Kim Marie (Orman) Biehl

In Loving Memory of Kim Marie (Orman) Biehl

Kim lived her entire life for the people she loved. She was the most selfless person, pouring all of her time, energy, and love into her family, students, and anyone who needed someone in their corner.

Growing up in Mancelona, Michigan, Kim faced a difficult childhood. A natural caregiver, she stepped up early in life to help raise and care for her siblings. She often credited her Aunt Debbie with showing her what true, selfless motherhood looked like, and she carried those lessons with her as she grew. Kim took those early struggles and turned them into fuel to become the most loving and protective mother, deciding early on that her children would know nothing but unconditional love and complete commitment.

She raised her family in Mancelona and worked for 25 years as a teaching assistant and secretary for Mancelona Public Schools. For Kim, being a school secretary wasn't just a job, it was a calling to protect the kids who felt invisible. She had an unshakeable sense of right and wrong, and she was fiercely loyal to the students who needed an extra advocate. Once, she walked right into the middle of a planned fight between high school boys to break it up simply because no other adults would step in. Months later at the Bass Festival, those same boys-who had since become best friends-sought her out in the crowd just to thank her for caring enough to intervene. That was Kim: if someone needed protection or fairness, she didn't hesitate.

Kim was the ultimate giver and had an extraordinary gift for making everyone around her feel important. She loved to shop-she never met a sale she didn't like-and she channeled that love into spoiling her children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. Picking out the perfect gift was her love language. She cherished birthdays, believing they were meant to be celebrated together no matter the distance. Even as her children grew into adults living hundreds of miles away, she would drop everything and travel just to be there in person to celebrate them.

When she became a "Mamma," her world got even brighter. She was her grandkids' biggest fan, best tickler, and favorite playmate. She was also their ultimate protector-she hated seeing them suffer so much that if she couldn't get them out of time-out, she would sit in it with them. Her grandchildren will remember her love of dancing, her knack for saying funny things that became family stories, and the many crafts they enjoyed making together.

Kim's selflessness extended to every creature in her home, especially her beloved dog, Daisy. Kim spoiled Daisy endlessly. Family photos are filled with pictures of Kim sitting uncomfortably so that tiny Daisy could have the big, fluffy chair all to herself.

In her later years, following her diagnosis of early-onset dementia at age 55, Kim continued to live independently on her own for as long as she could, living next door to her father and stepmother, Ruth, who helped care for her.

When it was no longer safe to be on her own, Kim spent her remaining years living with her children in DeWitt, Michigan and North Fort Myers, Florida. Even as the disease took away almost everything else before her passing at age 63, it could never touch her empathy or her heart. Until the very end, Kim was constantly worried about making sure everyone else was okay. She fought the progression of her illness far longer and far harder than doctors thought possible, powered purely by her unshakeable determination to ensure her family-and her dog Daisy-were safe, loved, and protected.

Kim was preceded in death by her beloved "Big Grandma" and her Aunt Winnie. She leaves behind her father, William Orman; her stepmother, Ruth Orman; her siblings; her children, Amelia Biehl (Nick Shelley), Jessica Biehl, and James (Laura) Biehl; her grandchildren, Amelia Biehl, Ellie Biehl, Adalyn Biehl, and Isaac Biehl; her cherished dog, Daisy; and many other family members, former students, and friends who were forever changed by her warmth and protection.

When someone Kim cared about needed help, she stood beside them without hesitation. Guided by a strong moral compass, Kim lived with complete authenticity, always doing what she felt was right. Her life was defined by loyalty, warmth, and a deep devotion to the people she loved.

She will be deeply missed, forever loved, and never forgotten.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her honor to the Dementia Society of America. 

Sign her online guestbook at www.mortensenfuneralhomes.com