THE RECORD Online

Spring 2002

Alumni in Memory

Harold Karls ’27 died September 19, 2001 at age 94. He attended Greenville College for two years, returning to Michigan in 1926 after his father passed away. He later attended the University of Michigan and earned a Juris Doctor degree in 1931. Harold retired from Second National Bank of Saginaw, Mich. in 1972 after serving as president, chairman of the board, and CEO. He continued on the board of directors until 1984. A member of the Saginaw County and American Bar Associations, Karls was also active in the community, serving as president of the Saginaw Board of Education and as director of the City of Saginaw Personnel Advisory Council, the Saginaw City Rescue Mission, the United Way of Saginaw County, and the Chamber of Commerce.

David Chandler ’29 died November 8, 2001 at age 95. He was a scientist who is credited with building the knowledge on the Great Lakes. He became aware of the shortage of scientific data about the Great Lakes while attending graduate school at the University of Michigan and founded research groups to study them. David taught at the University of Arkansas, Ohio State University, Cornell University, and the University of Michigan. He was a past president of the American Microscopical Society, the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, the International Association of Great Lakes Research, and the Great Lakes Foundation.

Virgil Sussenbach ’29 died September 12, 2001 at the age of 96. He was a retired farmer.

Evelyne McCracken ’30 died January 9, 2002 at age 91. She spent part of her career at Coates Steel Ball and retired as the secretary to the president of Southwestern Electric. She was a member of the Benjamin Mills Chapter of the National Society of the American Daughters of the American Revolution, Bond County Geneological Society, and the Bond County Order of the Eastern Star.

Henry Cunningham ’35 died October 25, 2001 at age 88. He taught history in Marshall, Mich. for most of his life. He spent summers during the 1950’s teaching American history at Greenville College.

Gertrude (Cook ’36) Archer died September 5, 2000 at age 91. She was a singer, teacher, pastor’s wife, and a pioneer in the Light and Life Christian Day School movement in Calfornia and Arizona.

Florence (Wahl ’39) Otter died September 14, 2001 at the age of 83. She spent 20 years as a high school guidance counselor and served as president of the Sun Cities Arizona Poetry Society and Arizona State Poetry Society. She published three books of poetry: Fountain Grass, Slipstream of a Star, and Echoes from a Picket Fence. Florence also created an audiocassette titled Many Moons Later. She was active in the Sun City branch of the National League of American Pen Women and belonged to the Academy of American Poets.

Luella (Hughes ’40) Thompson died October 17, 2001 at age 85. After graduation, she became a nurse in the United States Naval Reserve and Buffalo, N.Y. Memorial Hospital. She eventually became a homemaker and caregiver. After the death of her husband, she took a refresher course in nursing and did private duty nursing for a while. She was a member of the Warm Beach, Wash. Free Methodist Church.

Evangeline (Cilley ’40) Wise died July 18, 2001 at age 83. She was a retired office manager.

Frank Joy, Sr. ’37 died October 17, 2001 at age 86. Frank was a longtime member of the Greenville College board of trustees, serving faithfully as a third generation member for 26 years (1968-1994). He was treasurer of the board as well, following his father and grandfather in the capacity. In 1977, Frank was presented with the Loyalty Award, and the Alumni Association recognized him in 1992 with the Distinguished Alumnus Award. He continued as trustee emeritus until the time of his death. Frank was also active in the Greenville community. A lifetime member of the First Presbyterian Church, he taught Sunday school and served as an elder and trustee. Frank was a charter member of the Kiwanis Club in Greenville and a past school board member. Frank’s working career was spent at the Bradford National Bank where he was a senior vice president, trust officer, and board member. During his years as a student, he was a member of “A Cappella” (the modern-day Greenville College choir) under the leadership of its founder, Robert Woods. He continued to sing throughout life, performing in musicals, quartets, weddings, and funerals.

Hope (Willobee ’40) Winke died October 31, 2001 at age 86. Born in India to Pentecostal missionaries, she came to the United States in 1926 to complete her education. She received a master’s degree in education from the University of Michigan in 1945 and worked 25 years for the women’s division of the Detroit police department. While with the Detroit police department, the former teacher removed children from neglectful mothers and wives from abusive husbands. She was a member of the board of directors for Clawson Manor, an independent living center for senior citizens, and belonged to the Ferndale (Mich.) Free Methodist Church.

Elmer Hunsaker ’41 died August 25, 2001 at age 91. He was a retired minister.

V. James Mannoia, Sr. ’45, died April 30, 2001 at the age of 78. A former pastor, college professor, and Free Methodist Church leader, his ministry began in 1948 at the Beloit, Wis. Free Methodist Church. In 1952, he became pastor at the East Peoria, Ill. Free Methodist Church. James made the transition to higher education in 1955 when he accepted a position as a professor at Spring Arbor College.

From 1962 to 1970, he was president of the Free Methodist Seminary in Sao Paulo, Brazil. He served for two years as the executive secretary for the Free Methodist Church World Fellowship before becoming pastor of the North Chili, N.Y. Free Methodist Church in 1972. Mannoia returned to teaching in 1978 as a professor at Asbury Theological Seminary until his retirement in 1993. He continued ministry in retirement, taking him to Hawaii, Hungary, Africa, Brazil, Korea, and Taiwan.

Robert Myers ’51 died May 11, 2001 at age 73. He was a retired engineer.

Joyce (Imhoff ’53) VanValin passed away August 26, 2001 at age 71. A former teacher and pastor’s wife, she served alongside her husband, Frank VanValin ’53, at Free Methodist churches in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Greenville, Ill. She was involved in Christian education for many years as a director, teacher, Bible study leader, community outreach leader, and camp director. She was musically gifted as well, participating as a pianist, organist, choir member, and small group vocalist.

Marie (Stout) Stewart ’55 passed away January 7, 2002 at age 94. She was a retired teacher, having taught in Pin Oak, Central, Hickory Grove, and Pocahontas schools during her career. She belonged to the retired teachers of Bond County, the National Education Association, and the Illinois Education Association.

Donna (Stephens ’57) Wild died September 6, 2001 at age 66. Despite being blind, she transcribed for an insurance company.

Percy “Pete” Washington ’79 passed away October 15, 2001 at age 45. He worked for the Boy Scouts of America as a field director.

Marti (Buckley ’87) Thorpe died September 7, 2001 at age 36. She worked at Wildwood Health Care Rehab Center in Indianapolis as a social worker.

Last updated: March 20, 2002