Leycester "Lee" George Roth

A man of quiet strength, Lee Roth showed his love for his family and friends through his actions rather than his words. He worked hard throughout his life to provide for his loved ones, and was always ready to lend a helping hand to a friend in need. Lees steadfast faith, devotion to his family, and kind heart were the bedrock running through a life spanning almost a century; he touched many hearts, and will be deeply missed. The year 1914 is undoubtedly most memorable as the start of World War I, of which the opening shots were fired on August 1, 1914. In addition to this major historical event, however, the year is also notable for the introduction of the first U.S. income tax, Babe Ruths major league debut, and the opening of the Panama Canal. For proud parents George and Lizzie (Eifert) Roth, however, all of these events were overshadowed by one much closer to their hearts: the birth of their son, Leycester George, on January 27, 1914. The Roth family lived in Illmo, Missouri, where George supported his family as a farmer and Lizzie was a homemaker. Leycester, named by his mother after a character in a book, never cared for his name, and soon was going by the nickname Lee. Lee was a middle child, with an older sister, Paula, and two younger sisters, Viola and Ione (an older brother, Paul, died shortly after birth). As a young boy, Lee sold newspapers on a street corner in St. Louis, Missouri, where the price of a daily paper was 1 cent (5 cents for the Sunday edition). The family moved fairly often, but the children always attended local Lutheran schools. George and Lizzie raised their children to have strong religious values, and every Sunday the whole family attended church services together. When Lee was 14 years old, the family settled down in Muskegon, Michigan. It wasnt long before Lee found a job at a slaughterhouse, and through dint of hard work and frugality eventually saved enough money to buy his own car. While attending church services in Muskegon, Lee made the acquaintance of a young lady named Claudia Luebke. Lee and Claudia fell in love, and were married on August 5, 1939. In the years to come, the happy couple was blessed with three daughters, whom they named Natalie, Madeleine, and Kathleen. The family lived in Glenside, Michigan, where Lee found a job with Norge. He later went on to work at Bennett Pump, where he would be a loyal employee for the next 35 years. When they had the chance, Lee and Claudia enjoyed taking their family to Glen Lake, where they would rent a cabin during the summer months. Sadly, tragedy struck the Roth family in 1953 when Claudia passed away. Lee was left on his own to work and raise their three daughters, aged six to thirteen. In order to help with the children, Lees parents-in-law moved into the house next door. Although this was a difficult time for Lee, his faith in the Lord and his love for his daughters gave him the strength he needed to carry on. Lee was a lifelong member of Trinity Lutheran Church, where he served on several committees and sang in the church choir for 60 years. Every Sunday he would take his children to church, followed by dinner at Grandma and Grandpa Luebkes house and a movie. In his free time, Lee enjoyed golfing, and played on Bennett Pumps team in a bowling league. He also loved music, especially singing, and had a beautiful voice. Not only did Lee sing regularly in the church choir, he even sang on a program aired by the WKBZ radio station. Lee was lucky enough to get a second chance at love when he started dating Margaret Gustafson, a fellow churchgoer at Trinity. Lee and Margaret hit it off right away, and their friendship gradually deepened into love. They were married on September 17, 1977. After Lees retirement from Bennett Pump, Lee and Margaret took advantage of their golden years to do some traveling. They went on several memorable trips with groups from the church, with destinations including Italy, Israel, Hawaii, Germany, and Switzerland. By this time, Lee had already become proud grandfather and great-grandfather several times over, and he loved spending time with his grandchildren. Lees second wife Margaret passed away in 1986, ending a loving marriage of ten years. Lee continued to live on his own until he was 92 and on the third floor, no less (he said that was how he got his exercise in). He began to slow down in 2009 when he fell and broke a hip, and then two years later in 2011 he broke the other hip. Quiet, hardworking, and loyal, Lee was a devoted husband, a loving father and grandfather, and a good friend. He will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by his many friends and family members. Mr. Leycester "Lee" Roth went to be with his Lord on March 11, 2013, at the age of 99. Lees family includes his daughters, Natalie (Fred) Linstrom of Muskegon, Madeleine (Robert) McGreavy of Ravenna, and Kathleen (Larry) Morehouse of AZ; his grandchildren, Christine (Alex) Fekete, Deborah (Larry) McRae, Susan Shedd, Brian Linstrom, Sheri Hines, Steve (Threasa) Linstrom; his great-granddaughters, Melissa Shedd and Melissa (David) Brosco; his great-great-granddaughters, Ella and Payton Brosco; his sister, Viola Klug; his step-daughter, Janice (Walter) Swift; and his step-grandson, Brad Swift. He was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife, Claudia, in 1953; his second wife, Margaret, in 1986; and his sisters, Paula Workman and Iona McTaggart. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, March 18, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 3225 Roosevelt Road, with visitation one hour prior to the service. Memorials may be directed to Trinity Lutheran Church.