Ken and Kevin,

On the anniversary of your dad's passing, I still have very good memories of him.  I appreciate the legacy Archie created as an EMS provider way back in the early days of EMS as we now know it.  He laid the foundation for you, I, and so many others who have served in the Lansing area over the past six decades.  



I am so very sorry to hear of the passing of Archy.  He was such a kind man to all he met.  When I first moved to Mason, I had a great interest in rocks and minerals and I met Archy through this passion of mine.  My deepest sympathies to his family and relatives.  God speed to a gentle and generous man.

I had the pleasure of knowing Archy not only as a neighbor but also making ambulance calls.
He always had a short, no a long, there was never a short story to tell. Archy was very proud of the way his sons followed in his foot steps in the businesses that he founded.
RIP  Dear friend.

Ken, Kevin and Kyle,
Our thoughts and prayers go out to you and the family.
Archy left us with many many good memories over the years.
We shared many laughs.   Never understood how he could have 
good gem shows when he was always taking a nap in his booth.  :)
We will miss you, Archy!   Love,  Bob and Judy  

My sincere condolences to the Ammerman family.  I knew Archy from my days as a medic for the Sheriff's Office.  Archy was and always will be known as an icon in the Mason/ Ingham County Communities.  His dedication and service to the people will be greatly missed and will always be hard to match.  
A true professional in every sense of the word.  I've never known anyone to utter a derogatory word or talk of an unpleasant encounter with Archy.  If he cared for you or a family member, rest assured he did so with great care and took pride in that. 
His son's have flourished having Archy as their father, friend, mentor, and co-worker, following in his foot steps to carry on his legacy.
Rest easy Archy, you have definitely earned it.

God has taken a good soul to soon..I loved Archy, He always had a good story to share, I could listen for ever, and he could brighten my day with every story. I'm going to miss that. I'm going to miss him. My heart is heavy..such a wonderful man..Prayers to all his family and friends, RIP Archy, you are loved.

Archy was one-of-a-kind.  So many good memories of providing care to the residents of Mason. RIP my friend.

What amazed me about Archy was his ability to identify minerals.  Not only could he give you the name of the mineral,  but the exact location of where it was found.  Then, he would go on to tell you,  what time of day it found or whether it was hot or cold that day.  If you asked him to identify something, you would usually be there for at least 15 minutes.  Likewise, he had no lapidary secrets.  If you had a question about how to do something,  he was more than willing to share his knowledge.  I always felt comfortable calling him and asking for advice.  He always had a story to go along with whatever I was asking about. I am proud to say he was my friend and I will surely miss him.

Dear Ken and Family, I am so sorry, My thoughts and prayers are with you all! Thanks for sharing the video and photos of Archy! Wonderful memories you have to hold in your heart! Many miles a part we lived, but so thankful for the family time we did share! God be with you all, send my love, Roxy

Mr. Archy Ammerman.
Many hearts are saddened by your passing, my friend.  You are remembered fondly in many different ways by different people:  Family man, business man, rock-shop man, photographer, community fixture, happy-go-lucky Archy.  But life is not always happy, especially at this moment.
I knew you in a much different way…. In the back of an ambulance doing two-man CPR on someone’s husband.  Or carrying a drowned child’s body to the rig for the ride to the funeral home.  Or working shoulder to shoulder in a snowstorm, digging people, critical but still alive, out of a crushed vehicle, hoping we can make it to a hospital before it was too late for them.  Day after Day, Year after Year, you did this for the people of the community you loved.
In the years I worked along side of you, with all the tragedy we have seen, You, with your wacky sense of humor, would always come up with something to lighten the mood after particularly depressing runs, taking our sadness onto your own shoulders.  Most people will never understand the ugly things you have seen on the street, nor your ability to serve the public faithfully, for so many years.
We who do, Salute You Archy, for a Life Well Lived, 
                                                and Job Well Done.
It is said that when one passes from this life and stands in judgement before God, those they have served will stand at their side, in testimony to their soul.  In your case my friend, they’re gonna’ need lots of room!

									P/Lt Charles N. Bouth (ret)
									Paramedic Cmdr,  ICSD
	


Kevin,  Ken and Kyle  
I will miss my occasional visit with your Dad at the Shop where I could pick his mind for an answer to some problem or other.   As a "Life" member he was instrumental in the establishment of the Central Michigan Lapidary Society as an active group in the Mid West Federation of Clubs.  He will be sorely missed at future   Gem and Mineral Shows.  
 L Roger Laylin, 
CML&MS

Kevin and Ken,
Having taken my EMT course in 1978, I no longer remember when I first met your dad, but I do remember learning very early on that he was a legendary person when it came to providing EMS in Ingham County.  I always enjoyed seeing and talking with your dad on occasion over the years.  My memories of Archy include his smile and friendly greeting whenever we saw each other.
Marv Helmker

Lots of fond memories of Mr. Ammerman!  Always kind and funny.  I was fortunate enough to have known him since kindergarten!  Ken and I were classmates every single year from Steele Street on up to graduation.  Archy took awesome pictures, made beautiful jewelry, and also cared for people in need with his ambulance service. His kind heart was passed down to his sons. My deepest condolences to the Ammerman family.  Your dad was an amazing person. ---Betsy

I have so many fond memories of Archy in the rock shop. He was always kind and always welcoming. I loved my time at Lansing-Mason and that was in part by getting to see him. My condolences to Ken and Kevin and the entire family. What a legacy this man has left. 

For Ken, Kevin & Kyle.   When I think back about the long time residents of Mason that I remember, your dad would be on my short list.  I always appreciated his friendship & support.  He was a good man.  Sorry for your lose & best wishes to you all going forward. 

Today we celebrate the life of our friend, design collaborator and one of the best damn rock cutters in the business.  Archy blessed us with a canvas of creatively cut rock over many many years, elevating our designs to a higher level each time we collaborated, the Lapidary trade will never see another like him.    Some of the jewelry designs we created together were exhibited at ArtPrize 2014 in Grand Rapids to an audience of over 300,000 people.  Here is one of our favorites "Sunset Bowhunt" featuring Michigan Kona Dolomite.  RIP friend, we may not have won the ArtPrize competition but you will always be the winner in our book!

OBITUARY

Merle "Archy" B. Ammerman

June 5, 1937 – April 1, 2021

Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes

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