Obituary of Paul Cassel Kline – Sturgis Journal

Paul Cassel Kline, devoted husband, beloved father and respected local leader and humanitarian of Mendon Township, passed away peacefully among family at 5:00 PM on January 1, 2025 in Three Rivers, Michigan. 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 live nearby.

Born April 20, 1927 to Lester and Dorothy (Hale) Kline in Sturgis, Michigan, Paul was the third of four children. His childhood home had no indoor plumbing or electricity, and he once noted that at the time you could order almost anything from Montgomery Ward, but the catalog was most useful for the basic needs of the three-hole outhouse. 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 in Canada Corners (West Mendon), where one teacher taught grades 1 through 8 and he was the only student in the school was. his level. He graduated from Mendon High School and enlisted in the Army in 1946. Three months later he sailed to Korea, arriving in January. He drove a jeep for the army medical unit. When asked about his time in Korea, he simply replied: it was cold. He earned two medals and an honorable discharge, which allowed him to attend Michigan State University (MSU) thanks to the GI Bill. Paul was an excellent student and graduated in 1952 with a degree in agricultural engineering. He continued to learn throughout his life and became a licensed electrician and a licensed drinking water and wastewater treatment system operator.

Paul applied his knowledge at Maple Shade Farms (currently managed by son Robert) and earned multiple awards thanks to Paul's dedication to soil, water and forest conservation. Paul was one of the first in the region to install advanced irrigation systems, use improved seeds, adopt low-till cropping systems, trial new crop rotations and plant forested wind erosion control. He kept bees to improve cucumber production and produced the best honey, Joyce always said. Paul trained 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 parlor in the area, which was tragically lost to fire shortly after its inception. Paul taught his children to persevere and strive to overcome challenges by allowing them to work with him. A u-pick strawberry patch was their college fund. Together they planted thousands of trees, adopted sustainable forest management practices, and established conservation easements in wetlands and forest habitats.

Paul was a visionary who loved the outdoors and considered farm work a blessing. Paul continually borrowed and reinvested to improve efficiency and expand farm operations, renting nearby farmlands and then purchasing them when possible. Under his leadership, Maple Shade Farms grew from the original 100-acre home farm to more than 1,200 irrigated acres. One of the farms rented and later purchased was on Portage Lake, south of Vicksburg. Recognizing the value of the location, Paul and Joyce designed and developed the Klines Resort retirement community over time and in phases. The resort now accommodates up to 245 families and is known for its good management, now led by son Phillip and his family.

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

Perhaps Paul loved farm work because it was how he met the love of his life. He met Joyce one summer in the pickle patch. On Christmas Day 1952, he took her in the truck for a ride through the woods on her father's farm and proposed to her. They were married on February 5, 1954 in Mendon. That forest was later donated and is known as the Kiwanis Forest. Together, Paul and Joyce grew more than cattle, 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 part of the annual Christmas reunions.

Paul believed that he should demonstrate his faith by his actions. His kindness was legendary. He was not a great talker, but taught his children on the job and by example. He taught his eight children the virtue of hard work and involved the family in an extraordinary variety of projects, both on and off the farm. He taught the children business management; running the summer store at Portage Lake; maintenance of boats, engines and agricultural machinery; surveying; installing roads, sidewalks, water, sewer and electrical services; and LOTS of concrete forming, pouring and finishing. Paul's children agreed that Dad taught us to work hard and that he was always honest and sincere. He believed in peace, human rights and selfless love.

Paul always had a notebook and a pencil in his shirt pocket to keep lists and make calculations. At the request of a granddaughter, he shared guidelines that include the following: Live by the Golden Rule: Love others and treat them as you would want to be treated; Enjoy music and nature; Be patient, kind, not angry and quick to forgive; and know that work is a blessing, so take pride in your work and do your best in everything 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 have 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 on Saturday, January 4, 2025 from 10 a.m. to noon. The funeral service will be held at West Mendon Community Church on Saturday, January 4, 2025 at 3:00 PM. A memorial celebration of Paul's life is planned at the Klines Resort on the afternoon of May 3, 2025. More information will be available on the Klines Resort website. https://klinesresort.com/.

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