Ingrid Gisela Hartwig

Ingrid Gisela (Bansen) Hartwig, 73, of Stevensville, MI went home to be with her Lord and Savior Saturday, May 7, 2016 at Hanson Hospice Center. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 10:30 AM Saturday, May 14 at Oakridge Baptist Church, 766 Oakridge Drive, St. Joseph with Rev. Scott Reeve officiating. Burial will follow in Riverview Cemetery, St. Joseph.  Friends may visit with the family from 5 – 8 PM Friday, May 13 at Starks & Menchinger Chapel, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph.  Memorial donations may be made to Oakridge Baptist Church or Hospice at Home.  Those wishing to sign Ingrid’s Memory Book online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com. Ingrid was born to Edward and Frieda (Guddei) Bansen on May 4, 1943 in Tannenwalde, Germany. Her family fled on foot in January 1945 from the Russian Army, and stayed in Denmark where a baby sister, Jutta, was born and died six months later. The family returned to West Germany in 1948, where they stayed until leaving for North Dakota in 1951, followed by the final move to St. Joseph in 1952.  Ingrid married Reinhold Hartwig on January 28, 1961 in Benton Harbor and soon after graduated from St. Joseph High School. She worked at Dwan’s Home Canning while first married and after the children were raised she worked at D&W Foods in Stevensville for a few years. A Charter member of Oakridge Baptist Church in St. Joseph, Ingrid enjoyed camping, being outside, her treasured grandchildren, dark chocolate, singing in the church choir, directing the Christmas pageants, cheering on her children and their friends at Lakeshore events, the Cubs, “The Young and the Restless”, keeping up with friends and family and the newspaper puzzles. She never complained and always had a smile. She is survived her sons, Rick (Connie) Hartwig of Stevensville and John (Jennifer) Hartwig of Augusta, MI; daughter, Regina (Paul) Schlaff of Muskegon, MI; and grandchildren, Kelsey (Dale) Zielke of Sodus, Erich (Sarah) Hartwig of Kalamazoo, Peyton Hartwig of Stevensville, Adam and Eli Hartwig of Augusta, and Brett and Kyle Schlaff of Muskegon. Ingrid was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Reinhold; brother Manfred Bansen; and sister Jutta Bansen.