Obituary: Elvin Tisdale, 74, of Scottville

Elvin Tisdale

Obituary: Elvin Tisdale, 74, of Scottville

Elvin Earl Tisdale, 74, of Scottville, passed away at home on Sunday, February 12, 2023, due to complications from a long, brave battle against lung cancer.

Elvin was born on October 26, 1948 in Blue Island, Illinois to Earnest Earl Tisdale and Tessie Catherine (Schimmel) Tisdale. He graduated high school in 1966 from Dwight D. Eisenhower High School, in Blue Island Illinois. When he was 24, he met Dotti (Johnson) Tisdale, and together they relocated to the Ludington area. They were married in 1976 and were together for over 50 years. Together, with much resourcefulness, vigilance and fortitude, they maintained their family homestead in Scottville literally building their legacy from the ground up, brick by brick over the years.

Elvin had many jobs throughout his life. He once worked for the Grand Trunk Railroad in Illinois. Other jobs he held after moving to Scottville include Stokley’s canning factory, Mitchell, Wickes Lumber, Root’s Tire and Service and most notably Metalworks Inc. Between the two sister companies Fab-Lite (of Manistee) and Metalworks (of Ludington) he worked over 25-plus years, retiring from the company in 2015. He held several positions during his time at Metalworks, a metal furniture fabrication company, working tirelessly to hone his craft in each position. He often worked hours and hours of overtime and earned performance and attendance awards over the years.

During Elvin’s free time he became an avid outdoorsman in every sense of the word. He was an excellent hunter and mastered shooting everything from muzzleloaders, rifles, bows, and crossbows. He mostly hunted deer, but could also hunt rabbits, squirrels, geese, and turkeys with pinpoint accuracy. He was incredibly proud of his antler collection and relished in retelling many of his memorable hunts. He was also just as much of a fisherman as he was a hunter. He frequented lakes such as Hamlin and Crystal with his custom modded boat, armed with a myriad of knowledge about exactly how to catch each type of fish and the tackle needed to do so. During the winter months, he also ice fished as well. He became so immersed in his hobbies that he learned everything one would need to know about them to become an expert, down to making his own bullets, tree stands, ice shanties, fishing lures, and field dressing/processing almost all the game/fish he shot/caught. He also loved watching TV, his personal favorite shows being WWE Wrestling, almost anything on the Outdoor Channel, and watching old original Bugs Bunny cartoons with his grandkids.

The legacy left by Elvin to his friends and family was one of complexity and perseverance. He will be remembered for his unique sense of humor and his uncanny craftsmanship to build so many different things from seemingly almost nothing at all.

Elvin is survived by his wife Dotti; children Kristal (Tyler Reynolds), Kory (Sandy); grandchildren Lily, Violet and Autumn; youngest sister Gerri McClellan (Kevin); several nieces and nephews including Linda Tedesco (Dan), Jesse White (Patti), and Joseph, Cody and Michael Naughton (Margie); and several fishing and hunting buddies through the years.

He was preceded in death by his mother and father, and his eldest sister Ruth White.

As per his family’s wishes, there will be no wake or service offered to the public. A private celebration of life will be planned at a later date sometime this year. In lieu of flowers or donations, the family would like to urge you to go outside and enjoy nature. Take a walk, fish, hunt, go camping, swimming etc… Enjoy the Earth as it was meant to be. And if you smoke or know someone that does, consider quitting or urging them to quit.

We will all miss you and love you Dad

Arrangements have been entrusted to Oak Grove Funeral Home of Ludington, www.OakGroveLudington.com.