Paul J. Hallstedt
Died July 1, 2017
TRAVERSE CITY – Paul Junior Hallstedt (aka
Papa), 87, of Traverse City and formally of Northport, died in his sleep on
July 1, 2017, after a joy-filled and generous life which impacted his family
deeply and his community on a very personal level. He had strong hands and a big heart which he
used to help family and friends, as well as strangers, on an equal basis. His strong hands came from scooping ice
cream, electrical work, working the land and 37 years as a locomotive
engineer. He loved working in the garden
with Berniece and helping his cousins with both the cherry and corn
harvests. Additionally, he and his wife
developed and operated Woodchip Campground in Byron Center, MI, for many years
through which they were able to provide assistance to many people and build
numerous lifelong friendships. He could
fix anything, including broken hears, and utilized his knowledge and skills to
help anyone in need. His heart pumped out
tunes on a trumpet for the United States Navy in the 1940’s, a talent that he
carried forward in which to service the community. Paul lived hard, loved hard, worked hard, and
played hard.
He welcomed everyone with a hug,
but was most in tune with his wife of 64 years and lifelong companion,
Berniece. They grew up together as children,
married, raised two children, and traveled extensively after their
retirement. He was known by his
grandchildren as a teacher of fishing, a lover of sailing, and a pilot of his
own airplane. Paul was proud of his
Swedish heritage and to the delight of his grandchildren, made the best “Swedish
Pancakes” this side of the Stockholm.
Paul's faith in Christ was strong, and he modeled his faith through
numerous church memberships. Although
most recently he was a member of the Northport Covenant Church, he still had
room in his heart to volunteer at the annual St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church
chicken dinner and volunteering at the Zionsville Presbyterian Great Banquet. His last 15 years were spent living in
Northport, enjoying the summer harvest of fruits and vegetables as well as the
clear white winter landscapers. He and
Berniece recently moved to Traverse City, touching the lives of their new
neighbors and staff at Traverse Manor.
Special thanks to the Hospice team at Munson Home Hospice for their care
and assistance to Paul and the family.
Paul is survived by his wife,
Berniece; his children, Debbie (Steve) Zinger and Phil (Sarah) Hallstedt; five
grandchildren, Luke (Crystal) Zinger, Melanie (Josh) Dahlman, Erika (John Baez)
Hallstedt, Becca Hallstedt, and Nick Hallstedt; his brother, Fred Hallstedt;
sister-in-law, Vivian (Bob) Bostwick; and several nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held on Friday,
July 7 from 12 noon until the start of the 2 p.m. funeral service at Northport
Covenant Church. Burial will follow at
Leelanau Township Cemetery.
Memorials may be directed to Munson Hospice, 1105 Sixth Street, Traverse City, MI 49684.
Memorials may be directed to Munson Hospice, 1105 Sixth Street, Traverse City, MI 49684.
Please share condolences and
memories with the Hallstedt family at www.martinson.info or on our Facebook page.
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