Marshall Armen Stoevsand

MARSHALL'S LIFE STORY:A no frills sort of man, Marshall Stoevsand lived a contented life full of plenty of fun with his beloved family and friends. He never focused his attention on building wealth, rather, he filled his days making the most of every moment he was given. With the love of his life by his side for nearly 50 years, Marshall witnessed his family tree blossom to include the grandchildren who were his greatest source of pride and joy. With a life that spanned times of war and times of peace, times of plenty and times of want, Marshall created a brilliant mosaic of memories that will be lasting treasures in the lives of all who knew and loved him. The end of WWI in 1919 left America poised for greatness as we were recognized as a world leader for the first time. The 1920s ushered in times of prosperity with countless advancements fueled by innovation that forever transformed the cultural fabric of our nation. This was the decade that saw the peak of Broadway and the explosion of baseball due to legends like Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb. Nestled within this colorful time was the year 1928 that was filled with great joy for one young couple from Mason County, Michigan, as they welcomed a baby boy into their hearts and home on April 30th. Marshall Armen was the only child born to his parents, Armen and Emily (Kase) Stoevsand, on the family farm in Eden Township. In many ways Marshall experienced a typical upbringing for the youth of his generation. He attended local schools, but left during his ninth grade year to help his father in the logging business. In hopes of finding better work, the Stoevsand’s left their small community for Grand Haven when Marshall was 14. He found work in a local bakery there, earning a mere 25 cents a day. In the end, the bustle of city life was just too much for the family so they moved back to Mason County where Marshall and his father continued to log. They lived in small “shacks” that were quite primitive, as they just settled wherever the work was. New and exciting changes were in store for Marshall when he met the young girl who captured his heart. Her name was Illah Lamrock, and they were introduced by mutual friends and family members. Marshall was smitten with her right from the start as he thought she was awful pretty. After falling deeply in love Marshall and Illah were married on October 1, 1950. The newlyweds lived on the property where Marshall’s father had just built a new home in Branch, in a location that became known as Pine Island. For a time Marshall continued working in the logging industry, but when his father’s health failed he went to work for Barton’s Service Station in Walhalla. He later worked for Utterbach’s, Dow Chemical, and then for C.W. Smith as a mechanic. Marshall’s career path turned again when he found work with Laman Asphalt in 1968. He joined the Operators Engineering Local 324 and eventually retired from Reith-Riley after 20 years of dedicated service.While he was busy establishing his career, Marshall and Illah were blessed with two daughters, Wanda and Karen, and one son, Glen. There was never anything that was more important to Marshall than his family throughout his entire life. Marshall’s daughter, Wanda, will never forget going out for drives in his big black Lincoln when the two of them would just talk and get caught up. There were also unforgettable adventures between Marshall and his daughter-in-law, Barbara, when they went grape picking. The bucket had to hold the seat upright to keep it from collapsing, but they always had a great time together. Almost every weekend the family was together, making many unforgettable memories. These weekends were entertaining to say the least, and there was never a shortage of reckless fun. In 1992 the family took their one and only vacation together in Las Vegas. During his later years, Marshall was blessed with three granddaughters, Sadie, Amanda, and Melissa, who affectionately referred to him as “Grumps,” a shortened version of Grumpy Grandpa. As his friends and family can attest, Marshall and his son were known for their adventures. They had much fun with Marshall’s toys - his dump truck with a snow plow and road grater. Marshall would grate the road near his home, and he and Glen would spend hours plowing together. On a fairly regular basis Marshall would get the truck stuck while plowing, which meant that Glen would have to pull him out. On one such occasion he got stuck on the railroad tracks with a train coming at him. Glen had to smack Marshall’s plow blade with his blade and knock him off the tracks, rescuing his father in the nick of time. Marshall affectionately called his truck the “Orange Blossom Special,” but Glen was quick to point out that it was almost the “Orange Blossom Splatter” after his near run-in with the train.Marshall and his friend, Harvey Swanson, were also known to get into a bit of mischief. What a riot it was when they pulled a flat bottom boat on the frozen lake during the winter using a snowmobile with one in the boat and one on the sled. They liked heading into town or to the local tavern together, too, and when a car wasn’t available they just used the kids’ bikes.In his leisure time Marshall was one to keep busy. He loved hunting and fishing in addition to snowmobiling, water skiing, and boating. Marshall always enjoyed a good meal, but his favorite was bean soup or a good steak with potatoes and stewed tomatoes. Sometimes his favorites were made even better with a splash of whiskey to wash it down. During his later years it was fairly common to see Marshall buzzing around the neighborhood in his golf cart, visiting with his neighbors, even in the winter.Through the life he lived each day, Marshall Stoevsand communicated his unending love for his family and friends. He will be deeply missed and warmly remembered. Marshall died peacefully on Tuesday, January 29, 2013 at Willowbrook Care Home in Scottville after a lengthy illness. He was preceded in death by his beloved Illah in 1997, and by his parents.Marshall will be greatly missed by his daughters Wanda (Brian) Nelson of Walhalla, and Karen (Archie) Devereaux of Haines City, FL, his son Glen (Barbara) Stoevsand of Walhalla, his granddaughters Sadie Nash of Grand Rapids, Amanda (Josh) Rahn of Holland, and Melissa Stoevsand of Columbus, OH.A Memorial Service will be held for Marshall at 1:00 PM on Friday, February 1, at the Stephens Funeral Home in Scottville. Burial will take place later in the spring at Riverside Cemetery in Custer. Friends may meet with his family for a time of visitation on Friday from Noon until time of services at the funeral home.

Marshall Armen Stoevsand

April 30, 1928 - January 29, 2013