Garold E. Grossnickle

Garold E. Grossnickle passed away peacefully with his family on June 12, 2026.

Garold was born on April 26, 1924 at Memorial Hospital in South Bend, IN. His mother had traveled by train with her two young children from Marilla, Michigan to stay with her sister for a short time. Garold grew up on a beautiful 240-acre farm in Marilla with his loving father and mother, Sharon and Esther Grossnickle, his brother Levon and four sisters, Edna Rae, Virginia, Mary Esther and Rachel. Many of his well-loved nieces and nephews still reside nearby. His grandfather, Hezekiah Grossnickle helped found the Marilla Church of the Brethren where Garold went to Sunday School and was baptized in the Manistee River. He walked to his two room schoolhouse in grades one through eight and graduated from Mesick High School where he lettered in four sports - football, basketball, baseball and track.

After serving in WWII, Garold met and married the love of his life Marion Coleman. They were married in East Lansing, Michigan in 1949 and Garold was confirmed in The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. They were married for seventy-one years and have three children, Linda (John) Reid, Christine Grossnickle and Paul (Michelle) Grossnickle who were Baptized and Confirmed and Married at Emmaus and all graduated from Valparaiso University debt-free which was a goal of Garold’s.

Garold was an Elder at Emmaus for twenty-five years, a Sunday School teacher at Emmaus for twenty-five years, and the Registrar for Vacation Bible School for many summers. Garold was Captain of the Emmaus Softball Team, on the Emmaus Bowling Team with great friends, and chartered a Euchre Club with other couples from Emmaus that played together for almost fifty years.

He loved singing and worshipping with all of the caring congregations throughout the years. His children grew up watching their father reading the Bible, saying beautiful prayers, treating everyone with Kindness and Wisdom, and loving and serving our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

He graduated from Michigan State College with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agriculture and Applied Science and from Michigan State University with a Masters in Business Administration. He was employed by The Bendix Corporation as an Engineer where he holds patents on train brakes and plane landing gear. He went on to be the District Manager of Equitable Life Assurance where he helped many people plan for their future.

Garold enjoyed his four grandchildren, Hannah (Michael) McCarthy, Sam Grossnickle, Cora (Will) Bennet and Jacob (Ashley) Grossnickle. He especially enjoyed visiting with his three great-granddaughters, Maddie, Betty and Mallory and two great-grandsons, James and Calvin.

God blessed Garold with a Joyful Mind, an Unwavering Faith and a Heart of Gold. Garold was admired and respected by family, friends and business associates. He was known for his kindness, fairness and leadership. But it was truly the Love of God shining through him to all that made him a most outstanding man.

Services for Garold will be held Friday, June 19, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at Emmaus Lutheran Church, 929 E. Milton Street, South Bend, IN. Friends may visit with the family beginning at 1:00 p.m. Burial will follow at Southlawn Cemetery, South Bend, IN with military honors. Palmer Funeral Home-Guisinger Chapel is honored to assist the family with the arrangements.

Contributions in honor of the memory of Garold can be made to Paralyzed Veteran’s of America, 1875 Eye St. NW Suite 1100, Washington DC 20006 and Pet Refuge, 4626 S. Burnett Drive, South Bend, IN 46614. Online condolences may be offered at www.palmerfuneralhomes.com.

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