Charles P. Rasmussen

Charles Peter Rasmussen was born May 19, 1932 in Rawlins, Wyoming. He grew up in this small town on Route 80. Charles was drafted into the Army in 1953 during the Korean conflict. Although Charles was willing to serve overseas, his assignment was to drive ambulance stateside. He was honorably discharged in 1954. He graduated from Campion Academy in Loveland, Colorado and then took some college classes at the University of Wyoming and at Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Charles moved to Michigan to be near his mother in the 1950s and 60s. He lived in Ypsilanti and bought a big truck to haul mobile homes for Morgan Drive-Away. When Charles saw an ad for printers at University Printers at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, he answered the ad. He came to Berrien Springs in 1964 or 5 and was hired at University Printers and worked as a pressman for 22 years. Charles took flying lessons and became a private pilot.

In 1966 he met Alice Call who worked at the printers when she came to Andrews to study nursing. They were married on April 16, 1972 in the Petoskey, Michigan, Seventh-day Adventist Church. Several months after settling in Berrien Springs, Alice took a job teaching part-time at Lake Michigan College in Benton Harbor, Michigan. The job became full-time after a year and a half. She retired from LMC in 2003 as Director of Nursing.

Although they didn’t have children, Charles and Alice lived a full life of travel, time with friends, and active involvement in the life of Pioneer Memorial Church. Charles was an avid photographer, a singer and lover of music, a collector of clocks and a garage sale junkie. He was known perhaps worldwide for his chocolate chip cookies and was an accomplished cook.

After 22 years at University Printers, the business closed, which left Charles without a job. He tried his hand at a truss-building factory, but his allergy to wood dust cut that opportunity short. Then Richard Rideout asked him if he would like to be the printer at Your Story Hour. The Board accepted him, and this ministry became his passion for the rest of his life. He promoted Your Story Hour everywhere he went. You could always see Charles every year sitting at the Your Story Hour booth at the Berrien County Youth Fair talking with passersby, sharing candy and CDs with those who stopped at the booth. He retired at age 65 from YSH, but continued to work there part-time until his stroke in 2018 at 86 years old.

He was known by many as Charles, Charlie, Chuck, and even “Charlie Brown”. But he will always be known as a kind-hearted friend who will be deeply missed by all who knew him.

Charles was preceded in death by both of his parents, his sister at age 55 of breast cancer, and his brother, at 92. He is survived by his wife of 47 years. He is also survived by several nieces and nephews.

Charles fell asleep in Jesus on September 23, 2019 at 7 a.m. at Jenny’s Place AFC in Berrien Springs, Michigan. A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday, October 5, in the Youth Chapel of Pioneer Memorial Church on the campus of Andrews University. Memorials in his name may be given to Your Story Hour or to the Pioneer Memorial Church Renovation Fund. Online messages may be left at www.allredfuneralhome.com.