Michelle Elizabeth (Ende) Stimmel, 45, passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, June 19, 2024 at her home in Bowling Green, Ohio. She was born in Grand Rapids, MI on May 1, 1979, and was the youngest daughter of Dennis D. Ende and Marilyn (Kozal) Ende.
Michelle graduated from Grand Rapids Catholic Central High School in 1997, and studied Business at the University of Arizona, where she graduated magna cum laude. In 2007, she married the love of her life, Matthew Earl Stimmel. In addition to working as a retail manager for JC Penney, she and her husband worked as emergency supply drivers and firefighters for the US Forestry Service on Mt. Lemmon in Arizona, and later worked as rural letter carriers for the US Postal Service. She was instrumental in the establishment of Stimmel’s Market where she worked for many years.
Michelle was a kind, smart, fun, generous, and adventuresome woman who was deeply loved by her family. She never forgot a birthday and loved surprising her friends and family with thoughtful gifts, especially her nieces and nephews. She formed many close friendships and will be deeply missed by everyone who knew her.
Michelle was preceded in death by her grandparents, Dennis and Ruth Ende, and Max and Mary Ann Kozal; her cousin, Jimmy Kozal; her uncle, James D. Kozal; her aunt, Donna Ende; and her beloved Kerouac, an Arctic wolf and Siberian husky mix which she and Matt rescued as a pup and raised.
Michelle will be lovingly remembered by her husband; her parents; her parents-in law Melvin and Patricia Stimmel; her sisters, Melissa (Dave) Andrews, Melanie (Jim) Kramer, and Mary (Jared) Ritsema; her brother, Dennis M. Ende; her brothers-in-law, Melvin and Bill Stimmel; sisters-in-law, Elizabeth (Bob) Sheroian and Heidi Chase; her nieces, Marley (Bryan) Spiegelhoff, Aubrey (Logan) Forist, Mariah Pearl Ritsema, Ashley (Frankie) Concord, Alissa and Amy Chase, and Olivia Block; her nephews, Jesse and Justin Andrews, Chase Kramer, Michael Dunlap (Sarah Beulla), Patrick, Jacob, and Chase Stimmel; her great niece, Hayden Louise Dunlap, her aunts, Jacqueline and Kristine Kozal, as well as many cousins and dear friends.
A memorial Mass will be celebrated at the Basilica of St. Adalbert, 654 Davis Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, June 28, with visitation at the church starting at 10:00 a.m. Interment will be in Holy Cross Cemetery. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Dunn Funeral Home in Bowling Green.
Those wishing to make memorial contributions are requested to consider the needs of the family.
