Gerald Detweiler Cassel, age 82, died peacefully at Green Acres in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, on February 2, 2017, surrounded by his loving family.

Gerald was born on July 22, 1934, in Sellersville, Pennsylvania, the third of four children born to Mahlon H. and Elsie (Detweiler) Cassel. He attended Eastern Mennonite College in Harrisonburg, Virginia. His first evening on campus he attended a “Get Acquainted” function, where he met Shirley Bontrager, of Midland, Michigan. As Shirley’s mother sent her youngest child off to school, she told her “Don’t marry the first man you meet”. Shirley didn’t hear the “Don’t”, and on August 14, 1954, Gerald and Shirley married at the Herrick Mennonite Church in Clare, Michigan, with her father, Reverend Floyd Bontrager officiating.

The young couple lived in Lansdale, PA, for the first year of their married life, where their son, Jerry Lee was born. Gerald then moved his family to Michigan, settling in Mount Pleasant, where they remained until his death.

As his family grew to four children, Gerald worked long hours, graduating from college with an Accounting Degree, passing the CPA exam and starting his long career in Public Accounting. He worked for Ron Nettle in Mt Pleasant, eventually becoming a partner, then joined Harry Sullivan and Jerry Page in the partnership Sullivan, Page, and Cassel, which later became Page, Cassel & Olson. In 1977, Gerald left Public Accounting to work for the Fisher Corporation based in Mt. Pleasant.

Gerald was active in the Mt. Pleasant Community, serving on the Mt Pleasant City Commission and serving a term as Mayor. He served many years on the Isabella Bank Board of Directors in different capacities, including Chairman of the Board.

Gerald was a dedicated family man, living his life in service to God and teaching his children to do the same. He was a faithful member of Herrick Mennonite Church in Clare, until it closed its doors in the mid-60’s. Gerald and Shirley then attended Midland Mennonite Church until 1975, when they joined a church across the street from their home, the First Presbyterian Church in Mt. Pleasant. During their retirement years, they also attended the Zion United Church of Christ in Brutus, Michigan.

Gerald loved spending time at their summer home in Brutus, MI, building decks and gardens, then expanding a network of trails for his grandchildren. All of his grandchildren learned how to drive a manual transmission in his 1953 Willy Jeep. At age 44, he bought a sailboat and taught himself to sail, harboring in Harbor Springs, but also taking trips with Shirley around the Great Lakes. When he sold the sailboat, Gerald bought an ownership in a single-engine Cessna and learned to fly. He sold the plane in 1999, and expanded his home in Brutus.

Gerald is survived by his wife of 62 years, Shirley Marilyn (Bontrager) Cassel; one son, Jerry Lee (Diane) of Plano, TX; two daughters, Judy Lynn (Kimber) DeWitt and Pamela Hope (Bill) Myler of Mt Pleasant, MI and a daughter, Carmen Jolene (Jeff) Wilkins of Hornell, NY.

He is survived by thirteen grandchildren, Austin (Natalie) Cassel of Addison, TX, Jeremy and Zachary Dill of Plano, TX, Heather (Steve) Asiala of Glasgow, Scotland, Erin (Matt) Riley of Broomfield, CO, Kevin (Abbie) DeWitt, of Mt. Pleasant, MI, Jeffrey DeWitt of Los Angeles, CA, Sara (Ben) Brown of Oxford, MI, Billy, Bennett and Mitchell Myler of Mt. Pleasant, MI, Maxwell and Aubrey Wilkins of Hornell, NY; one great-grandchild, Callum Brown and another great-grandson on the way. He is survived by a sister, Janet (Fred) Gane of Telford, PA; sister-in-law, Wilma Bontrager; brothers-in-law, Roger (Joyce) Bontrager of Owosso, MI, and Marvin (Karen) Bontrager of Okemos, MI; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother and sister-in-law, Mahlon E. and Elizabeth Cassel; sister and brother-in-law, Doris and Alton Parmer; and brother-in-law, Lyle Bontrager.

The family wishes to thank the dedicated staff at Green Acres for their devotion to our husband and father in his final days.

Funeral Services for Gerald will be held at First Presbyterian Church on Saturday, February 11, at 11:30 a.m. with Rev. Andrew Miller officiating. A Luncheon will follow at the church. The family will receive friends at Clark Family Funeral Chapel on Friday, February 10, from 2 to 8 p.m. Visitation will continue at the church the day of the service from 10:30 a.m. until the time of the service. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the First Presbyterian Church Organ Fund. Envelopes will be available at the funeral chapel and First Presbyterian Church.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Gerald Detweiler "Jerry" Cassel, please visit our Heartfelt Sympathies Store.