George Ernsperger

George Charles Ernsperger, Sr.
September 18, 1934 – December 29, 2019

Niles - George Charles Ernsperger, age 85 of Niles, Michigan died peacefully at home on Sunday, December 29, 2019.

Dad was born on September 18, 1934 in South Bend, Indiana to Ruby and Elwood Ernsperger. He had an eighth-grade education and worked as a trash collector before he joined the Army. After the Army he held many different jobs before settling on being a truck driver. In 1998 At the age of 64 he retired from Holland Motor Freight and the local chapter of Teamsters. He and mom spent many of their retirement years traveling around the country, seeing some of the United States dad had traveled through during the years he spent as an OTR truck driver and of course spending winters in warmer climate.

On August 31, 1956 dad and mom got married at Saint Patrick Catholic Church in South Bend, Indiana, they celebrated a remarkable Sixty-one years of marriage in 2017. Sadly, he was preceded in death by many family members: Mom (Margie Ernsperger) in 2018, an infant daughter, Ann Elizabeth Ernsperger in 1956, both his parents (Elwood and Ruby), and all of his brothers and sisters: Donald (Jug), Beverly, Bonnie, Patsy, Roy Gene, and Ruth; all who preceded him in death.

George (and Margie) have three surviving children: George (& Carolyn) Ernsperger Jr of Niles, Susan (& Gary) Wright of South Bend, and Staci (& John) Hibbard II of Niles; and three grandsons, Jacob Ernsperger of Buchanan, Ian Ernsperger of Niles and Jeremy Wright of Ozark, Alabama. And of course, we cannot forget the man he thought of as his brother, Sidney (Bud) Edholm, Jr. (Linda) of Rome City, IN.

Dads life will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, January 3, 2020. The family will receive relatives and friends from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. on Thursday at the Halbritter-Wickens Funeral Home, 615 East Main Street in Niles. Burial will take place in Mission Hills Memorial Gardens at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, please feel free to make donation to Heartland Small animal rescue (as dad loved his two dogs, Maggie and Toby) http://www.heartlandsmallanimalrescue.org, Caring Circle Hospice at Home (dad really appreciated the way they took such great care of mom) http://www.lakelandhealth.org/caring-circle/caring-circle or Faith United Methodist Church of Buchanan (Jake and Rachel’s church who kindly performed dad’s services for us) Online condolences may be left at: www.halbritterwickens.com.