elizabeth and Mark, Jr., and the many wonderful vacations and fun times they shared together. Amiel is survived by his wife Dorothy, son Mark (Janet Lee Globensky) Zielke; grandchildren Mark, Jr., and Elizabeth; sister, Ann Gaul of Bridgman and brother Paul Zielke of Baroda. He was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, John, August, Albert, and Richard; sisters Olga Mensinger, Huldina Backus, and Hattie Schmaltz.