Reverend Joel John Hensel's Obituary
Rev. Joel John Hensel Joel Hensel died on January 15, 2018 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He was born in Liberty, WI on December 27, 1930 to Paul and Olga Hensel. He grew up in Manitowoc, WI where he graduated from high school, and was married in 1957 to Ruth Esther Brusco. He graduated from Concordia Lutheran Seminary in St. Louis, MO. In 1959, Pastor Hensel came to Marion Springs, MI where he served as minister at St. John's Lutheran church for 50 years. In addition, he also taught grades four through eight in the parochial two-room school, and wore many hats serving as teacher, custodian, grounds-keeper, choir master, and minister. He always enjoyed baseball, especially the St. Louis Cardinals, but he also quietly urged on the Detroit Tigers and the Boston Red Sox. In addition to being a great lover of dogs, antique cars were fascinating to him from childhood on. He could identify the make and model of almost any car from the 1930's, 40's, and 50's. Ford Model A's and late 40's Chryslers were favorites because they seamlessly fused practical functionality with elegant design. To the end, he reserved a very special spot in his heart for Studebakers. After retirement he focused on his musical interests. He spent countless hours at the keyboard of his Steinway piano pondering and improvising J.S. Bach's chorales, works of Beethoven, and many other composers. In 2006 he and Eleanor Christman Cox released a CD of his improvisations on hymns that follow the church year, woven together with J.S. Bach's six Cello Suites. His final opus was a collaboration with his life-long friend, Dr. Daniel Reuning, in compiling a hymnal containing all the hymns of Martin Luther and many by Martin Franzmann. The volume, Te Laudamus will be released later this year. Joel injected wit and humor wherever he went, always offering a tease or a play on words. With a vast vocabulary, he loved words and he relished the ceremony of writing them. His affinity for fine writing instruments, his elegant handwriting, and his love of Bach's chorales were his signature to the end. Joel was predeceased by his wife, Ruth, sister Agnes, and four brothers, Marcus, Paul, Rufus, and Daniel. He is survived by his brother Philemon Hensel of Manitowoc, WI (Esther). He was a tender father to six children, Beth Burnham of Mansfield, MA (David), Gretchen Hall of Franklin, MA (Philip), John of Highland Park, IL (Amy), David of Dallas, TX (Julie Van Haren), Hannah Hensel of Ann Arbor, MI, and Jason of Big Rapids, MI. He was known fondly as "Opa-duck" because he quacked like Donald Duck to his grandchildren: Katherine, Laura, Alexander, Eliza, and Joshua. He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews. Funeral service will be held on Sunday, February 25, 2018 at 10:00AM at St. James Lutheran Church, 901 Shawano Ave, Green Bay, WI 54303. The family will host visiting hours on Saturday, February 24, 2018 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. at 1814 Jefferson Street in Two Rivers, WI Interment will be in Marion Springs, MI, date to be announced. In lieu of flowers Memorials may be made to: Bach Collegium-Fort Wayne https://bachcollegium.org 202 W. Rudisill Blvd. Fort Wayne, IN 46807 The Protes'tant Conference http://protestantconference.org c/o Virginia Hinz, Treasurer N4392 French Rd. Freedom, WI 54913
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