Dr. Joseph Kuzma Kulaga

Dr. Joseph Kuzma Kulaga, 85, of Spring Arbor, MI, went home to be with his Lord on Wednesday, August 21, 2019 at his residence in Spring Arbor.  Joe was born in Washington, PA on November 18, 1933 to Joe and Mary Kulaga. He was the youngest of four sons, with older brothers, Ted, Andy and John.  He attended Nyack Seminary and College in New York and Taylor University in Indiana and moved to Flint, Michigan in 1956, and began attending the Christian Missionary Alliance church where he met Carole Gullekson.  Joe and Carole were married on December 21, 1957 and enjoyed over 60 years of marriage.  Joe was preceded in death by his beloved bride, Carole, on June 6th 2018, and is survived by his three sons (Mark, Jon and Matt) and their wives (Deb, Lena and Heather), 11 grandchildren, 8 great children, and his brother, Andrew Kulaga of Texas and his wife, Marilyn and his brother-in-law, Edwin Gullekson Jr. of Grand Blanc, MI and his wife, Rosie. 

Joe enjoyed successful careers in education (serving as a teacher, principal, superintendent, college administrator and professor) and pastoral ministry, pastoring several churches in the East Michigan Conference of the Free Methodist Church.  Joe and Carole moved to Spring Arbor in 2003 from Flint, where he finished his career working for Spring Arbor University.  Joe’s known passion was teaching and preaching the Word and missions, fully committed to spreading the Word of God at home and abroad.   He had a great love for his Sunday School class at Spring Arbor Free Methodist Church and was committed to supporting missions projects around the world.  He was a life-long student of the Word of God, with a particular devotion to teaching end times prophecy. 

A celebration of his life will be held at the Spring Arbor Free Methodist Church, 120 E. Main Street, on Monday, August 26, 2019 at 3:00 p.m., Reverend Mark Van Valin officiating. Gifts in memory of Joe may be made to the Spring Arbor Free Methodist Church in care of The Ambassadors Class. Visitation and viewing will be held at the Watson Funeral Chapel in Jackson, MI from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 25, and at the church on Monday at 2:00 p.m. until the time of the service.

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