Chester F. Surline

Chester F. Surline passed away Friday, October 19, 2007 at home in West Branch. He was 93 years old. Mr. Surline served as Superintendent of the West Branch-Rose City area schools for 25 years. When Mr. Surline came to West Branch in 1949, West Branch Public Schools consisted of a one-building district serving the 1-square-mile community of West Branch. He led the transformation to a 500-square-mile district of West Branch-Rose City Area Schools consolidating 14 country schools and Rose City by 1967. Upon his retirement in 1973, the elementary and middle schools in West Branch were renamed as the Chester F. Surline Elementary and Chester F. Surline Middle School in his honor. Mr. Surline was born on October 29, 1913 to George and Rosena (Pratt) Surline in Netherhill, Saskatchewan, Canada. He lived on the prairies of Saskatchewan where his father farmed the land. His family moved to Detroit during the time when Henry Ford was building the Model T’s. Chester’s father worked for Henry Ford building automobiles until just before the Great Depression. Prior to the depression the family moved to the Upper Peninsula to the community of Germfask where his parents bought a farm. He graduated from Marquette High School in Marquette, Michigan in 1932. Mr. Surline graduated from Northern Michigan University with a Bachelor of Science and from Michigan State University with a Masters in School Administration. He worked as a teacher in a one-room schoolhouse in Germfask, Michigan for three years, and later as a teacher in Gwinn, Michigan and Superintendent of Schools in Potterville, Michigan for four years before coming to West Branch. Following his retirement from West Branch-Rose City Area Schools, he was employed as Dean of Students at Kirtland Community College and as a consultant for Wakely Associates Architects. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Ethel in 1998, and several siblings. He is survived by his daughter, Candance (George) Webb of Aurora, Colorado and sons Randall (Nancy) of West Branch and Todd (Carol) of Okemos, MI, and grandchildren, Cara Bunnell of West Branch, George (Katy) Webb III of Topeka, KS, Randall (Jillian) Surline II of Ft. Myers, Florida, Jason Webb of Aurora, Colorado, Katie and Chris Surline of Okemos, MI; great-grandchildren Alissa and Kendra Bunnell of West Branch. The family requests contributions in Mr. Surline’s memory for permanent memorials at Surline Elementary School or Surline Middle School at 147 State Street, West Branch, MI 48661 or donations to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Michigan Chapter, P.O. Box 368, Southfield, MI 48037-0368 A memorial service is planned for Saturday, November 10th at noon at the First United Methodist Church of West Branch. The church is located at 2490 West State Road and is located at the corner of State and Fairview. A luncheon will be held at the close of the services and grave side ceremonies will be held later in the afternoon.