Alvin Goerge

Alvin Goerge

Childhood

Edward and Rose (Simon) Goerge welcomed their first son, Alvin Edward Goerge, into their lives on Aug. 1, 1923. He was joined by another brother, Norman, 1 ½ years later. The family lived on a farm northwest of Fowler, Mich., and even as toddlers the boys wanted to help. Their father promised that when they went to school, they could milk Daisy, the gentlest cow in the herd. When Alvin was 5 and Norman was 4, they started their first-grade education at the Sage Country School, about a quarter mile from home, and, they started their farming education, each taking turns to milk half of Daisy. It didn’t take long for “fun” to become a daily chore. In 1930, the young entrepreneurs built a mini chicken coop out of scrap lumber leftover from the big red barn that was built on the family farm.

Life for Alvin and his family took a tragic turn in 1935 when his mother was burned in an accidental fire while lighting the wood cookstove for Easter dinner. The next morning, Alvin and Norman pinched each other, hoping it was a bad dream. But it wasn’t. Their mother never came home from the hospital. The brothers’ bond tightened. Alvin was 11 ½ and Norman was 10.

Life for the father and his two sons was not easy — early morning chores, breakfast and fixing their own school lunches, school, more chores, and ending the long day washing dishes. There was little time for homework, but the boys graduated from eighth grade at Most Holy Trinity School in Fowler.

Work

In 1952, Alvin met Joyce Martin at a dance in Lansing. They married on Sept. 26, 1953. The couple loved to polka and enjoyed playing cards with friends. Though he talked about moving into their own home, Alvin stayed in the home where he was born. He put on an addition, and his father lived with the couple and their five children, Dolores, Paul, Karen, Shirley and Marilyn. Besides raising sheep, chickens, pigs and milking a small herd of cows, Alvin had several jobs in Fowler, including cooking at Simon’s Restaurant and working at Vince & Paul’s Tavern. In 1955, he was elated to get a job at St. John’s Sealed Power, a factory that made piston rings. He worked there for 33 years until he retired in 1988.

As they neared retirement, Alvin and Joyce finally moved out of the farmhouse — just a few hundred feet north in a new home Alvin helped build when he wasn’t working at the factory. Alvin liked second shift, because he could work in the morning and early afternoon — before he went to work. Most days he packed in too many chores, and he’d be late leaving for the factory.

But nothing ever was left undone: Stones were picked up in the spring; sheep were fed and cared for; crops planted and harvested; wood cut, split and neatly stacked along the road fence.

There was always something to do on the farm.

Family

Working two jobs meant there wasn’t a lot of time for fun during the week, but Sundays and holidays meant visiting relatives or staying home, playing croquet in the summer and cards and board games in the winter.

Alvin provided well for his family’s future, lived simply and never wasted anything. He followed his father’s example in keeping up the farm buildings and land, with a specific schedule of when and how to do different jobs.

Besides work, church and family and Fowler were his world. He was always there when his brother needed him, and it was a cherished tradition to visit Norman and his wife, Barb, every Sunday after Mass.

Though he had no big desire to travel, he and Joyce traveled to Maine, Minnesota and Florida for family-related trips. While he was leery of being on the water, Alvin loved to fly, whether it was in a big jet or a four-seater plane flying low around the Fowler area.

He enjoyed being surrounded by family and had a great sense of humor. He loved to laugh at his grandchildren and great-grandchildren’s antics.

Always, his favorite place was home and the farm he had helped cultivate from childhood.

Faith

Though Alzheimer’s ate away at Alvin’s mind in his last years, it couldn’t devour his religious faith. Three weeks before he left this world, he attended his final Mass, not missing a cue or prayer. He often said the rosary with family — sometimes so fast others couldn’t keep up. In retirement, he had a daily routine of saying prayers for 1 ½ hours. He faithfully attended Sunday Mass along with other special Masses.

His faith was nurtured at a young age. Alvin had four aunts who were nuns, Sister Lioba on his father’s side and Sisters Olivia, Petrina and Annella on his mother’s side. He enjoyed their visits when they came to Fowler, and he wrote the three sisters regularly and supported them with prayer. He attended Sister Lioba’s funeral as a young man — one of his few trips away from home. He and his father took the ferry to Wisconsin, and when he returned, Alvin commented on how her funeral was a joyous celebration. He prayed all his life for a happy death.

Before his last days, Alvin said he was ready to die. Those who loved him did everything they could to make him comfortable and at peace for the happy death he prayed for, as he moved on to his eternal home on Nov. 28, 2009.

Survivors include his wife, Joyce; son, Paul (Andrea) Goerge of Perrinton; daughters, Dolores (Scott) Hendershot of Parkers Prairie, Minn., Karen (Mark) Stahl of Dimondale, Shirley (Joe) Mayfield of Lansing, and Marilyn (Doug) Schafer of Fowler; grandchildren, Shirley Gross, Billie Jo Gross, Michelle Mayfield, Trevor Mayfield, Travis Mayfield, Jaclyn Mayfield, Brianna Chapais and Brandon Chapais; great-grandchildren Nathaniel Maxwell, Ivory Maxwell, Micheal Sairls and Jacob Sairls; brother, Norman (Barb) Goerge; and many nieces and nephews.

Alvin was preceded in death by his parents; daughter, Mary Anne; and granddaughters, Amy and Jamie.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 10:30 AM Wednesday, December 2, 2009. The Rev. Fr. Dennis Howard will preside and the Rev. Fr. Tom Thompson will concelebrate. The family will receive friends from 7-9 PM Monday and 2-4 and 7-9 PM Tuesday at the Goerge Chapel of the Osgood Funeral Homes in Fowler. A Rosary Service will be prayed at 8 PM Monday and 3 PM Tuesday, and a Vigil Service will be held at 8 PM Tuesday at the funeral home.

Pall bearers are Doug Schafer, Joe Mayfield, Micheal Sairls, Brandon Chapais, Mike Koenigsknecht and Doug Heeg. Honorary pall bearers are Mark Stahl and Scott Hendershot.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Great Lakes Hospice, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, or Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church Educational Trust Fund.