John S. Guettler

John S. Guettler, 96, of Bay City, went to be with his Savior while sleeping peacefully at his home. He passed, following a brief illness, on Saturday morning, August 16, surrounded by family.

John was born on January 7, 1929, to the late Robert and Caroline (Reichard) Guettler in Freeland, Michigan, and raised in Bay City. He attended St. John's Lutheran School and Central High School.

After two years in the U.S. Army and serving in Korea, he married Dolores Schmidt on May 23, 1953, at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Bay City. God blessed them with 72 years of marriage. They enjoyed many happy years socializing and playing cards with family and friends. Weekly polka dances were something they always looked forward to. They were very involved at the LFA Hall, where they volunteered regularly.

John was very involved in his church, Trinity Ev. Lutheran Church, Bay City, holding numerous offices over the years and providing his homemade wine for the Lord's Supper. He was very supportive of the mission of the church.

He enjoyed spending time in his garden, where he and Dolores raised vegetables, fruit trees, and grapes for the wine, all of which were enjoyed by many.

Before and after his time in the military, he worked for Kirchman Brothers and Commercial Kitchen Service, installing and servicing commercial kitchen equipment. In time he became the owner of CKS and developed an amazing business, providing good-paying jobs for many workers over the years. He had a strong work ethic, and "retirement" was not in his vocabulary. He worked every day until he was hospitalized this past December. Thank you to those who worked for him, including his wife and three of their children.

He was an avid fan of the Tigers and the Lions, watching every game he could and sometimes taking the whole family to watch the games. He spent many weekends fishing on the Saginaw Bay. His fish fry’s were enjoyed by many.

A special thank you to the women who served as his caregivers these past few months:

Carry, Heather, Dianna, Diana, Julianne, and Briettany. Your kindness and compassion were so appreciated by John and his family. We are forever grateful. Thank you also to the nurses at McLaren for their dedication to his care.

Besides his wife Dolores, John is survived by four children, & 8 grandchildren, and 6 great-grandchildren: Lynne Irving (Bill Koch) and her children, Christopher and Jana Irving; Gary (Brenda) Guettler, their daughter Kaylyn (Derek) Dimaya, and their daughters, Layla and Chloe; Carol (Brad) Histed, their sons, Ryan (Jodi) Histed, and their sons, Emmett and Ryder; Craig (Nicole) Histed, and their daughters, Madalyn and Lakyn; Tony (Angie) Histed; and, Brian (Shannon) Guettler and their children, Danielle (John) Piechowiak and Adam Guettler (Kellee Sears). He is also survived by two sisters, Caroline Traxler and Lorna (Richard) Dietlein. He is predeceased by his parents, Robert and Caroline Guettler; his brothers and their wives, Robert (Edith Gorm) Guettler, Donald (Lillian) Guettler, and Maynard (Marianne) Guettler; an infant sister, Mary Ann Guettler; his brother-in-law, Kenneth Traxler; his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Arthur and Laura Schmidt; and his brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Ira and Annie Schmidt and Shirley and Leslie Gray.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, August 23, 2025, at 11:00 am at Trinity Ev. Lutheran Church, 1010 33rd St., Bay City. The family will greet visitors at Gephart Funeral Home, 201

W. Midland St., Bay City, on Thursday, August 21, 2025, from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm, and Friday, August 22, 2025 from 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Visitation will also take place at the church from 10:00 am until the time of service. Interment will take place at 2:00 pm at Floral Gardens Cemetery, 2215 Cass Ave., Bay City.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Trinity Lutheran Church or Charity. (The charitable organizations will be chosen by the family at a later date.)