Marian Lucille (Leuenberger) Kasper of Saginaw, Michigan

Beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, and friend passed away peacefully on Thursday, January 1, 2026. She was 98 years young. Marian Lucille Leuenberger was born on March 26, 1927, in Saginaw, Michigan, the daughter of the late Lawrence and Frieda (Krenz) Leuenberger. She was a lifelong resident of Saginaw and graduated from Arthur Hill High School in 1944. In her senior year she began working at Michigan Bell Telephone Company as a co-op student and retired from Ameritech on January 1, 1989. She began her working career as a first level supervisor rising to the rank of District Manager, a milestone and achievement for a woman at that time. She was instrumental in converting all customer billing records from handwritten form to punched cards, eventually converting the punched card billing system to a computer drive input. During her career, she held the position of District Manager for Michigan’s customer records, billing, and collection operations, and served as advisor to the Saginaw Community Relations Team. She was a life member of the AT&T Pioneers and the Wildfire Service Club.

She married Edward Louis Kasper on January 11, 1947; he preceded her in death on October 18, 2006. Marian enjoyed the outdoors, her flower gardens, and spending time with her family and friends in Saginaw and her cottage in Oscoda on Lake Huron. Marian maintained lifelong friendships with all of her coworkers, friends, and neighbors. She loved traveling with her family throughout the world. As the family historian, she collected and compiled genealogy information and the histories of her ancestors who immigrated from Germany and Switzerland. In 2014, to honor her great-grandfather, Johann Christian Spaeth, Marian donated a piece of her property (originally owned by Spaeth 120 years earlier) and a memorial bench to Saginaw Township. She was a longtime and faithful member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church, its Ladies Aid Society (B.L.E.S.T), its Senior Group (Bethlehem Stars) and Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (L.W.M.L.).

Surviving are two children and their spouses: David (Ellen) Kasper of Midland; Sandra (James) Gessert of Niwot, CO; four grandchildren: Mitchell and Kyle Kasper, Amanda (Dani Rado) Gessert, and Rachel Wicker; three great-grandchildren: Azailia Gallaty, Kora, and Arthur Wicker. Also, a special grandniece, Mary (Joseph) Sylvester; and her loving devoted caregiver, Wendy Hamlin. She was preceded in death by two brothers and their wives, Lester (Esther) and Harvey (Eleanor) Leuenberger, and a grandson, Phillip Kasper.

A funeral service will take place at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, January 9, 2025, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 808 Weiss St., Saginaw, MI 48602. Pastor Gary Bender will officiate. Entombment will follow at Oakwood Memorial Mausoleum. Friends are welcome to visit with the family at the W. L. Case and Company Funeral Directors, 4480 Mackinaw Rd., Saginaw, MI 48603 on Thursday from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy may wish to consider memorials to Bethlehem Lutheran Church. She would not want anyone to shed a tear for her, but honor her with love and laughter. Please share your thoughts and memories with the family at the funeral home, church, or through www.casefuneralhome.com.