Paul Kline, 97

Paul Cassel Kline, dedicated husband, beloved father, and respected local leader and humanitarian of Mendon Township, died peacefully among family at 5 PM on Wednesday, January 1st, 2025, in Three Rivers. He was 97 years old and is survived by his wife of 71 years, Joyce Rose (Taylor) Kline, seven children, 19 grandchildren, and 16 great grandchildren, most of whom reside nearby.

Born April 20, 1927, to Lester and Dorothy (Hale) Kline in Sturgis, Paul was the third of four children. His childhood home had no indoor plumbing or electricity, and he once noted that, back then, you could order almost anything from Montgomery Ward but the catalogue was most useful for basic needs at the 3-hole out-house. His early years on the family farm during the Great Depression taught him the importance of self-reliance and hard work.

Paul and his siblings (Cerny, Joyce, and Bruce) walked from the home farm to the one-room, red brick schoolhouse at Canada Corners (West Mendon), where a single teacher taught grades 1-8 and he was the only student in his grade level. He graduated from Mendon High School and enlisted in the Army in 1946, sailed to Korea three months later, arriving in January. He drove a jeep for the Army medical unit. Whenever asked about his time in Korea, he replied simply, “It was cold.” He earned two medals and an honorable discharge, allowing him to attend Michigan State University (MSU) thanks to the GI Bill. An excellent student, Paul graduated with an Agricultural Engineering degree in 1952, and continued learning throughout his life, becoming a licensed electrician and licensed operator for drinking water and wastewater treatment systems.

Paul applied his knowledge at “Maple Shade Farms” (currently operated by son, Robert), and earned multiple awards thanks to Paul’s dedication to soil, water, and forest conservation. Paul was among the first in the region to install advanced irrigation systems, use improved seeds, apply low-till cultivation systems, try new crop rotations, and plant wooded wind erosion controls. He kept bees to improve cucumber production and “produced the best honey,” Joyce always said. Paul provided training to foreign agricultural students, including Jimmy Arevalo from El Salvador, who became part of the family with his wife Betty.

Paul was willing to take risks and innovate. He installed the first mechanized milking parlor in the area, which was tragically lost to fire soon after starting operations.   Paul taught his children to persevere and strive to overcome challenges by having them work with him. A u-pick strawberry patch was their college fund.  Together they planted thousands of trees, applied sustainable forest management practices, and established conservation easements on wetlands and forest habitats.

A visionary who loved being outdoors and considered farm work a blessing, Paul borrowed and reinvested constantly to improve efficiency and expand farm operations, renting nearby lands and then purchasing them when possible. Under his leadership, Maple Shade Farms grew from the original 100-acre home farm to over 1200 irrigated acres. One of the farms rented and later purchased was on Portage Lake, south of Vicksburg. Recognizing the value of the location, over time and in stages, Paul and Joyce designed and developed the retirement community of Kline’s Resort. The resort is now home to up to 245 families and is renowned for its good management, now under the guidance of son Phillip and his family.

Paul loved ice cream, popcorn, and music. He was a member of the MSU Glee Club, West Mendon Church choir, and regular contributor to community events such as the Mendon and Vicksburg Show Boats and Christmas and Easter Cantatas. He also loved working outdoors on the farm.

Perhaps Paul loved farm work because that is how he met the love of his life. He met Joyce in the pickle patch one summer. On Christmas Day in 1952, he took her in the truck for a drive through the woods on her daddy’s farm and proposed. They were married on February 5th,1954, in Mendon. That forest was later donated and is known as the Kiwanis Woods. Together Paul and Joyce grew more than livestock, corn, and soybeans; they raised eight children. Paul also enjoyed playing tennis and excelled at table tennis, which he taught his children and grandchildren to play, with Ping-Pong tournaments remaining a feature of annual Christmas family reunions.

Paul believed in demonstrating his faith through his deeds. His kindness was legendary. He was not a big talker but taught his children on-the-job and by setting an example. He instilled the virtue of hard work to his eight children, engaging the family in an extraordinary variety of projects, on and off the farm. He taught the children business operations; running the summer store on Portage Lake; maintaining boats, motors and farm equipment; surveying; installing roads, sidewalks, water, sewage and electrical services; and forming, pouring and finishing a LOT of concrete. Paul’s children agreed that, “Dad taught us to work hard and was always fair and honest. He believed in peace, human rights, and unselfish love.”

Paul always kept a notebook and pencil in his breast pocket to keep lists and do calculations. At the request of a granddaughter, he shared guidance that includes: Live by the golden rule – love others and treat them the way you would want to be treated; Enjoy music and nature; Be patient, kind, slow to anger and quick to forgive; and know that work is a blessing, so take pride in your work and do your best in all you do.

Paul is survived by daughters Carol (Larry) Higgins and Kathy (Doug) Brueck, daughter-in-law Sandy (Joe) Bingaman, and sons Phil (Tama), Keith (Virginia), Bob (Linda), Wayne (MaryAnn) and Kevin. He and Joyce enjoy 19 grandchildren, and 16 great grandchildren. Paul was preceded in death by his siblings and son Ric Kline.

Eickhoff Funeral Home in Mendon will host visitation from 10am until 12pm on Saturday, January 4, 2025. Funeral service will be held at West Mendon Community Church on Saturday, January 4, 2025 at 3 PM.  A memorial celebration of Paul’s life is planned to be held at Klines Resort the afternoon of May 3, 2025. More information will be available on the Klines Resort web site https://klinesresort.com/.

Those wishing to make a contribution in memory of Paul are invited to donate to the West Mendon Community Church, or the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy https://swmlc.org/, or just plant a tree