James Frederick Geisenhaver, beloved son, brother, father, and grandfather, passed away on Tuesday, 29th January 2019. Preceeded in death by his parents Carl & Ethel and brother, Jere. In the course of his life, Jim, as he preferred to be called, loved to be in the great outdoors. If you wanted to find him, you just had to look outside where he would be spending time on his farm, hunting in his back yard or elsewhere in Michigan, or out fishing. If he was not there, he would be found cheering on his favorite hockey team, the Michigan State Spartans. He could always be found in his seats for any game, home or away. He shared his passions and his love with those who loved and cared for him most.
He is survived by his beloved younger sister, Janeen Geisenhaver; his son, David (Barbara) and his four daughters, Valerie (Kent) VanderWal, Cassandra (Steve) Hemby, Gina Maciatek, and Amber Stacey. His daughter Deborah (Jeffery) Engels and their four children, Nathaniel (Carisa) Engels, Nichelle Engels, Jared (Paul) Engels, and Janae (Joshua) Kern. He is also survived by his 8 (soon to be 9) great grandchildren. He will be greatly missed. The family would like to thank the staff at Burcham Hills Rehab Center and the 4th floor Respite for their wonderful care. The family also wants to express thanks to all of those that supported us especially during that last 6 months.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, February 2, 2019, at Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes, 900 Michigan Avenue, Lansing, MI. Visitation from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. with service immediately following. Burial will be at Gunnisonville Cemetery on the corner of Wood Street and Clark Road.
In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations be made to Michigan State University, Spartan Fund. Make Check payable to Michigan State University. Designate funds to go the Men’s Ice Hockey Program in memory of James Geisenhaver. Send donation to: MSU Spartan Fund, 535 Chestnut Road, Room 300, East Lansing, MI 48824.
