Calhoun County MI Archives Obituaries.....Toeller, George W. September 1974 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Robin Ellis -- July 22, 2007, 10:21 pm Battle Creek Enquirer Sept. 14, 1974 George W. Toeller, 79, senior member of the Calhoun County Board of Commissioners and long-time Battle Creek businessman, died Saturday at his home after a two months illness. A funeral Mass will be held at 11 a. m. Tuesday at St. Phillip Catholic Church. A Roary will be held at 8:15 p. m. Mondat at Richard A. Henry Funeral Home. Jeffrey Albaugh, county board chairman, said a decision had been reached prior to Toeller's death that the new Human Services building in Battle Creek would be named the George W. Toeller-Calhoun County Human Services Building. The board will adjourn its Tuesday meeting to permit members to attend the funeral and Albaugh said he also is considering closing the county Tuesday in respect to Toeller. Toeller, of 105 Chestnut St., represented the 7th District as a Democrat on the County Board. The District includes the Freemont and Verona School neighborhoods of Battle Creek. He was not seeking re-election and his term expires Dec. 31. Toeller was a county board member since 1956 and had been its chairman three times. He was instrumental in establishing offices in Battle Creek. His father, the late John C. Toeller, founded the former Toeller Department Store in 1912, and the son later became owner of the property, which was sold in 1971 to the L. W. Robinson Co. for the store's annex. "All connected with the county government are going to miss George Toeller very much," said Albaugh. "His many years of involvement at the county level have provided a waelth of information and knowledge to the county commission." "This is one of the saddest moments of my life," said Clerk-Register Marcus J. Gray, "George was one of the kindest persons I ever encountered in my life, both public and private." While Toeller was board chairman, "the county achieved much and began the kind of govermental cooperation we building on now." Gray said. "He was a fine gentleman and a great old guy," said Bess Jordan, Democratic commissioner from the 1st District. "He was a lovely person and aman who will be missed greatly." Toeller was an appionted representative of the city on the former county board of supervisors. He was chairman in 1962-63 and had served on all the board's committees. During the same period, he was a member of the Battle Creek Board of Review. When the county body became the elective board of commissioners in 1968, Toeller defeated John C. Smith, Kellogg Community College instructor and now chairman of the county Democartic party. Only a few weeks later, even before they were installed, newly elected commissioner decided to name Toeller their chairman. He was again the unanimous choice for the chairman of the 1970 term. An addition to the county juvenille home was completed and dedicated during his first years as chairman. While his chairmanship was wrested fromhim in 1971 by Joseph P. Romanchuk of Albion, Toeller remained strong in his district and in 1972 received the largestvote for a two-year term of any of the 26 candidates on the ballot for the county board. He defeated railraod fireman Adam Longstreth. He was a member of the Michigan Association of Counties and George A. Custer Post 54 and the American Legion and been active in the Battle Creek Area Chamber of Commerce and the Michigan United Conservation Clubs. Born in LaCrosse, Wis., he came to Battle Creek as a young man and his father purchased the Hoffmaster Dry Goods Store at what is now 17 W. Michigan Ave., the Robinson Annex. The late Joseph C. Grant was a partner of the elder Toeller for six years. Toeller graduated form Central High School and the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennslyvania. He served with U. S. Army Ambulance Corps. during World War 1 and in 1918 was married to the former Genevieve H. Haines. She died in 1957. Toeller returned to Battle Creek after the war to go into business with his father and became president. The business was sold in the early 1920's, but the family retained ownership on the building until 1971. Toeller then worked for a department store in Washington, PA., moved to Ford Du Lac, Wis., where he purchased his own store, then returned to Battle Creek, for two years to become sales manager of the Zulu Toy Mfg. Co. He again left Battle Creek to become associated for four years with the United Business Publishers in New York City, then beagn a long association with Butler Bros., a general merchandise distributor. He was a salesman in Maine, then district sale manager for New England states, then sales manager in the Chicago headquaters of the firm. After the death of father in 1946, Toeller returned to Battle Creek to manage the estate. In 1962, what had become the Grand Leader Department Store on his father's property was named the George W. Toeller Co. Toeller was called on to help in store improvements. Toeller was president and general manager form 1948-1950 of the Battle Creek Food Co. which had been founded in 1908 by Dr. John Harvey Kellogg. He also was a director of the Battle Creek Sanitarium for several years during that period. His only son John D., died in 1951. Surviving are grandchildren, David G. Toeller of Hale and Mrs. Ed (Deidre A.) Kosak of Grand Rapids, and a brother Franz J. Toeller of 236 Dogwood Trail. Additional Comments: Buried in Memorial Park Cemetery, Battle Creek, MI Section VB, Lot 20, Grave 8 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/calhoun/obits/t/toeller58ob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/mifiles/ File size: 6.0 Kb