Congratulations to our 2021 Grand Marshal:
Mr. Charles “Chuck” Miel
On August 5, 1938, Charles “Chuck” Miel was born a resident of Stanton. His mother, Charlotte, and father, C. Homer of Stanton, had 3 boys, Chuck being the oldest. Chuck has 3 children, Steve, Charles “Chas”, and Mindy. He has 1 grandson, 1 granddaughter, and a great-granddaughter.
Chuck graduated from Stanton Rural Agricultural High School in 1956. He was involved in band, football, basketball, plays, and track. After high school, he attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, graduated from Literature School in 1960, and Law School in 1962. He also played the trombone in the U of M band.
Chuck loves his small town community, from liking the atmosphere of the small town, to playing baseball and riding bike around town as a kid. He thinks Stanton is a good, safe place to live, and “some of my classmates may have made more money in big cities, but I am happy to be here, and I enjoy the lifestyle of this small town.” If you know Chuck, you would for sure know that he loves to walk. He got plenty of experience walking to school when he was younger, and whether it’s to run an errand, or just to get some exercise, you will see him every now and then walking the streets of Stanton. One of his favorite stories from his early days is when his mother would ring the dinner bell for the whole neighborhood to hear, and that would tell all of the kids that it was time to come in. That brass bell is still right next to Chuck’s front door today.
Chuck has been a part of many things in Stanton. He has been on the Stanton Centennial committee, Montcalm County Planning Commission, Stanton Rotary, Stanton Jaycees, White Pine District Library Board, and several other boards outside of Stanton. He has been a Stanton City Commissioner since 2017, and was a Central Montcalm School Board Member for 25 years, serving as President for 12 of those years.
Chuck was a lawyer in Stanton, and worked with his dad for several years in private practice. He also was a Montcalm County Assistant Prosecutor for a few years while his father was the Prosecutor. He was elected Circuit Court Judge for Ionia and Montcalm County and served for 12 years. Judge Miel presided over 7 murder cases, including 1 against Dr. Kevorkian.
Chuck has now been retired for about 13 years, but he still keeps himself busy. Chuck likes to golf, walk, bike, ski, read, and travel. His goal is to go to all 50 states, and he only has 3 more left to go (Oregon, Washington, and Alaska). He has also been to many different countries. Lastly, his favorite hobby is going to Michigan football games, and he has been a season ticket holder since he graduated. (Go Blue!)
–Special Thanks to Erika Thomas for authoring this tribute to Chuck