Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Kistner, Carmen Wingeier June 14, 2017
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Pat Currigan currigan1932@comcast.net July 15, 2020, 5:51 pm

Ionia Sentinel Standard-Sat. July 29, 2017

CARMEN WINGEIER KISTNER
Carmen Wingeier Kistner, a longtime public school educator at Dondero high 
School, in Royal Oak,Michigan, passed away in Largo, Florida on June 14, 2017 at 
the age of 92.

Carmen received her Bachelor of Science degree from Western Michigan University 
and, more notably, met her soul-mate, Kenneth Kistner. Together they governed as 
Class President and Secretary, forming a bond that would stand the tests of 
time.

In 1955, Carmen began as an educator in Royal Oak and, after two years of 
teaching business, was asked to become the Department Head, overseeing 13 other 
teachers. Her "Model Office" was the first of its kind back then and served as a 
benchmark for those who followed.

Carmen oversaw her department with great pride. Around 1960, she was the head of 
a large project with the Royal Oak Postmaster, which involved the education and 
development of what we now know as Zip Codes. She became known for her 
innovative style and unique teaching philosophy. Her respect and admiration from 
colleagues, students and administration earned her the fond moniker as the Iron 
Duchess for holding such high expectations for everything and everyone.

Carmen had a creativity and inventiveness all her own. As a senior in high 
school she canned what was known as "emergency meal" consisting of jars of food 
from the farm she grew up on, such as pork chops, tomatoes, green beans and her 
specialty, peach Bavarian creme. The idea for a meal that could be made in 
minute was quite a feat back in the late 1930s. Her exhibit tool first place at 
the Detroit State Fair and later won first place at the National 4-H Club 
Congress in Chicago.

In 1971 her knitting projects won her first place at the Ionia county Fair and 
Detroit State fair, which led to the very coveted Golden Award-presented to the 
best exhibit in each category.

In 1984, after 29 years in the field of education, carmen retired and moved with 
her husband, Ken, to Florida. And once again, she became involved with the 
United States Postal Service, this time as a postal clerk, where she worked 
until the early 2000s.

In 1995, she again entered college to take a computer class in order to stay up 
to date with her skills. At 70, she was the oldest in her class and still had 
that quest for knowledge. "Tis education that forms the common mind. As the tree 
is bent so the tree's inclined."

Carmen and Ken enjoyed over 60 years of marriage.

Today, Carmen's survivors include her three sisters, Ardith Westie, her twin 
Janice Bussard and Carol Harder (Christian). Her immediate family includes 
daughter,, Kristine Kistner Kunzi (Richard); and son, Kenneth Karl Kistner II 
(Shona); along with eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

She was pre-deceased by her husband, Kenneth Karl Kistner; daughter, Kerrin 
Kistner (Bulkley) Bickley; and grandchild, Christopher David Bulkley.

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/ionia/obits/k/kistner37737nob.txt

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