Michael "Jay" Nienhuis, 67, Wausau, a former Stevens Point resident, died Monday, June 15, 2009, after an eight-year battle with cancer. He died while under the care of Aspirus Comfort Care and Hospice Services at Hospice House in Wausau.
Private family services will be held at Lake Forest Cemetery in Grand Haven, Mich.
Memorials may be directed to the Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation to support research for a cancer cure or the Hospice House in Wausau in lieu of flowers.
Peterson/Kraemer Funeral Home in Wausau is in charge of arrangements. Condolences may be offered online at www.petersonkraemer.com.
Mr. Nienhuis was born April 2, 1942, in Holland, Mich., a son of the late William and Lyda (Nash) Nienhuis.
He served in the United States Army from 1965 to 1969 and then graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in industrial engineering.
He was married to Evie Tate in Las Vegas in 1998.
He worked at Donnelly in Holland, Mich., and Bastian Blessing in Grand Haven, Mich., as a purchasing agent before relocating to Stevens Point in 1986 to work at Joerns Healthcare.
In 1994 he became the purchasing manager at (A.E. Goetz) Federal Mogul in Schofield until his illness ended his career in 2001.
In the last few years he helped out at the auctions for Bunczak Realty and Auctions.
Survivors include his wife, Evie Tate; one daughter, Megan, San Francisco, Calif.; one son, Michael II, Waukesha; two stepchildren, Serena Tate and Julian Tate, both of Brooklyn, N.Y.; and two brothers, Rich, Holland, Mich., and Paul Joseph "PJ," Woodward, Iowa.
He was also preceded in death by one brother, Robert.