Stuart Openlander

Stuart Openlander was simply an amazing man, a man of character, of love and of faith. He lived his life deliberately with a sense of purpose, and with a strong devotion to hard work and family. Stuart was a wonderful husband, father and grandfather, a teacher and leader in his community. A true gentleman, he always left people charmed and smiling, and he was a good friend to the many people he knew throughout his life.

Stuart Lee Openlander was born on his family’s farm near Wacousta, Michigan, on Easter Sunday, April 7, 1912, to Charles and Deon (Lee) Openlander. This was a quieter, more relaxed time in American history: there were no televisions, automobiles were a rarity, and families tended to sit down to meals together. Stuart and his brother, Herman, learned the value of hard work early on, growing up doing farm chores, though this didn’t stop them from getting into their fair share of mischief too. Stuart often told the story of when he and his brother hid on the roof of the hen house while their Dad was out in the south field. They would duck when he turned their way, but he still saw them and made them get down. Once Dad was back in the field, the boys got back on the roof, but this time when Dad caught them he made them carry a cement block back and forth from the hen house to the basement door. Inside, their mom kept hearing “bump, bump” and went to investigate and found the boys doing what their Dad told them too, a lesson Stuart learned the hard way.

For education, Stuart attended Watertown Center, the one-room schoolhouse just a mile and a half from their house, through the 8th grade. He then completed 9th and 10th grade at Wacousta School and 11th and 12th at Lansing Central. By this time, Stuart was driving and picked his cousin, Margaret, up on his way into town for school. During the winter months, because antifreeze was still a thing of the future, Stuart would put water in the radiator of his car at home, drain it when he got to school and put it in the boiler room until after school so it didn’t freeze. After graduating from high school, Stuart worked for a year on township and county roads to earn money to go to Albion College. At first, he pursued classes in business administration but later switched his major to education. Aside from his studies, Stuart pursued his love of music at Albion, singing in a male quartet and playing in a band.

In 1934, Stuart earned his BA from Albion and immediately began teaching high school Government in Holt, Michigan, a small community just southeast of Lansing. Here, Stuart was also instrumental in starting a school basketball team. It didn’t matter that they didn’t have a gym or even baskets to practice with - Stuart had them dribble up and down the halls of the school. Eventually, Stuart became the principal of the high school, and was appointed as Superintendent in 1938. Despite his administrative duties, Stuart continued to teach one senior economics class to “stay in touch with education.”

During this time, Stuart married the love of his life, Jean Anderson, in 1936. She was a teacher at his alma mater, Watertown Center School. In 1942, the couple was blessed with the adoption of their son, Don, and 3 years later, with the adoption of their daughter, Marilyn. Every year on Marilyn’s “adoption day”, Stuart would retell the story of how it was a wintery December day when they went to pick her up, and when the lady brought her to them, she grabbed the button on Don’s coat and wouldn’t let go. Stuart was extremely proud of his children, and loved them with all his heart. When it came to summer vacations, Stuart loved to take his family to a cabin his father had built in 1957 on Brevoort Lake in the Upper Peninsula. Although Stuart was afraid of the water, he bought a boat and even learned to water ski!

Besides being a devoted husband, father and educator, Stuart went on to earn his Master of Education degree from the University of Michigan and his Doctorate of Education from Michigan State University. Stuart also left the Holt school system to become the Superintendent in the Wayne and Dearborn district schools. Then, in 1965, he began as Superintendent of the Parma, Parma Heights and Seven Hills districts in Ohio, where he remained until retiring in 1975. Thereafter, Stuart and Jean moved back to Michigan and bought a house across the street from where Jean was born and raised. While retired, Stuart worked part-time at the Lansing Community College, and continued his activities as a life member of the Wacousta/Dewitt Masonic Lodge #359 and the St. Johns’ Kiwanis Club, which he was instrumental in starting. He had 59 years of perfect attendance in various Kiwanis Clubs. He and Jean were also members of the Lowe United Methodist Church. Sadly, after losing his beloved wife Jean, Stuart sold his house to his grandson, Lee, in 2000, and moved to the retirement community of Clinton Commons. Here, he stayed physically active walking about a mile a day, and when the weather was bad, he walked the halls of the building – he had a system!

Over the years, Stuart never lost his love for music. In fact, there was an Openlander Quartet for as long as anyone could remember. The Quartet started out with Stuart, his brother Herman, his father Charles and Uncle Frank, and later became Stuart, Herman and two nephews, Chuck and Fred. They loved to entertain at family gatherings and church, which just thrilled everyone. The last time was for Stuart’s 90th birthday party. Stuart was one of very few who could play the bones really well, and his grandchildren loved to make their puppets dance when Grandpa played along. To make his grandkids’ birthdays special, Stuart would call them and play “Happy Birthday” on the mouth organ and just hang up without saying a word. Once, his grandson Lee remembers calling him back and saying “thank you” and hanging up. Not to be out done, Stuart called right back and said “you’re welcome” and hung up.

Stuart was the kindest, most caring man who tried each day to share his happiness with his loved ones. His deeds and actions were an inspiration to those that knew and loved him. He will be greatly missed.

Stuart Lee Openlander died on Wednesday, May 20, 2009. He was preceded in death by his wife, Jean, his brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Dale and Caroline Anderson, and brother, Herman Openlander. He is survived by his son, Don (Tracy) Openlander of Winnemucca, NV; his daughter, Marilyn (Dave) Cotton of Wacousta, MI; his grandchildren: Jerry (Dave) Karrar, Adrienne Openlander and Kirsten Openlander, all in NV, Lee Cotton of St. Johns, Carrie (Jason) Hengesbach of Wacousta; 8 great grandchildren; his sister-in-law, Geneva Openlander; many nieces and nephews and his cousin, Margaret (Lee) Noble.

There will be a Memorial Service at the Wacousta United Methodist Church in Wacousta on Sunday, June 7, 2009, at 1:00 p.m. with Pastor Kathy Leydorf officiating. Sympathy may be expressed in the form of donations to the Stuart L. Openlander Kiwanis Scholarship Fund. Arrangements made by Osgood Funeral Homes. Please visit Stuart’s memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you may share a memory/thought with his family or sign his online guest book.