John BARTELS

13 FEB 1956 - 13 JUL 2015

• BIRTH: 13 FEB 1956, Harvey, Cook, Illinois, USA
• DEATH: 13 JUL 2015, Vandalia, Cass, Michigan

INDEX

[N13009] John Bartels
Feb. 13, 1956 - July 13, 2015
VANDALIA - John J Bartels, 59, of Vandalia, passed away peacefully with family and friends by his side on Monday, July 13, 2015, in Kalamazoo, Michigan. John was born Feb. 13, 1956, in Harvey, Illinois, the son of Henry & Esther (Federowski) Bartels. He was preceded in death by his father, Henry. John was a veteran of the United States Navy, having served for over 20 years. He had toured in Desert Storm. He enjoyed helping and training his fellow servicemen. John enjoyed being outdoors and was an active hunter and steward of the land. Prior to John's service career, he had been competitive in numerous logging events in the Great Lakes Region, such as axe throwing, high performance chain sawing and timed log chopping. Since a young age, John was an avid motorcycle enthusiast, even competing at Redbud. He enjoyed touring and had participated in Sturgis several times and rode to Alaska solo. John will be greatly missed by his family and friends. He is survived by his mother, Esther Bar-tels; brother, Larry Bar-tels; sisters: Mary (Mical) Dutson, Jean Ann Bartels; niece, Amanda Bartels; also all extended relatives. Family and friends may gather on Saturday, July 18, 2015f from 10:00 A.M. to 12 Noon at Connelly Chapel Wagner Family Funerals, 202 North Broadway Street, Cassopolis, Michigan 49031. The funeral will follow the visitation at 12 noon, also at Connelly Chapel Wagner Family Funerals, Cassopolis, Michigan. The Reverend Donald G Potts will be officiating. Cremation will follow after the funeral, and the cremains will be laid to rest at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made to: The American Cancer Society , online at: www.donate.cancer.org, or mailed to: American Cancer Society , P.O. Box 22718, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73123-1718. Arrangements have been entrusted to Connelly Chapel Wagner Family Funerals, Casso-polis. Please share a memory or a message online: wagnercares.com. Published in South Bend Tribune on July 15, 2015