Obituary for John C. Oaster
John Cleon Oaster of Battle Creek, Michigan died peacefully at age 67 on February 7, 2021 in his home with his wife Nilene by his side. John was born November 24, 1953 in Hastings, Michigan, to Robert and Mary Jane Oaster, and was the middle child with four sisters. He was raised on his parents’ small farm in Nashville, Michigan. John was born with a congenital heart defect and endured harrowing open-heart surgery at age 12 to correct it. The procedure was relatively new at the time, and his recovery took months. John grew from a chronically frail child into a strong young teen, becoming adept at farming and livestock husbandry on his parents’ farm. John graduated from Maple Valley High School in 1972, taking early jobs at a pickle factory and in the stockyards in Battle Creek.
John met his spouse Nilene at age 20 through a mutual friend, and nine months later they were married on September 20, 1974 at St. Philip Catholic Church in Battle Creek. Their first home was on Curtis Road in Nashville, amidst the family homestead. They moved to Battle Creek, Michigan in their early twenties where John lived, worked, and raised his family. John and Nilene had two children, Zachariah and Jacob in 1979 and 1981, respectively. The family enjoyed annual summer vacations to magnificent Michigan destinations like Mackinaw, Holland, Tahquamenon Falls, and Hartwick Pines. In 1988 the family took a long vacation to Florida. They also visited Niagara Falls, Canada, as well as Nilene’s hometown in Syracuse, New York.
John worked most of his life on the third shift at the Kellogg Company warehouse in Battle Creek. He was a proud union member and one of the last of living generations to hold a singular working-class job, earning a living wage, health benefits, and a pension that would sustain him and his family. Resolute to make sure his family’s needs were met, John often worked months without any days off. After 35 years of tireless work, he retired in 2009.
John was an avid hunter and conservationist and enjoyed teaching his sons this tradition, as his father had taught him. In his teens and twenties, John would attend black powder muzzleloader events with his dad. John was a member of the Kellogg Sportsman’s Club for many years during the 1970s and 80s, for a time serving as the organization’s President.
John was a lifelong traveler. In childhood, his family had vacationed across the USA in small cab-over truck campers. As a young man, John traveled across the Western U.S. with his high school friends and visited many national parks. Later, John regularly traveled to Amish country near Shipshewana, Indiana, as well as trips to Maine and Nova Scotia with his parents and sister. John also traveled with his dad to visit many Civil War battlefields, including Gettysburg.
In retirement, John co-curated a family collection of antique farming tools on display at a local historical site. He treasured his family and availed himself for visits near and far, attending antique farming events with his parents, kids, and grandkids, whitetail deer hunting with his sons and father, and taking care of his and Nilene’s parents as they aged. As a lifelong cereal factory worker, it was paradoxical that his favorite retirement “cereal” was graham crackers and milk.
John found care and comfort in his final days due to the staff at Kindred Hospice and the loving attention of close family and friends. John was preceded in death by his parents, Robert E. and Mary Jane Oaster. He is survived by his unshakable spouse of 46 years, Nilene; two sons Zachariah (Lindsay), Jacob (Stephanie); two grandchildren Graydon and Alsace Oaster; four sisters Becky, Barbara (Dave), Nancy (Jeff), Laurie (Bill); brother-in-law, Niles J Decker and sisters-in-law, Sydonie R. (James) White, Ramona K. (Mark) Provost, Roslynd A. (Rex) Hollinger, and Shivawn M. (Brian) O’Heran.
Services will be held at Baxter Funeral and Cremation Service in Battle Creek on February 17, 2021 at 4:00 pm with the family receiving friends an hour prior to the service. Due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, the service is for family only with masks and social distancing required. The service will be live streamed via our website, www.baxterfuneral.com . John will be interred at a later date at Wilcox Cemetery in Nashville, Michigan. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations are made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research at michaeljfox.org/donate, or to the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership at support.trcp.org.
John met his spouse Nilene at age 20 through a mutual friend, and nine months later they were married on September 20, 1974 at St. Philip Catholic Church in Battle Creek. Their first home was on Curtis Road in Nashville, amidst the family homestead. They moved to Battle Creek, Michigan in their early twenties where John lived, worked, and raised his family. John and Nilene had two children, Zachariah and Jacob in 1979 and 1981, respectively. The family enjoyed annual summer vacations to magnificent Michigan destinations like Mackinaw, Holland, Tahquamenon Falls, and Hartwick Pines. In 1988 the family took a long vacation to Florida. They also visited Niagara Falls, Canada, as well as Nilene’s hometown in Syracuse, New York.
John worked most of his life on the third shift at the Kellogg Company warehouse in Battle Creek. He was a proud union member and one of the last of living generations to hold a singular working-class job, earning a living wage, health benefits, and a pension that would sustain him and his family. Resolute to make sure his family’s needs were met, John often worked months without any days off. After 35 years of tireless work, he retired in 2009.
John was an avid hunter and conservationist and enjoyed teaching his sons this tradition, as his father had taught him. In his teens and twenties, John would attend black powder muzzleloader events with his dad. John was a member of the Kellogg Sportsman’s Club for many years during the 1970s and 80s, for a time serving as the organization’s President.
John was a lifelong traveler. In childhood, his family had vacationed across the USA in small cab-over truck campers. As a young man, John traveled across the Western U.S. with his high school friends and visited many national parks. Later, John regularly traveled to Amish country near Shipshewana, Indiana, as well as trips to Maine and Nova Scotia with his parents and sister. John also traveled with his dad to visit many Civil War battlefields, including Gettysburg.
In retirement, John co-curated a family collection of antique farming tools on display at a local historical site. He treasured his family and availed himself for visits near and far, attending antique farming events with his parents, kids, and grandkids, whitetail deer hunting with his sons and father, and taking care of his and Nilene’s parents as they aged. As a lifelong cereal factory worker, it was paradoxical that his favorite retirement “cereal” was graham crackers and milk.
John found care and comfort in his final days due to the staff at Kindred Hospice and the loving attention of close family and friends. John was preceded in death by his parents, Robert E. and Mary Jane Oaster. He is survived by his unshakable spouse of 46 years, Nilene; two sons Zachariah (Lindsay), Jacob (Stephanie); two grandchildren Graydon and Alsace Oaster; four sisters Becky, Barbara (Dave), Nancy (Jeff), Laurie (Bill); brother-in-law, Niles J Decker and sisters-in-law, Sydonie R. (James) White, Ramona K. (Mark) Provost, Roslynd A. (Rex) Hollinger, and Shivawn M. (Brian) O’Heran.
Services will be held at Baxter Funeral and Cremation Service in Battle Creek on February 17, 2021 at 4:00 pm with the family receiving friends an hour prior to the service. Due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, the service is for family only with masks and social distancing required. The service will be live streamed via our website, www.baxterfuneral.com . John will be interred at a later date at Wilcox Cemetery in Nashville, Michigan. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations are made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research at michaeljfox.org/donate, or to the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership at support.trcp.org.