William Roland Church, Jr.

Mr. Church, age 88, of Rose City and Compass Lake Hills, Florida died Wednesday September 1, 2004 at his home in Compass Lake Hills, Florida following a long illness. Mr. Church was born February 4, 1916 in Rose City to William R. and Norma M. (Kunisch) Church. He lived in Rose City for the majority of his life. Mr. Church married the former Ardath A. Sheldon of West Branch on June 21, 1941. Mr. Church was a former mayor of Rose City and a former Ogemaw County Commissioner. He was a member of the Trinity United Methodist Church, also a life member and held office in the Lions Club, the United Methodist Men's Club, the Ogemaw Genealogical Society, the Rose City Area Historical Society and other organizations. After graduating from Rose City School, class of 1934, Mr. Church attended Ogemaw County Normal where he received his teaching certificate, then taught at the Neal school in Ogemaw County for two years. Later he worked as an electrician until he moved to Midland in 1941 to work for Dow Chemical Company. During World War II, Mr. Church belonged to the Civil Air Patrol and was a pilot of small planes. In 1947, Mr. Church left Dow as a Saran development engineer and moved his family back to Rose City. There he started Northland Builders and also worked at various jobs until he launched his own plumbing, heating and electrical contracting business. He retired from his business in 1978. Mr. Church enjoyed, during his lifetime, flying his plane and putting on air shows with his friend Leland Norton, working on projects with the Northeast Ogemaw County Woodworking Group, being creative in his workshop, going on fishing trips to northern Canada with his friends, gardening, hunting, traveling, singing in quartets and choirs and especially enjoyed being helpful with the Antique Village at the Ogemaw County Fair. Mr. Church is survived by his wife of 63 years, Ardath Church of Rose City and Compass Lake Hills, Florida; son William R. (Donna) Church III of West Mansfield, Ohio, daughters Nancy (Carl) Balla of Port Huron, Julianne (David) Green of West Branch, Peggy (William) Johnson of Quincy, Massachusetts and Josette (Jerome) Oleksik of Blanchard. Also surviving is his brother-in-law Robert Sheldon of Bullhead City, Arizona and grandchildren Mark (Tonya) Balla, Steven (Sherry) Balla, Jill (Stephen) Shaw, Lindy (Anthony) Stepp; Kevin, Christopher, Lisa and Kellie Church; Sara, Christopher and Nichole Green; Brandon, Heidi, Darren and Paul Rosebrugh and Zachary and Ezekiel Kutchin; great-grandchildren Anna and Kadra Balla; Hollie and Mikayla Stepp; many nieces and nephews and many dear friends. Mr. Church was preceded in death by his parents William and Norma Church, his daughter Renee Church and his grandchildren Benjamin Church and Tessa Kutchin. Visitation at the Steuernol & McLaren Funeral Home in Rose City will be from 2-9 p.m. on Friday September 10, 2004. The Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday September 11, 2004 at the funeral home. The Reverend James Balfour II will officiate and interment will follow at the Rose City Cemetery. Memorial Contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, Hospice of Helping Hands and Trinity United Methodist Church of Rose City.