Robert (Bob) Worgul passed away on November 18, 2020. He was born December 10, 1928 in Canonsburg, PA, the ninth of twelve children born to Fred and Henrietta Worgul, immigrants from Germany. All are deceased except for David, the youngest.
At a Youth for Christ rally at the age of 18, Bob responded to the call of the Lord. The following March, he was baptized at South Baptist Church in Lansing. He graduated from Northern Baptist Seminary in Chicago, where he met Shirley Arnold, the love of his life. They were married on July 5, 1952. They had three children: Douglas Robert (Rebecca Sesler), Janet Gayle (Ben Ackerson), and Andrew James, who preceded him in death. He had six grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.
Bob also earned an MSW from Michigan State University, and he worked for the Michigan Dept. of Social Services for many years.
2 Chronicles 26:10 reflects Bob’s life: “He restored many houses and dug many wells. He had people working his orchards and vineyards…for he loved the soil.”
Zephaniah 3:17 was another of Bob’s favorite verses: “The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will dance over thee with singing.” Bob loved to sing and to listen to good music. Classics, old favorites, college bands, and any composition featuring the cello, organ, or tympani resonated deep within him.
Bob learned to garden and care for fruit trees when he lived in Battle Creek in the early 1960s. In 1978, he bought a 26-acre parcel of land in Vermontville on which to plant a vineyard and orchard. Gradually, he added new buildings for a cider mill and a farm market, naming the enterprise Caleb’s Mill. The mill also featured a petting zoo and a goat skywalk for the enjoyment of the many schoolchildren who came there on field trips. Bob and Shirley reflected often on the happy memories of Caleb’s Mill in their golden years.
Bob was a member of River Terrace Church in East Lansing, where he once served as an elder, and went to South Africa with a church group to donate many books to schools there.
Bob worked diligently to establish a home to provide for his beloved son Andrew and other developmentally disabled adults. Eventually, he partnered with Chosen Vision to establish Joshua’s Place.
There will be graveside services for family only Saturday, November 21st at Hillside Cemetery in Delta Township. Masks and social distancing will be strictly enforced.
Donations in Bob’s memory may be made to River Terrace Church.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18