John Borgman

Known to many as the Mayor of Third Street, John Borgman was a man who was recognized for giving back to the community in which he lived. He worked hard throughout his life, even during his retirement years, and he was talented at being able to fix just about anything around the house. John was passionate about farming and the land he called his own for many years, yet he was also a man who was dedicated to his family. During a decade in which the Model T became more affordable for many Americans and children amused themselves with erector sets and tinker toys, the year 1912 was a year that would be quite memorable. The presidential election was fought among three major candidates with Woodrow Wilson coming out on top, and the Titanic, known as the unsinkable ship, did indeed sink after hitting an iceberg on her maiden voyage across the Atlantic. This was also a significant year in the home of John and Emma (Carpenter) Borgman as they were celebrating the birth of their son, John Ortley, in Ortley, Oregon. John joined seven older siblings in his family and with the birth of his younger sister Maxine, their family was complete. His father was a farmer while his mother was a homemaker who tended to the needs of their active family. The Borgman family was only in Oregon for a short time after John was born before they moved back to the family farm in Conklin, Michigan located just east of Muskegon. From an early age John learned the ins and outs of the farming lifestyle as he certainly did his fair share of the work on their 40 acre vegetable farm. These were the days when the farming industry was much less efficient than it is today with John plowing the fields with a horse-drawn plow. In addition to his work at home, John attended Ravenna schools and graduated from Ravenna High School. It was also as a young man that John became involved in boxing and baseball. He was actually quite the baseball player who even went on to play as a semi-professional for a time after high school. After a time, John returned home to help tend to the needs of his family and help out on the farm. For the most part, John was quite shy and didnt date anyone seriously. That was all about to change, however, once he met the right girl. Her name was Jane Baumer and they met while John was visiting his sister Maxine in Los Angeles when he was in his early forties. Jane was a friend of his sisters who was working for Bank of America and was 12 years his junior. Jane knew right away that John was the man for her, but it took John some time to realize that they were true soul mates. She traveled to Michigan to see him and at that time they made their relationship a permanent one. They were married in Muskegon on February 27, 1956 and to their marriage, Jane brought her son Stephen from a previous marriage. John and Jane were blessed with a son together just a short time after they exchanged their vows when Greg was born in 1957. Their family settled into a home on Jiroch Street in Muskegon and John left the family farm and found work making bowling pins at Brunswick. In the early 1960s they purchased an 80 acre tree farm in Croton, located in Newaygo County. This was a great fit for John as he had a passion for farming and the land too. Although he continued to work at Brunswick for 20 years, there were many weekends that were spent pruning and trimming the trees on the farm. Their family also purchased a house in Croton where Greg would often have friends over to play or help out on the farm. John was active in Gregs life in ways that didnt center on the farm too as he helped out with many of his Cub Scout and Boy Scout activities. Although his family, work, and farm kept John quite busy, there were a few other things he enjoyed as well. He liked hunting and fishing from time to time, and they also took fun family trips out to Phoenix to visit Janes relatives. John maintained a close relationship with his brothers and they often got together to play cribbage. They also had fun debating about their favorite baseball teams over the years since John was a Chicago Cubs fan while his brothers were Detroit Tigers fans. Changes were again in store for John when his family moved to a house on Houston Avenue in downtown Muskegon in 1974. Over the years, John rehabilitated the house and it eventually was designated a Heritage Home - deemed one of the most unique and historic homes in the area. He also kept an eye on the happenings in the neighborhood and was involved in local politics with a desire to make the city a better place to live. John even adopted a small piece of property from the city on which he established Borgman Park. As a result, the nearby business owners on Third Street liked to call him the Mayor of Third Street. His retirement years provided John with even more time to pursue the things he enjoyed. He continued to work on his own house and also did repair work on several area rental properties. John remained healthy well into his nineties. Over the last few years of his life, Johns health required more care so he moved into DeBoer Nursing Home where the staff enjoyed having him around. It was there that he eventually drew his last breath surrounded by his loving family. John Borgman was a man who took each day he was given and made the most of it. He was a passionate farmer and also a skilled craftsman who worked hard throughout his life. John was a devoted family man who spent more than 50 years with the love of his life. He was interested in the world in which he lived and also in taking an active role within his community in a variety of ways. Johns family and friends will miss him dearly, but they will forever treasure the memories they made with their beloved brother, husband, father, and uncle. John O. Borgman died Sunday, November 22, 2009. Johns family includes his wife, Jane; son, Greg Borgman of Muskegon; step son, Stephen Hansen of AZ; sister, Maxine (Art) Dagen of CA; special nephew, Jim (Bonnie) Pendell of Fruitport. A funeral service will be held on Saturday, November 28, 2009, 2:00 p.m. with visitation 1 hour prior to the service at St. Paul's Episcopal Church with Rev. Dr. Thomas C.H. Scott, Rector officiating. A Celebration of Life Reception will follow the service in the Guild Hall. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com where you can leave a memory, sign the online guestbook, or make a memorial contribution to St. Paul's Episcopal Church Futures Fund.