WLKM Radio 95.9 FM
Garrett Wenning, 93, of Sturgis, passed away early Monday afternoon, Jan. 24, 2011, at Thurston Woods Village in Sturgis.
He was born Aug. 4, 1917, in Workum Friesland, Netherlands, a son of the late Bernard and Ida (Ketelaar) Wenning.
Mr. Wenning had resided in Sturgis since 1986, coming from Kalamazoo.
On May 14, 1949, he married Agnes Westrick at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Kalamazoo.
He retired in 1979 from the Kalamazoo State Hospital following 27 ½ years of dedicated employment as a nursing supervisor.
Mr. Wenning was a veteran of the U.S. Army serving in the European Operations earning the rank of Technical Sergeant. He enjoyed gardening and fishing. Mr. Wenning had made over 16,000 rosaries donating all of them to missions. Praying the Rosary was a very important part of the Wenning’s life and they truly believed that the family that prays together stays together.
He is survived by his loving and dedicated wife of 61 years, Agnes; two daughters, Edith Bott of Daytona Beach Fla., and Mary Ann (Larry) Carpenter of Sturgis; one son, Joseph Wenning of Batesburg, S.C.; eight grandchildren, Robert, Amanda, Jennifer, Michael, Garrett, Heather, Traci, Tammy and Brooke; and 18 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents and two sisters, Elizabeth Haas and Jeanette Stirner.
The family will receive friends from 3-7 p.m. today at the Hackman Family Funeral Homes – Hackman Chapel,
114 S. Nottawa St., Sturgis, where the Rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. today. The Funeral Mass celebrating the life of Garrett Wenning will begin at 11 a.m. Thursday at Holy Angels Catholic Church in Sturgis. The Rev. Father Mark Vyverman of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Three Rivers and the Rev. Father German Perez-Diaz of Holy Angels Catholic Church in Sturgis will officiate. A graveside committal will take place at 2:30 p.m. Thursday at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Kalamazoo where full military rites will be conferred by the U.S. Army Honor Guard.
The family suggests those wishing to make a memorial donation in Mr. Wenning’s memory consider the Holy Angels Catholic Church, 402 S. Nottawa St., Sturgis, MI 49091.
The obituary is also at www.hackmanfamilyfuneralhome.com where personal messages of support may be left for the family.
