Natalie June (Klapchuk) Springsteen

Published 8:11 am Tuesday, March 19, 2019

June 9, 1925 — March 17, 2019

Natalie June (Klapchuk) Springsteen, 93, passed away on Sunday, March 17, 2019, in Saline, Michigan.

She was born on June 9, 1925, in Detroit, the daughter of George and Mary Klapchuk, who had emigrated to this country from the Ukraine and Poland. She was three years old when they moved to Dowagiac.

Natalie June (Klapchuk) Springsteen

When she was four years old, a talent agent from Hollywood saw her tap dancing and wanted to take her there, but her parents wouldn’t let her. The family lived above their lunch restaurant, George’s Place, on Beeson Street downtown until she was 14. The family then moved to their home on Oak Street in Dowagiac.

Natalie attended the Dowagiac schools and met the love of her life Philip “Flip” Springsteen the summer after ninth grade. They dated all through high school and Flip joined the Navy while Natalie finished high school. She then moved to Chicago to attend Gregg Business College. She worked at South Bend Tool and Die as a secretary.

Natalie and Flip were married on March 26, 1944, at her parent’s home on Oak Street. The young couple crossed the country, living in Columbus, Ohio, Norfolk, Virginia, St. Charles, Missouri, and San Diego, California, with the Navy before finally settling in Dowagiac. Flip owned and operated a donut business for 38 years.

Natalie and Flip loved traveling the world to all 50 states and 30 countries. After her family was grown, Natalie worked at the Community State Bank in Dowagiac for 22 years, serving as secretary to the president. Natalie was a member of Antlerettes, Junior Arts, and the Economics Club. She was a room mother, and a very active and involved mother to her three children.

Natalie’s greatest joy was her family. She lived her last four very good years in Saline, Michigan, at the home of her daughter and son-in-law, Cindy and Joe Burke, enjoying movies, friends, luncheons, and many great family gatherings.

Survivors include their children, Sandra (Bill) Shurte, and Cynthia (Joe) Burke. She is also survived by four grandchildren Sharon Shurte, Kelly (Steve) Grau, Suzanne (Tom) Ratcliff, Joseph Burke, step-grandaughters Christine (Jeff) Hamlin, and Catherine (Rob) Dickson, and nine great-grandchildren, Alayna Mullins, Emma Grau, Christian, Michael, and Ryan Ratcliff, Abbey and Kyle Hamlin, and Connor and Jordan Dickson.

Natalie was preceded in death in addition to her husband of 55 years, by her son Mike Springsteen (deceased 2002), grandson Todd Shurte and siblings Russell Klapcuk, Olga Parker and Irene Klapchuk.

Visitation will be from 10 to 11 a.m.  on Wednesday, March 20, 2019, at the Robison-Bahnmiller Funeral Home in Saline.

A Memorial Service will then start at 11 a.m. Pastor Bill Adams will officiate.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in her name may be made to Arbor Hospice and envelopes will be available at the funeral home.

To leave a memory, you have of Natalie, to sign her guestbook, or for more information please visit rbfhsaline.com.