Lenawee County MI Archives Obituaries.....Piotter, Reinhold A (Duke) June 23, 1972
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Patricia Wisney booklady@sensible-net.com February 17, 2009, 11:58 pm

Adrian Daily Telegram, June 24, 1972
MAYOR PIOTTER DIES AT AGE 61 - ADRIAN DAILY TELEGRAM - Sat.. June 24, 1972

Reinhold A. (Duke) Piotter, 61, mayor of Adrian since June, 1968, died at 5:20 
p.m. Friday, June 23, 1972, at Bixby Hospital after a long illness.  Mr. 
Piotter, who was re-elected to head the city government last November, began 
to feel ill early this year and first entered St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann 
Arbor for tests in late February.  He underwent surgery on Feb. 23. He 
returned again in May for additional surgery.  His stay was a long one as 
doctors attempted to treat his cancerous condition, but he came home June 5 
and remained at the family home at 337 Anthony Court until a few days ago when 
he again returned to the hospital.

NATIVE OF DEERFIELD
Mr. Piotter was born July 19, 1911, in Deerfield, the son of Herman A. and 
Anna Piotter.  He was still a small boy when the family moved to Blissfield, 
where Mr. Piotter attended the public schools.  Because of the death of his 
father, Mr. Piotter found it necessary to go to work to help support the 
family.  He regretted the fact that he did not graduate from high school, but 
he was such an apt pupil of Blissfield food merchants Charles E. Newcomb and 
Rex Crist that he learned all phases of the business, an experience which 
stood him well in business and other public service enterprises during his 
lifetime.  For some time Mr. Piotter operated his own food store in 
Blissfield.  He then spent a year as a salesman for the G. M. Peet Packing Co. 
and then for four years managed the former Boston Market on North Winter 
Street, Adrian.  

In 1937 Mr. Piotter and his wife, the former Helen Kinzel of Adrian, took over 
a grocery store operation at the corner of South Center and East Beecher 
Streets.  They continued the business until 1964.

A FRIENDLY STORE
"Duke's Market" at the latter location had a virtual ""country store" 
atmosphere, and his many customers enjoyed going there not only because Duke 
offered them good merchandise at competitive prices in the store which by then 
was vastly expanded, but because they could always expect a friendly 
greeting.  

Mr. Piotter's natural capacity to make friends was evident even as a boy, and 
he was a regular player in the scrub football games which Blissfield boys used 
to work up at Ellis Playground.  As a young man he developed the habit of 
making sure that the customer was completely satisfied, not only with their 
purchases but he always had something pleasant and cheering to say to them.  
Madison Post

His first public service was in 1945 when be was elected to the Madison 
Township school board. He served three years, including one as president. 

In 1959 he was elected to the Adrian city commission and was in his third term 
when he was appointed mayor. He was a member of the county board of 
supervisors, but resigned when he became mayor. Mr. Piotter also was a former 
member of the city planning commission.  In other business enterprises he 
owned and operated the Poll Gladiola Farm on U.S. 223, and owned and operated 
a farm on West Beecher road.

BECAME REALTOR
In 1962 he went into the real estate field and eventually became a broker. He 
was associated with the James Close realty office for some time, and in May, 
1970, became office manager of the Rex Glover agency. He was a member of the 
Lenawee County Board of Realtors,Other affiliations included two terms as a 
member of the board of Goodwill Industries, aided the Big Brother movement, 
was president of the Boy Scout Council of St. Mary's Church, was past 
president of the Holy Name Society of the Church, a - member of the Knights of 
Columbus; the Dad's Club of Catholic Central High School, the Usher's Club of 
the church, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, and the Elks, Moose and Rotary 
organizations.

SERVED STATE GROUP
Mayor Piotter was recognized by fellow mayors as a capable man, and he was 
assigned to committees of the Michigan Municipal League.  He eventually became 
vice chairman and chairman of the Municipal League, District Two.  He regarded 
his duties as Adrian mayor both as a public executive and as a "figurehead" in 
which capacity he willingly officiated at public and business events.

Members of the city commission recall the great joy and satisfaction Mr. 
Piotter had when the new city hall, a project he strongly favored, opened last 
year.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by four children, Mrs. William 
(Patricia) Wisney of Adrian, Jack Piotter of East Lansing, James Piotter of 
Lansing; and David Kevin, a student at Northern Michigan University at 
Marquette. There are ten grandchildren; his mother, Mrs. Anna Piotter of 
Blissfield, a brother, Harold, and a sister, Miss Mildred Piotter of 
Blissfield, and another sister, Mrs. Henry (Leona) Ballard of Adrian.

FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS
The body is at the Dunmore Funeral Home. The Knights of Columbus will recite 
the rosary at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, and the parish rosary will be at 8 p.m. Sunday.

The funeral Mass will be at11 a.m. Monday at Lumen Chapel, Siena Heights 
College.  Burial will be in St. Joseph Cemetery.  

Friends may call at the funeral home after 7 o'clock tonight. 

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