Founding AAWGA Member, Cile Cissel dies at 75

Obituary from Ann Arbor News (1963)

Mrs. Elizabeth (Cile) Cissel, 74, active in civic affairs and a noted city golfing figure, died last night at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital after a long illness.

She was the widow of the late Prof. James H. Cissel and lived at 1900 Steer Pl. She was born in Lafayette, Ind., on Nov. 7, 1888, the daughter of Hervey and Joella Connally Rothrock. She married Mr. Cissel on June 8, 1910, and came here in 1914. Mr. Cissel died on Jan. 29, 1949.

Mrs. Cissel was one of the founders of the Ann Arbor Women’s Golf Association. She promoted the idea which finally took hold in 1931.

Mrs. Cissel began playing golf in 1923 and two years afterward played in the Women’s State Amateur tournament and was consolation runner-up in the second flight. She also was the first Ann Arbor woman’s city champion (1927) and won the City Tourney four times.

In 1958 women of the Barton Hills Country Club names one of their major tournaments the “Cile Cissel Tournament for Women” in her honor. A trophy bearing her name is awarded to the winner each year.

A “never-miss” spectator at all city golf events, Mrs. Cissel remained active in Women’s Golf Association affairs through the 1961 season when the city crown was won by her daughter, Mrs. Daniel D. Dayton.

During her playing days, Mrs. Cissel and the former Jean Kyer (now Mrs. Thomas Findley, New Orleans, La.) took part in still-remembered “friendly links duels.” Mrs. Cissel defeated Miss Kyer in the 1928 city title match and – after Miss Kyer had won in 1929 – took the title away from her in 1930.

Mrs. Cissel also was active in the city Republican Party. And in the fall of 1957 she was the assistant chairman of the residential division of the United Fund Drive. She also did volunteer work with the Washtenaw County Hospital Auxiliary, of which she was president for three terms. Mrs. Cissel also was a member of the board of the Washtenaw County Hospital.

Mrs. Cissel attended Northwestern University.

In addition to the other activities which also included the Thrift Shop and the Farm and Garden Club, she was a member of the First Congregational Church.

Survivers include two daughters, Mrs. Dayton of Ann Arbor and Mrs. Frederick Foglesong of Beaver Halls, Pa.; a son, James H. jr., of Atlantic Beach, Fla.; 18 grandchildren, and one great-grandson; two sisters, Mrs. J. Jones and Mrs. Ward Horn both of Lafayette, Ind.; a brother, Russell Rothrock of Defiance, O., and several nieces and nephews including Mrs. Jeffrey Dand of Ann Arbor.

Funeral services will be held at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday in the First Congregational Church with the Rev. Fred E. Luchs officiating. Burial will be in Forest Hill Cemetery. Friends may call at the Muehlig Chapel Tuesday afternoon and evening.