Adam Medel

Adam Medel, age 79 of Warren, passed away March 4, 2017. He was born in 1937 in the small town of Neudorf in the former Yugoslavia. His parent, Philipp and Christine (nee Baumbarter) Medel were farmers. Adam has two sisters, Elisabeth and Elfriede. During World War II, in 1944, Adam and his family fled to Bohemia in a horse drawn wagon, to avoid the advancing Russian Army. They were able to return to their home in 1945, but only to find that the local government confiscated their home and placed them in a concentration camp in Hungary. Fortunately, they were able to escape the camp in 1946 and made their way to Austria. There, in the town of Haid, they were housed in barracks along with displaced people from their home areas. In 1955, the whole family immigrated to the United States and came to Detroit, Michigan. Adams education includes 1-1/2 years of elementary school in Neudorf, then regular schooling in Austria where he completed his apprenticeship training as a tool maker. Once he was in the USA, he worked at his trade for General Motors Corp. for thirty-one years before retiring. Adam Medel has been an active member of the Carpathia Club, a German-Danube-Swabian ethnic club in the greater Detroit Area since 1956. He first joined the Carpathia Mixed Choir and was a member of the Board of Directors for twenty-nine years off and on since 1960. He was President of the Carpathia Club for five years from 1964 to 1969. During his term as President, the club house on Republic Street in Warren, Michigan was renovated. He founded the Carpathia Youth Group in 1962 was its leader and dance instructor for twenty-one years. For seven years he also instructed the Carpathia Schuhplattler Group which was part of the Youth Group. He also started the German School at the Carpathia Club in 1963 and was Principle for eight years and a teacher for fourteen years. He was instrumental in starting the Carpathia Brass Band, which existed for about five years. Since Adam enjoyed dancing so much in his later years, he was the leader of the Senior Donautal Dance Group for six years. Many of the above positions were held simultaneously on a local level. On the National level during that time, he was President of the Danube-Swabian Association of the USA for ten years. In that organization, he was also the Chairperson for German Schools for eight years and the Chairperson for Youth Groups for twelve years. For over sixteen years, Adam was the leader and musical director of the Church Choir at St. Peter's German Evangelical Lutheran Church in Detroit. For his many contributions to the German Community in the USA, in 1972, Adam was honored by the German Government with the "Bundesverdienstkreuz am Band". The German-American Cultural Center of Greater Detroit named him the "German-American of the year 1989" and he was made Honorary President of the Danube-Swabian Association of the USA and an Honorary Member of the Carpathia Club. Adam never rested on his laurels. He was the Business Manager of the Carpathia Club since they moved to their new home on Utica Road in Sterling Heights, Michigan in 1993. Reflecting on Adam's past accomplishments, it is evident that Adam Medel has been an inspiration to many throughout his life and especially the Carpathia Club a man deserving of the state's highest honor. Adam received the Michigan Polka Music Hall of Fame Award on April 15, 2007. Adam is the dear brother of Elisabeth (the late George) Rebh and Elfriede (Sebastian) Armbruster. Treasured uncle of Pauline (Gary) Hohentanner, Robert (Laura) Armbruster, Cindy (Dan) Kessler, Jennifer (Erik) Ostlund, Timothy Armbruster and the late Norbert (Inka) Rebh. Caring great-uncle and great-great-uncle of many. And adoring great-great-great-uncle of one. He is also survived by many cherished friends. Adam's family will receive friends on Wednesday, March 8th from 2:00pm until 9:00pm at A.H. Peters Funeral Home, 32000 Schoenherr at Masonic (13-1/2 Mile), Warren A funeral ceremony will take place on Thursday, March 9th at 12:00pm at the funeral home. A committal service will immediately follow at Resurrection Cemetery in Clinton Township, Michigan.

Funeral Home:

A.H. Peters Funeral Home of Warren

32000 Schoenherr Road,

Warren, MI

US 48088