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Esther M. Howard
Former Grosse Pointe Woods resident Esther M. Howard, age 82, of Traverse City, died Monday, Dec. 3, 2001, at Bortz Health Care of Traverse City.
She was born Aug. 27, 1919, in Hastings, the daughter of LeRoy and Josephine Dann Watrous. She married
Edmund W. Howard on June 1, 1940, in Woodland.
Esther studied music at Houghton College in Houghton, N. Y. and piano in Chicago, Ill. She later taught private piano lessons for 25 years.
Esther was a member of the Grosse Pointe Community Choir and volunteered with children's reading programs in Detroit.
She returned to Traverse City from Grosse Pointe Woods in the 1980s where she reunited with Asbury United Methodist Church. She participated in the Faith Circle.
Esther enjoyed trips to Canada where she traveled through all the provinces and all of the continental United States. She also spent time in Europe visiting Greece, Scandinavia, England, Hungry and Romania.
She is survived by her daughter Connie (Loren) Trnka of Plymouth, Minn.; sons Stephen (Nancy) Howard of Lake Odessa and Alan (Judy) Howard of Escanaba; eight grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren and three step-grandchildren.
Esther was preceded in death by her husband Edmund, her parents and one granddaughter.
Arrangements were handled by the Reynolds Jonkhoff Funeral Home. A memorial service was held on Dec. 8, at Asbury United Methodist Church. The Rev. William Haggard officiated.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to Asbury United Methodist Church.
Paul J. Kelley
Paul J. Kelley died on Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2001, of Parkinson's disease, in Altamonte Springs, Fla.
Born on March 21, 1914, in Montgomery, Pa., he was a graduate of West Chester State in music and Carnegie Mellon in engineering. He was employed by the Pennsylvania School System and by Westinghouse as an electrical engineer for 37 years. He moved to Florida 21 years ago from Grosse Pointe Woods.
While living in Grosse Pointe, Mr. Kelley was active in Grosse Pointe Memorial Church, teaching Sunday School, serving in the choir and acting as a deacon. He belonged to the National Society of Professional Engineers, Senior Men's Club and the American Association of Retired Persons.
With his love of the arts, he was a trumpet player with the Grosse Pointe Symphony, a member of the Fine Arts Society and the Founders Society of the Detroit Institute of Arts and served on the Board of the American Wing of the Detroit Institute of Arts.
Being a Mason, he belonged to the Detroit Commandry, No. 1, and was a life member of the RAM Monroe #1, King Cyrus Chapter #133 as well as Pittsburgh Lodge F&AM 45. Mr. Kelley had memberships in the Saginaw Club, Hidden Valley and the Citrus Club in Orlando, Fla.
Florida found him belonging to the English Speaking Union, Orlando Museum of Art, Stag Club, Romeos, University Club of Winter Park, Morse Museum, Seminole Community College Chorus and Symphonic Band.
Mr. Kelley is survived by his wife Eva; stepsons Grant M. Hales, Jr. of Smithfield, Va. and Hugh John Hales II of Grosse Pointe Woods; a sister, Mary L. Carson of Williamsport, Pa.; three nephews, John W. Carson of Williamsport, Pa., Paul G. Carson of Ypsilanti and J. Robert Carson of Petoskey; three grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
A memorial service was held on Tuesday, Nov. 27, at the First Presbyterian Church of Orlando in Orlando, Fla.
Memorials may be given in memory of Paul J. Kelley to The First Presbyterian Church of Orlando, 106 East Church St., Orlando, FL 32801 or The University Club of Winter Park, P. O. Box 237, Winter Park, FL 32790.
Martin William Linder
Martin William Linder, 94, died Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2001, at his home in Plantation, Fla.
Mr. Linder was born Sept. 2, 1907, in Providence, R.I. A resident of Grosse Pointe Shores for 60 years, Mr. Linder was an accountant.
He is survived by his daughter Janet (Jack) Weins; grandchildren Barry (Maura) Weins, Kim (Randy Cox) Weins, Brian Weins, Bruce (Corrinne) Weins, Kelly Weins, Michelle (Dan Jr.) Cordle and Matthew (Stacy) Morgan and great-grandchildren Nick and Sean. Mr. Linder was predeceased by his wife Ruth.
Arrangements were handled by the A. J. Desmond & Sons Funeral Home in Troy. A service was held on Thursday, Dec. 6, at Evergreen cemetery in Detroit. Interment is at Evergreen cemetery.
Memorial gifts may be made to the Plantation Community Church Building Fund, 6501 W. Broward Blvd., Plantation, FL 33317.
Virginia Cutting McMillan
Virginia Cutting McMillan, 87, of Grosse Pointe Shores, died on Monday, Dec. 10, 2001, in Grosse Pointe.
She was born in Worcester, Mass., where she graduated from the Bancroft School in 1931 and attended Clark University.
Mrs. McMillan was a member of the Cottage Hospital Board of Trustees from shortly after World War II until the late 1980s when she was made an honorary trustee. She was also active with the Women's Committee of the Detroit Institute of Arts and chaired the Colonial Dames project to restore the Commander's House at Historic Fort Wayne in Detroit. She was a vice president of the Garden Club of America, former president and honorary member of the Garden Club of Michigan, a member of the Junior League of Detroit and the Tau Beta Association and involved with the American Wing of the Detroit Institute of Arts.
An avid sportswoman, Mrs. McMillan was a state skeet champion and an enthusiastic golfer and tennis player. She was an accomplished pianist, gardener, flower arranger and hostess.
She is survived by her husband James McMillan; her son Francis Wetmore McMillan; her daughter Virginia McMillan Lambrecht (Mrs. Robert P.); seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held on Thursday, Dec. 13, at 11 a.m., at Grosse Pointe Memorial Church, 16 Lakeshore Dr. in Grosse Pointe Farms.
Contributions may be made to the Bancroft School, 110 Shore Drive, Worcester, MA 01605-3198 or The Garden Club of Michigan Memorial Fund, 35 Edgemere Road, Grosse Pointe Farms, MI 48236.
Earl Orlando Polver
Earl Orlando Polver, 91, beloved husband of Mary Carmella Mongelluzzo Polver for 63 years, died of heart failure on Sunday, Dec. 9, 2001, in Detroit.
A Harper Woods resident, Mr. Polver was born in Mason, Pa., where he later completed barber school. He was a professional barber for almost 76 years working most recently at the All Pointes Barber Shop.
Mr. Polver was devoted to his family and also loved to play golf and bowl.
He is also survived by his daughter, Michele Polver-Rueber; two grandchildren and his sisters, Mary, Alice and Flora. He was predeceased by his parents Angelina Volpe Polver and Michael Polver, brothers Joseph and Dennis and sisters Helena and Polly.
Arrangements were handled by the Verheyden Funeral Home in Grosse Pointe Park. A funeral Mass was held at St. Clare of Montefalco Church in Grosse Pointe Park on Wednesday, Dec. 12. Interment is at Mt. Olivet cemetery in Detroit.
Memorial gifts may be made to St. John Hospital and Medical Center or the American Heart Association.
Carl C. Rentschler
Carl C. Rentschler, age 92, died Monday, Dec. 10, 2001, at his Grosse Pointe Park home.
Mr. Rentschler was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in business administration in 1930. While at Ohio State, Mr. Rentschler earned two varsity letters in football.
Known to friends and family as a highly principled man, Mr. Rentschler was the president of the James Barclay Company, a division of Hiram Walker Distillery in Walkerville, Ontario, Canada. He retired in 1972 after 27 years. He was also a Big Ten football official for 13 years and officiated at the 1953 Rose Bowl.
Mr. Rentschler enjoyed memberships in the Detroit Athletic Club, the Detroit Yacht Club and Alpha Chi Rho fraternity. A golfer, he was also a member of the Lochmoor Club, where a buckeye tree was planted in his name to honor the fact that he was an avid Ohio State sports fan.
According to his son, David Rentschler, "Dad was a traditionalist who was a passionate family man. He was the leader of the Rentschler herd."
Mr. Rentschler is survived by his sons, David Rentschler and Donald Rentschler; a daughter, Susan Reiff; nine grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren, and a sister, Ethel Placak. He was predeceased by his wife Grace who died in 1985.
Arrangements are being handled by the A. H. Peters Funeral Home in Grosse Pointe Woods. A memorial service is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 21, at 11 a.m., at Jefferson Avenue Presbyterian Church, 8625 East Jefferson Ave. in Detroit. Interment will be at White Chapel Memorial cemetery in Troy.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Jefferson Avenue Presbyterian Church, 8625 E. Jefferson Ave., Detroit MI 48214.
Blanche Marsh Roadstrum
Grosse Pointe Park resident Blanche Marsh Roadstrum (nee Hossie), 92, died of a stroke on Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2001, at Bon Secours Hospital.
Born on Feb. 22, 1909, in Detroit, Mrs. Roadstrum was a graduate of Detroit's old Eastern High School, Michigan State College and the Arts and Crafts Institute of Arts.
A homemaker, Mrs. Roadstrum had many interests. She was the secretary of the Ibex Club in the early 1930s, a troop leader for the Grosse Pointe Park Girl Scouts and an alumni member of the Alpha Phi Sorority. In addition, she was an avid bridge player and, as a member of the Bayview Yacht Club, enjoyed sailing with her husband Bob on their sailboat Goldigger. She was also a 50-year member of Grosse Pointe Memorial Church.
She is survived by her devoted husband Robert; a son Richard A. Marsh; a daughter Sally Ellen Giacobbe; grandsons John and Jeffrey Giacobbe and Robert and Stephen Marsh; a granddaughter Jennifer Russell and two great-granddaughters and a great-grandson.
Arrangements were handled by the Verheyden Funeral Home in Grosse Pointe Park. A memorial service was held in the Barbour Chapel of Grosse Pointe Memorial Church on Saturday, Dec. 8, followed by a luncheon at the Bayview Yacht Club.
Contributions may be made to the Salvation Army, the Grosse Pointe Memorial Church, Hospice of Michigan or Karmanos Cancer Institute.
