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Jeanette Eileen (Balzer) Rupp, age 97, of Archbold, Ohio, passed away on April 30, 2020, at the Fairlawn Haven Nursing Home in Archbold. Jeanette was born in Detroit, Michigan, on July 27, 1922, the daughter of Bernhard and Lydia Balzer. A graduate of Eastern High School in Detroit, Jeanette enrolled in the Detroit Business Institute and was employed as a secretary for General Motors. She then felt called to attend Houghton College in Houghton, New York, where she majored in piano and minored in organ and where she met her future husband of 70 years–the Reverend Charles L. Rupp, of Pettisville, Ohio.
Following graduation from Houghton, Charles and Jeanette moved to Chicago so that Charles could attend Northern Baptist Seminary. While there, Jeanette worked with the Congo Inland Mission. Then, with one more year of seminary to go, Charles was called to his first pastorate in Woodburn, Indiana. While he commuted back and forth to seminary, Jeanette got a job with Brotherhood Mutual Life Insurance Company in Fort Wayne, Indiana. In 1952, Jeanette was diagnosed with polio, just after their first son, Doug, was born.
Jeanette served faithfully for 41 years as a pastor’s wife at four pastorate locations–Woodburn, Indiana; Midland, Michigan; Gridley, Illinois; and Lawton, Michigan. She and Charles retired in 1992 and moved to Archbold in 1993, where they were actively involved in the Archbold Evangelical Church.
Despite her disability, Jeanette was still able to serve for many years with her giftedness on the organ and piano and to serve as secretary during her husband’s ministry. She was able to travel with Charles to many locations, including Costa Rica, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, the Dominican Republic, and Alaska.
Surviving are her three sons–Doug (Kathy) of Archbold; Dawson of Lawton, MI; Craig (Julie) of Kalamazoo, MI; grandchildren Kristin Riddle, Jordan Rupp, E. David Rupp, Janelle Rupp, Nick Webster, Brady Webster; 10 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, and four siblings.
Private burial services will be held at the Pettisville Cemetery , Pettisville, Ohio, with Pastor Jesse Kahler officiating. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be given to Archbold Evangelical Church or Miracle Camp, Lawton, MI. Online condolences may be offered to the family at www.grisierfh.com. Grisier Funeral Home in Archbold was entrusted with the arrangements.