Forest Kremer

Forest C. Kremer age 89 of Bannister, Michigan died Monday, October 1, 2007 at Memorial Healthcare Center, Owosso, Michigan.

Forest was born February 4, 1918 in Bannister, Michigan, the son of George F. and Anna Marie (Koch) Kremer. He was a life-long resident, milk hauler and farmer of Chapin Township, Saginaw County.

In 1935 at the age of seventeen, he worked for Judd Somers. The following year, he started hauling milk for Millard McCreary of Ovid. Forest purchased a milk route in 1938 and was a self-employed milk hauler for twenty-seven years, resulting in a total of thirty years of service from 1936-1965, in the Elsie-Ovid area.

Forest was drafted into the army at Detroit, MI on November 24, 1942. He was sent to Fort Custer in Battle Creek, MI; then to Camp Haun for training on the Mojave Desert. Forest went to Ordinance School in Orlando, FL and finished his training in Camp Stewart, Georgia. He and the advanced guard moved the army equipment from Georgia to California by train. He was shipped out of San Francisco to New Guinea on a small Liberty boat which took twenty-eight days to arrive to their destination. Lingayen Gulf, in the Philippines, was the last invasion of the South Pacific War. The war ended after the bombing of Hiroshima, Japan. Forest then returned to San Francisco, California and ate his 1945 Christmas dinner under the Golden Gate Bridge. He was discharged at Fort Sheridan, Illinois, January 6, 1946. He served his country for three and a half years in the Pacific Area Army during World War II in the Searchlight Battalion as a T/4 Sergeant, Heavy Duty Truck Driver, Mechanic and later as a Motor Pool Sergeant.

After returning from the Pacific Theatre, Forest continued with his milk route. He hauled milk seven days a week, lifting and carrying 70 to 120 cans of milk weighing 50 to 120 pounds unto his truck and unloading at the milk plant.

On March 2, 1946 Forest married Dorothy K. Williams. He is survived by Dorothy and their four children; Howard & Linda Kremer of Coleman, MI, Larry Kremer of Elsie, MI, Bonnie & Dr. Walter Crowson of Bingham Farms, MI. and Brenda & Gregg Denton of Plymouth, MI, 2 grandchildren Tamara Kremer Jousset of Indianapolis, IN and Theodore Kremer of Pottersville, MI 1 great granddaughter Joelle Lilly Jousett, step great grandson Sean Murphy Collon, 1 sister Shirley Evans of Ashley, MI and many friends and neighbors. He was predeceased by 5 brothers Laurence, Marcus, Jacob, Edward, and George, and 2 sisters Ursulien and Leafy.

Forest enjoyed hunting and fishing. He enjoyed working his farm and had great pride in it. Forest was a member of the Michigan Farm Bureau, Michigan Milk Producers Association and the VFW Post #8964 in Ovid, MI.

Funeral Services will be held on Friday, October 5, 2007 at 11:00 A.M. at Smith Family Funeral Homes, Elsie Chapel. Pastor Ed Snook will officiate with burial at Riverside Cemetery, Elsie, MI. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, October 3, 2007 from 6-8 P.M. and on Thursday, October 4, 2007 from 2-8 P.M. with family present from 2-4 & 6-8 P.M.

Memorials may be made to the VFW Post #8964, Ovid, MI or to the American Cancer Society. The family is being served by Smith Family Funeral Homes, Elsie Chapel.

Read Forest Kremer's Obituary and Guestbook on smithfamilyfuneralhomes.com.