Jerry Lee Engle

He grew up on the 1893 Jordan Family Centennial Farm in Woodland, MI. Jerry attended Woodland Public School and at age 9, his parents would leave Michigan in October and work on a vegetable farm in Boynton Beach, FL. Jerry would finish the school year in Florida. For Jerry’s senior year, he asked if his family could stay in Michigan so he could graduate with all his friends here. His mother said yes, so in 1963 he was a member of the first graduating class of the newly formed Lakewood Schools, with the school having two separate graduation ceremonies. He graduated at the Woodland School. That same year he enlisted in the US Navy. After basic training at Great Lakes Naval Base, he then went on to Memphis, TN for 6 months of specialized training. He was stationed at the Key West Naval Base, where he worked as an airplane mechanic. In 1967 he was honorably discharged and returned to the family home in Woodland. In January of 1968, he started working for Michigan Bell Telephone Company, later known as ATT, as a telephone installer and line repairman. During his time at Michigan Bell he, along with Carol, went to Los Angeles, California as a delegate for his CWA Union convention. Jerry took an early retirement in 1995 and opened his own business, Midstate Communications, in Ionia, with fellow Michigan Bell retiree, Paul Eddy. He retired once again in 2010. For several years after, he spent one day a week driving for his niece, Amanda Lake, and her business Practical Rehabilitation Services, where he was affectionately known to staff and clients as Uncle Jerry.

In October of 1968, Jerry met his beloved wife, Carol Swiler, and they married on April 26, 1969 at Zion Lutheran Church. They had two daughters Marcie and Lorie. In 1975 they moved to their home on Sixth Avenue in Lake Odessa. In 2005, he and Carol moved back to the family farm. Over their 56 years of marriage they enjoyed traveling. Most trips involved their Apache popup camper, later they upgraded to a truck camper. Many of their trips were taken with friends Ron and Norine Enz and many different family members. They camped all over Michigan, and visited Montana, Maine, Florida, Arizona, Alaska and all the states in between. They also camped while visiting Canadian relatives. They took a Hawaiian cruise, a driving trip to Nova Scotia and a group bus trip in Ireland. Jerry enjoyed gardening, helping his cousins with the bees and harvesting honey, going to men’s coffee fellowship at Zion, having lunch with friends at the COA, and Saturday 6:00 A.M. breakfast at C&R’s. Jerry loved fishing and took many trips with friends and relatives to the wilderness of Canada and canoe trips to the boundary waters of Minnesota. He also traveled with brother-in-law, Wayne Swiler, and a friend, to Mexico, where they were able to visit the place where all of our beautiful Michigan monarch butterflies go every winter. Jerry was a great story teller and would tell many wonderful and funny stories of his adventures and everyday life.

Jerry was very active in the community where many came to know his generous, kind, humorous personality. He served on the Lake Odessa Village Counsel for over twenty years - several of them as President, the Lakewood Wastewater Authority, Woodland and Lakewood Lions Club, Lakewood Habitat for Humanity, Woodland Township Board and was a lifelong active member of Zion Lutheran Church.

Jerry is preceded in death by his parents, Earl and Stella (Jordan) Engle, his in-laws, Harold and Marjorie (Aves) Swiler, brother-in-law, Wayne Swiler, sister-in-law, Linda (Swiler) Fox, as well as several other close friends and family members. He will be greatly missed by his loving family: wife Carol, still residing at the family farm in Woodland, daughters, Marcie (Shelby) Pinkston of Lake Odessa, Lorie (Austin) Morse of Grand Rapids, brother, Jeff (Kathy) Engle, his 101 year old aunt, Alice (Jordan) Morrow, sisters-in-law, Pam (Warner) Swiler and Doris (Swiler) Sutton, brother-in-law, Jon Fox and many nephews, nieces, cousins, and special friends. Special thanks to the staff and hospice at Portland Assisted Living and Memory Care for their kind care of Jerry.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Jerry’s name, can be made to Alzheimer’s Association at https://www.alz.org/get-involved-now/donate, Zion Lutheran Church or one of the many organizations he supported. A celebration of life will be held later this spring.