Leah May Hummel

She was born ln Wild Rose, North Dakota on November 30, 1927 to Reinhold and Irene Schilke. Her family travelled across North Dakota and Idaho looking for blacksmithing work during the Great Depression. They moved to Rochester when Leah was 15, where she completed high school, met and married the love of her life, Russell (Russ) Hummel on June 26, 1948, and raised their family.

Leah’s heart and home were open to all family, especially her brothers and their families; 13 foster children; 39 boarders; and many others as well.

She worked at Mitzelfeld’s Department Store altering dresses for a number of years, then worked for Chris Nicholson as a seamstress for many years. She also volunteered as a receptionist at Crittenton Hospital, counselled others as a Stephan’s Minister, volunteered at the Old People’s Center, and served as a missionary to a small native village in Southeast Alaska, along with visiting family through-out the United States.

Leah enjoyed travel and visited Japan, China, Panama Canal, Holy Land, Egypt, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Greece, Turkey, Las Vegas, Disney World, Interior of Alaska, and Southeast Alaska.

She is survived by her three children, Marie, Sally, and Mark; four brothers, Ervin, Arnold, Gerald, and Robert; five grandchildren, Kristen, Kelsey, Whitney, Rudy, and Heidi; and three great-grandchildren, Caden, Jax, and Jade.

Viewing will be held on Sunday, June 12th from 3:00 to 8:00 PM at Pixley Memorial Chapel. The funeral will be held on Monday, June 13th at 11:00 AM at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Rochester, followed by a luncheon, and a graveside service for those wishing to join the family at Cadillac Gardens East on Garfield Road in Macomb County.