Chelsea attorney John Keusch dies at the age of 103

Keusch was the oldest member of the State Bar of Michigan, and the lawyer with the longest practice in the state. Keusch was the oldest member of the State Bar of Michigan, and the lawyer with the longest practice in the state. A funeral Mass will be held June 24 for Chelsea attorney John Philip Keusch, who died Sunday, June 9 at the age of 103. "John was the most kind and considerate person I have ever known," said Peter Flintoft of Keusch, Flintoft & Conlin, PC, who joined Keusch's firm in 1969. Keusch was born on Christmas Day, 1909 in Chelsea, and grew up in the village. He was an accomplished athlete through school. After graduating from St. Mary's School in 1927, Keusch graduated from the University of Michigan in 1931 and earned his law degree at Michigan in 1933. He was admitted to the bar on October 10, 1933, at the age of 23. In the depth of the Great Depression, there were no positions open to young lawyers and Keusch took cases and appointments wherever he could. In 1934, he accepted an appointment as a United States attorney, Department of the Interior, assigned to the creation of the National Forests and State Recreation Areas. Traveling by train throughout Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota for three years, Keusch gained expertise in real estate and public works law. In 1937, he returned to Chelsea where he began practice with John P. Kalmbach who founded his office in 1905. On October 5, 1940, he married Madeleine Lucia Boillore. A daughter, Ellen, was born the next year. With the coming of World War II, Keusch took a commission as lieutenant, judge advocate, U.S. Navy. The family then made their home in Evanston, Illinois, where they held occasional dinners for fellow judge advocates, including a bachelor attorney-officer from Michigan, Gerald R. Ford. Returning to Chelsea in 1945, Keusch's law practice expanded. He became president of the Washtenaw County Bar in 1961 and was a member of the Federal and Michigan State Bar. He served long tenures as Chelsea City attorney, director of the Chelsea State Bank, and member of the Chelsea Rod and Gun Club, American Legion Post 31, Chamber of Commerce, U-M Club, Knights of Columbus, Inverness Country Club and Kiwanis. Avid sports fans, the couple attended some 65 years of U-M football and basketball, including eight Rose Bowl trips, the Olympics in Mexico City, Montreal and Munich, and more than 30 other U-M overseas trips. In 1969, Peter Flintoft joined him in the Chelsea law practice, followed by Pat Conlin in 1998, and, later, associates Diana Newman and Jeffrey Alber. The couple had a large circle of friends in the community and participated in many functions, hosting parties through Christmas 2011. Keusch formally took emeritus status with the State Bar of Michigan in 2012, being not only its oldest member but also the Michigan lawyer with the longest tenure of practice. Preceding Keusch in death were his daughter, Ellen Keusch Rowan, who died in 1997, and his wife, who died on January 27, 2012 at the age of 104. Keusch is survived by his niece, Mary (George) Condy of Ft. Wayne, Indiana; nephews Robert (Jan) Weber of McCordsville, Indiana, and Edwin (Theresa) Weber of Brighton; eight great and ten great great nieces and nephews, and four honorary granddaughters, Anna E. Flintoft, Carrie M. Flintoft, Rebecca J. Flintoft, and Jessica Madeleine Flintoft. Funeral arrangements are by the Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home, 901 N. Main St., Chelsea. A funeral will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, June 24 at St. Mary Catholic Church, 14200 E. Old US-12, Chelsea. Burial will take place at Mount Olivet Cemetery, Chelsea. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Sunday, June 23, from 2 to 4 p.m. and from 6 to 8 p.m., with a rosary said at 7:30 p.m. and again at the church at 10 a.m. on June 24 until the time of service. Published: Thu, Jun 13, 2013

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