John Stackman, 74

John Stackman, age 74, of Sturgis, went to be with his Lord and Savior early Monday evening, Oct. 17, 2016, at Sturgis Hospital.
He was born Dec. 21, 1941, in Sturgis, a son of the late P. Donald and Violet (Stevens) Stackman.
John graduated from Centreville High School with the class of 1959. While in high school, he was active in Future Farmers of America. He continued his education at the Fort Wayne Bible College for three years, transferring to Olivet Nazarene College in Kankakee, Ill., where he graduated in 1977 with a bachelor’s degree in theology.
From his childhood onward, he was always very ambitious and enjoyed working. As a child, he enjoyed working in his parents’ bait shop. A treasured childhood experience was time spent in the West where his father was a professional hunter and trapper. He shot his first wildcat with his father’s help when he was just 3 years old.
When still in high school, he got started in farming. He continued farming for several years and also drove truck for Jake Pierson’s farming operation. He later worked at GDL Machine Shop and for Harter Corporation.
In 1967, he was chosen by the Tuloma Oil Company (a division of Standard Oil Company) to start the Nottawa Fertilizer Plant. This involved going to farmer’s homes and introducing them to the fertilizer products. This was easy for John, due to his love for meeting and talking to people. After getting the fertilizer business established he went on to work for Grove & Barnell Construction and Coachman Industries.
On Aug. 24, 1968, he married Sandra Yunker at Lima United Methodist Church in Shipshewana, Indiana.
Following his graduation from college John pastored the Sugar Grove Church of the Nazarene in Pennville, Indiana and the LaGrange Church of the Nazarene in LaGrange, Indiana. Due to health issues he left the ministry.
He worked several temporary jobs including helping his brother-in-law Stephen Yunker with the fall harvest.
John became an agent with the Prudential Insurance Company and later became an agent for Farmers Insurance and also sold for Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Company and qualified for award winning trips due to the amount of business he sold. He later sold his agency and started his own business Gateway City Kitchens and Interior which he managed until his illness in September 2016.
He was a member of Sturgis Church of the Nazarene and Gideons International. John was always happy to be able offer a New Testament to someone on a one-on-one basis, with a word of testimony, and help with the distribution at the St. Joseph County Fair. Another ministry he enjoyed was collecting clothing and household items to be sent to the Society of Indian Missions in South Dakota for needy Native Americans.
He also was a member of the Sturgis Area Model Railroaders, where he enjoyed meeting with his “train buddies” twice a month and watching the trains run.
In his earlier years, he enjoyed hunting, fishing and turtle trapping. More recently, he was enjoying making custom greeting cards for family and friends. He and Sandy also loved train excursions and many Amtrak Trips.
Following his injury in 2009, John was confined to a wheelchair. Although it was not his choice, he accepted it well.
He is survived by his loving and dedicated wife of 48 years, Sandra; brothers-in-law and their wives, Stephen and Karen Yunker and Marc and Cheryl Yunker both of Sturgis; sister-in-law and her husband, Andrea and Peter Marchand of Durham, Calif. Although John did not have any children of his own, he enjoyed very much his nieces and nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews, great-great-nieces and great-great-nephews and cousins, as well as many treasured friends, including Mark and Roxanne Barry of Marathon, New York.
The family will receive friends from 4-7 p.m. today, Wednesday, and 10-10:45 a.m. Thursday at Sturgis Church of the Nazarene, 70031 S. Lakeview Ave. in Sturgis. Funeral services celebrating the life of John Stackman will begin at 11 a.m. Thursday at the church. The Rev. John Shoup will officiate. A graveside committal will follow the service at Pleasant Hill Cemetery in rural Bronson.
The Hackman Chapel of Hackman Family Funeral Homes, 114 S. Nottawa St., Sturgis, is honored to be entrusted with the arrangements.
The family suggests those wishing to make a memorial donation in Mr. Stackman’s memory consider Society of Indiana Missions, P.O. Box 1348, Mission, SD 57555; Sturgis Church of the Nazarene, 70031 S. Lakeview Ave., Sturgis, MI 49091; or The Gideons International, P.O. Box 693, Sturgis, MI 49091.
HIs obituary is also at www.hackmanfamilyfuneralhomes.com, where personal messages of support may be left for the family.