Dr. Clifford Ferdinand Maier

Cliff touched the hearts of all he met to his last breath. His fundamental concern for everyone he met was their eternal destiny. He told his nurse about Jesus, invited her to church the next day and reminisced about Eleanor’s Book, Decisions Matter, telling his nurse there would be no greater honor to them than reading their story. Cliff certainly would want the readers of his obituary to know this too. (Last revision 2024, is available on Amazon by searching under ‘Eleanor Maier’.) Cliff’s greatest gift to all who knew him was his genuine gratitude to God and trust in Jesus’s gift of eternal life for all who believe in Him.

Clifford’s children were all able to talk with him that evening. The hospital called at 7 AM EST to tell us they were administering CPR and Cliff’s children were all conferencing together with the hospital. No one expected this second heart failure event including the ICU staff on Cliff’s case as he was doing remarkably well. As with Eleanor, this sudden turn, we believe, was by God’s grace to spare them from suffering and to say, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’ We can only imagine them now resting together again and basking in God’s glory.

Clifford was born in Edam, Saskatchewan, Canada, a son of the late Fritz and Amelia (Schick) Maier, immigrants from Neustadt, Germany in 1924. He was raised in Meadowcroft/Carrot River area, and became a 1955 graduate of the Two Rivers Bible Institute of Carlea, Saskatchewan (now Nipawin Bible College-NBI). Cliff was a retired professor of history. He taught at Northern Michigan University (NMU) from 1968-1993, developed NMU’s first class Archives for the University and Upper Michigan from 1982-1991, after earning his master’s in 1962 and his PhD from the University of Washington in history in 1971. Prior to this he attended Northwestern College in Minneapolis, 1954-1957, and graduated from Whitworth University in Spokane with a Bachelor degrees cum laude,1959.

Clifford was admired and awarded numerous times for his achievements, dogged and self-less determination to overcome obstacles he encountered to pursue so many valued contributions to numerous to list. Achievements included authoring (with his wife) their three books, a 700 page, two volume NBI history titled, A Journey of Faith, The NBI Story, copyright 1994 and A Slice of Northern Michigan University History: The Remarkable and Surprising Struggle of the Origins and Early Development of its Archives and Record Management System, published in 2015. NMU awarded Cliff full professorship in 1981, Professor Emeritus in 1993 for the Archives work, and most notably and only one month ago, Cliff was selected as one of 43 former faculty as ‘NMU’s Transformative Leaders’ based on their significant positive impacts to the University and for NMU’s 125th anniversary Celebration reported in Northern Today, March 25, 2025, news.nmu.edu.

Cliff was also recognized for countless volunteer efforts. The most prestigious Marquette Maritime Museum’s Ancient Mariner’s Award was given to Cliff in 2001 for his 8 years of ‘outstanding contributions to the museum’s development’. Cliff led the effort to organize and ship 3 rail cars of surplus desks and school equipment to the children of Haiti following school closures in the Marquette area, and for his willingness to do anything manual or menial to perfection to make his churches a more delightful place. During the last 40 years he was active until the end with Christian outreach, followup and integration. He loved hospitality, encouraging and playing games with all ages of his family, his neighbors and friends, and reading­ a true bibliophile.

Cliff was survived by his children, Fern Carol, (Larry Wasicek), George Virgil, (Beth Maier), and Mark Warren, (Tracey Maier); his grandchildren, Jack Thomas, Emma Louise and Karissa Janelle, (Jared Buck); and great-grandchildren, Melody and Ellie Buck (mother, Karissa Buck); Clifford’s siblings–Donald, Elizabeth, Freda, David, Fred, Ruth, Edwin– and many dear nieces and nephews too numerous to mention in the space available. Cliff is also survived by Eleanor’s sister Frieda Bader’s children.

Cliff was preceded in death by his wife Eleanor Marie Maier on November 29, 2024, his parents; and by Cliff’s sister, Esther Edwards, and as well as sister Elizabeth’s husband, Earl McCorriston.

Cliff’s funeral service will be held on Friday, May 9, 2025 at 11 a.m. EST at Bethel Baptist Church in Marquette, Michigan, with Rev. Brock Youngren officiating. Visitation will be held in the church for one hour prior to the service. A luncheon will follow the service in the church hall. Interment will follow in Park Cemetery, Marquette, Michigan, at approximately 2 p.m. A reflections video of pictures and the service will be live-streamed beginning at 10 AM for those who wish to attend but cannot in person.The link is https://youtube.com/https://youtube.com/ live/npFP2r6RmnElive/npFP2r6RmnE

In lieu of flowers, designating Clifford Maier’s memorial fund, contributions options can be made through his church, Bethel Baptist Church in Marquette, MI, specifying either their Children’s Ministry Building Fund or Community Engagement Fund; or to WHWL Christian Radio; or Nipawin Bible College, Nipawin Sask.

Fassbender Swanson Hansen Funeral Home and Cremation services is assisting the family where memories may be shared at http://fassbenderswansonhansen.com