Christ Bidding Farwell to His Mother

This window showing Christ bidding farewell to his mother was given by Julia Kieffer MacArthur in memory of her husband Benjamin Russell MacArthur in 1905, it was designed and executed by the Detroit Stained Glass Works Company.

Benjamin was born in San Francisco on June 20, 1860. He was the son of Major Joseph and Julia Woodward MacArthur. Julia Kieffer was a daughter of John and Margretha Schmidt Kieffer. Benjamin died on Mackinac Island on June 22, 1899.

Margretha was born in Germany. She married John Kieffer in 1856. She came to Mount Clemens for the baths and stayed here, developing a small hotel on East Broadway into a showplace catering to world famous celebrities. This hotel was renamed the Park in 1892. A bathhouse was added, making it the fourth bathhouse in town. Margretha passed away on May 19, 1911. Julia inherited the Park Hotel and her brother George inherited the bathhouse.

Julia and Benjamin were married on September 10, 1884. They had four children. After two years of traveling Julia and Benjamin came to Mount Clemens and went into the hotel business with Julia’s mother.

Mrs. MacArthur was a cousin to General Douglas MacArthur. The former Park Terrace on the Clinton River, which she donated to the city, was designated MacArthur Park in memory of her and the American military leader.

The caption under the window spells “Julia McArthur” while the Obituary written in the Monitor Leader states that Julia MacArthur died on December 26, 1943.