MICHAEL CLARENCE HOOVER

Mike was born January 26, 1919 at the family farm-home in Keene Township, Ionia County, Michigan. His parents were John Henry Hoover and Elizabeth Anna Feuerstein. The family consisted of ten boys and one girl. Jacob Vincent, the youngest, is the only surviving sibling.

Mike was married to Pauline (Appleby) Hoover for 65 years. She passed away on April 1, 2010. Mike served in World War II as a pilot of a B-24 heavy duty bomber aircraft. A B-24 crew consisted of ten personnel. he crew flew 32 combat missions over France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. Mike acknowledged his bomber crew at the 8th Air Force Museum at Savannah, Georgia by donating a plaque. For combat duty Mike was awarded the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters and the Distinguished Flying Cross. Mike remained in the reserves where he retired as a Major in the year 1964 after 23 years.

Mike attended Michigan State College after serving in the military and graduated in June 1950 with a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering.

Mike worked for the Electric Sorting Machine Co. or their various divisions for the next thirty years. From 1971-1979 he was the Chief Engineering Manager of the Electric Sorting Machine Division. During his thirty years with the company various patents were obtained under his name but all were assigned to the company. The patents included those for sorting lemons, rice, the “Hydrosort,” which sorted tomatoes, slide sorting and other equipment. Mike retired in 1980. He remained a life long member of the 2nd Air Division.

Mike had many hobbies too numerous to mention but over the past several years enjoyed collecting and organizing genealogical information on the Hoover-Feuerstein family which he published. He paid homage to past generations by ensuring their graves were appropriately marked.

Mike was a devoted member of San Juan del Rio Church and resided in Westminster Woods.