Doris D. Neuman
October 20th, 1930 - June 16th, 2025
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Doris's Obituary
Doris Darlene Neuman, age 94 years young, went to be with the Lord on June 16, 2025, at the Willows in St. Joseph, Michigan.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Monday, June 30 at 11:00 AM at Midway Baptist Church, 7517 Red Arrow Highway Watervliet, MI 49098, with Pastor Ron Hayes officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service, from 10:00 - 11:00 am. Arrangements entrusted to Starks & Menchinger Chapel, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph, MI 49085. In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to the charity of your choice.
Born in 1930 to Violet (Bryant) and Myrl Grannell, she had an easy birthdate to remember – 10/20/30. She married Robert R. Neuman on May 10, 1948, and they
had five children; Susan Marie Stormont (Jim), Kathleen Louise Bailey (Mike), Robert Terry Neuman (Sherry), Cynthia Neuman Stiles, and Thomas William Neuman.
Doris was preceded in death by her parents; her husband of 66 years, Bob; her son, Tom; Tom's infant son, Kristifer William Neuman; her sisters, Hazel Watkins and Elaine Leitz; and her best friend, Vivian Rodewald, who succumbed to diabetes, when she was 42 years old.
Doris and her sisters came into the world by home birth. She spent her childhood working hard on their sharecropper farm, picking berries and doing chores. Doris loved her English and business classes at Benton Harbor High School, and well after graduation showed us how to write in shorthand. Doris also made sure each of us could write our name and read -- before we started school. When Doris and Bob got married at the South Bend courthouse, they celebrated by going to buy bananas, which back then was a luxury.
Doris kept an immaculate home. When we came home from school, we could smell what she did that day -- Tide, Spic and Span, Jubilee. To this day those smells mean home. Plus, she mowed the lawn with a push-mower, canned in the summer, taught the girls how to embroider, and planted flowers.
Doris worked at VM for a year and a half, while Bob recuperated from polio. She worked at Dwan's Moving & Storage for 20-plus years. She was a Jill of all trades and Bob’s right hand; hammering, painting, papering. Doris and Bob built four houses together, along with a series of contractors, and taught their kids how to labor industriously, while working on our new homes. Their motto was "A job worth doing is worth doing well," which taught to give it our best, no matter what the task.
Doris liked to read, and she encouraged her kids’ love of board and card games. She had a lovely singing voice. She and her older sister Hazel sang duets in church. Doris wanted to be a singer, and later in life she recorded songs on her cassette player, which are cherished to this day. Doris had a lifelong love of roller skating -- not just going around the rink in circles, but she was a dance skater, skating at various rinks, making many friends and inspiring young skaters. She enjoyed making her own skating skirts and had fun dressing up for Halloween skating parties. She also participated in marathon skates to help raise money for charities.
Doris is survived by her grandchildren, Jim Stormont (Nila) and son Jack; Heather Pisarsky (Jeff) and sons Austin (Alexis) and Matthew; Daniel Stormont (Jenny) and sons Caleb, Aiden, Justin and Eli; Jason Roland (Christine) and sons Brody (Aliea), Logan and Sam; Brian Roland (Mariana Ababei) and daughter Jane Ababei (Charlie Scerbo) and twins Valentina and Albert; Pamela Mullins (Jim) and son Jimmy (McKenna), daughter Morgan and great great granddaughter Eliza; Amy DePetro (Pauly) and son Anthony Schmidke (Taylor) and great great grandchildren Ryker, Rylan, Kolson, stepson Dakota Riopelle and great great grandson Leighton, and stepson Roman Balcer; Michelle Bailey and son Riley Hess; Adam Bailey (Clarissa); Matthew Bailey (Alyssa); Robert Neuman (Rebecca) and daughters Natalie and Alyssa; Paul Neuman (Emily); Amber Stiles (Dave Carroll); Violet Pollock (Bobby) and daughters Ellie and Emma; Meghan Watt and daughter Ayla Quiggle; Tommy Neuman (Melany) and sons Ty and Karver; Mandee McCaul and daughter Emilee and son Logan; and many nieces and nephews.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Monday, June 30 at 11:00 AM at Midway Baptist Church, 7517 Red Arrow Highway Watervliet, MI 49098, with Pastor Ron Hayes officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service, from 10:00 - 11:00 am. Arrangements entrusted to Starks & Menchinger Chapel, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph, MI 49085. In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to the charity of your choice.
Born in 1930 to Violet (Bryant) and Myrl Grannell, she had an easy birthdate to remember – 10/20/30. She married Robert R. Neuman on May 10, 1948, and they
had five children; Susan Marie Stormont (Jim), Kathleen Louise Bailey (Mike), Robert Terry Neuman (Sherry), Cynthia Neuman Stiles, and Thomas William Neuman.
Doris was preceded in death by her parents; her husband of 66 years, Bob; her son, Tom; Tom's infant son, Kristifer William Neuman; her sisters, Hazel Watkins and Elaine Leitz; and her best friend, Vivian Rodewald, who succumbed to diabetes, when she was 42 years old.
Doris and her sisters came into the world by home birth. She spent her childhood working hard on their sharecropper farm, picking berries and doing chores. Doris loved her English and business classes at Benton Harbor High School, and well after graduation showed us how to write in shorthand. Doris also made sure each of us could write our name and read -- before we started school. When Doris and Bob got married at the South Bend courthouse, they celebrated by going to buy bananas, which back then was a luxury.
Doris kept an immaculate home. When we came home from school, we could smell what she did that day -- Tide, Spic and Span, Jubilee. To this day those smells mean home. Plus, she mowed the lawn with a push-mower, canned in the summer, taught the girls how to embroider, and planted flowers.
Doris worked at VM for a year and a half, while Bob recuperated from polio. She worked at Dwan's Moving & Storage for 20-plus years. She was a Jill of all trades and Bob’s right hand; hammering, painting, papering. Doris and Bob built four houses together, along with a series of contractors, and taught their kids how to labor industriously, while working on our new homes. Their motto was "A job worth doing is worth doing well," which taught to give it our best, no matter what the task.
Doris liked to read, and she encouraged her kids’ love of board and card games. She had a lovely singing voice. She and her older sister Hazel sang duets in church. Doris wanted to be a singer, and later in life she recorded songs on her cassette player, which are cherished to this day. Doris had a lifelong love of roller skating -- not just going around the rink in circles, but she was a dance skater, skating at various rinks, making many friends and inspiring young skaters. She enjoyed making her own skating skirts and had fun dressing up for Halloween skating parties. She also participated in marathon skates to help raise money for charities.
Doris is survived by her grandchildren, Jim Stormont (Nila) and son Jack; Heather Pisarsky (Jeff) and sons Austin (Alexis) and Matthew; Daniel Stormont (Jenny) and sons Caleb, Aiden, Justin and Eli; Jason Roland (Christine) and sons Brody (Aliea), Logan and Sam; Brian Roland (Mariana Ababei) and daughter Jane Ababei (Charlie Scerbo) and twins Valentina and Albert; Pamela Mullins (Jim) and son Jimmy (McKenna), daughter Morgan and great great granddaughter Eliza; Amy DePetro (Pauly) and son Anthony Schmidke (Taylor) and great great grandchildren Ryker, Rylan, Kolson, stepson Dakota Riopelle and great great grandson Leighton, and stepson Roman Balcer; Michelle Bailey and son Riley Hess; Adam Bailey (Clarissa); Matthew Bailey (Alyssa); Robert Neuman (Rebecca) and daughters Natalie and Alyssa; Paul Neuman (Emily); Amber Stiles (Dave Carroll); Violet Pollock (Bobby) and daughters Ellie and Emma; Meghan Watt and daughter Ayla Quiggle; Tommy Neuman (Melany) and sons Ty and Karver; Mandee McCaul and daughter Emilee and son Logan; and many nieces and nephews.
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