Paul Cassel Kline, dedicated husband, beloved father, and respected local leader and humanitarian of Mendon Township, died peacefully among family at 5 PM on January 1st, 2025, in Three Rivers, Michigan. He was 97 years old and is survived by his wife of 71 years, Joyce Rose (Taylor) Kline, seven children, 19 grandchildren, and 16 great grandchildren, most of whom reside nearby.
Born April 20, 1927, to Lester and Dorothy (Hale) Kline in Sturgis, Michigan, Paul was the third of four children. His childhood home had no indoor plumbing or electricity, and he once noted that, back then, you could order almost anything from Montgomery Ward but the catalogue was most useful for basic needs at the 3-hole out-house. His early years on the family farm during the Great Depression taught him the importance of self-reliance and hard work.
Paul and his siblings (Cerny, Joyce, and Bruce) walked from the home farm to the one-room, red brick schoolhouse at Canada Corners (West Mendon), where a single teacher taught grades 1-8 and he was the only student in his grade level. He graduated from Mendon High School and enlisted in the Army in 1946, sailed to Korea three months later, arriving in January. He drove a jeep for the Army medical unit. Whenever asked about his time in Korea, he replied simply, “it was cold.” He earned two medals and an honorable discharge, allowing him to attend Michigan State University (MSU) thanks to the GI Bill. An excellent student, Paul graduated with an Agricultural Engineering degree in 1952, and continued learning throughout his life, becoming a licensed electrician and licensed operator for drinking water and wastewater treatment systems…