Doris Jean Downing, Lawrence C. Floate, Derek James Hollis, Ethel I. Mulder, Charles “Chuck” A. DeSander, Sr., Jeanne Vail Rand, Roma Eve Hamer, J.D. Washburn
Doris Jean Downing
Doris Jean Downing passed away on October 9, 2012 at the age of 86. Born January 6, 1926 in Carmi, IL, she was the daughter of Henry and Lela (Creek) Kline. Doris married Ross Downing on April 22, 1945 in Lincoln, NE. He preceded her death on April 3, 2005.
Doris is survived by her daughter, Susan Hotchkiss of Lansing, son, Dru (Sue Ann) Downing of Niles, MI, sister, Joyce (Jerry) Ewing of Parker, AZ, brothers, Robert (Eileen) Kline of Lansing, Earl “Bud” (Anne) Kline of Lincoln, RI, four grandchildren, Randy (Alyson) Hotchkiss, Anitra Hotchkiss, Nick Downing, Nolan Downing, five great grandchildren, one great great grandchild, as well as many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her son, Duane Downing, whom died in 1969 serving his country in Vietnam, her parents and half-brother, Jerry Kline.
Funeral services will be held at 3:00 p.m. Saturday, October 13, 2012 at the Osgood Funeral Home in St. Johns. Burial will follow at Mt. Rest Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 1-3 p.m. Saturday prior to the funeral at the funeral home. Memorial donations may be made to the Doris Downing memorial for a sitting bench to be placed in the Rotary Park in St. Johns.
The family is being served by the Osgood Funeral Homes.
Lawrence C. Floate
Lawrence C. Floate, age 77, passed away on October 7, 2012 in Saginaw, Michigan. Larry was born October 23, 1934, the son of Clare and Maxine (Smith) Floate in Maple Rapids. He married Virgilene “Birdie” Coleman on March 8, 1953 in Maple Rapids and she survives him. He was a Mason with the Maple Rapids Masonic Lodge and served as a volunteer firefighter for many years.
Along with his wife, Larry is survived by his daughters, Sheila Stephan of Lansing, Robin (Dr. Jeffrey) Limonoff of Fowlerville; sons, Gary of St. Johns, Albert (Bonnie) of Owosso, Larry, Jr. of Roscommon, Brian (Penny) of Maple Rapids; 11 grandchildren, 7 great grandchildren and many nephews and nieces. He is also survived by his sister, Liane (Carroll) Tyler of Maple Rapids and brother, Lyle (Marge) Floate of Greenville. Larry was preceded in death by his parents, son, Edward Lyle Floate and grandson, Maxwell Clare Floate.
Funeral services will be 11 A.M. Wednesday, October 10, 2012 at the Maple Rapids Community Center. Pastor Kathy Leydorf-Keck will be officiating. This will be followed by a burial at Sowle Cemetery. The family will receive friends 6 – 8 P.M. Tuesday evening at the Osgood Funeral Home in St. Johns. Sympathy may be expressed in the form of memorial gifts to the American Cancer Society or the American Heart Association. The family is being served by the Osgood Funeral Homes.
Derek James Hollis
Derek James Hollis, age 30, passed away on October 7, 2012, following a motorcycle accident.
Derek is survived by his parents, Karen Hollis and Thomas (Rita) Hollis, four sisters, Ashlie Hollis, Renee (James) Terpening, Leslie (Brian) Stewart, Lindsay Rue, grandmother, JoAnne Myers, many nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles, as well as his best friends, Jake Hathaway and Daniel Sjaarda. He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Harry Hollis, Marie Hollis and Darwin Myers.
A memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 13, 2012, at St. Peter Lutheran Church, 8990 Church Road, St. Johns, MI 48879 , with Pastor Mark Werner officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to a trust fund to be set up at a later date for Derek’s nephew, Darian James Hollis.
The family is being served by the Osgood Funeral Homes.
Ethel I. Mulder
Ethel I. Mulder, 83, passed away at her home Saturday, October 6, 2012 surrounded by family. She was born March 28, 1929 in Redford, Michigan to Richard and Ethel (Smith) Simpson. She was raised by her maternal grandparents, Frank and Nellie Smith of Ovid after her mother died when she was nine months old. She graduated from Ovid High School, May 28, 1946 and married her high school sweetheart, Don Mulder, on June 4, 1946. Ethel loved to work and believed it was a gift from God. She worked beside her husband helping milk cows, doing field work and always had a large garden which kept her busy canning and freezing. She was a caregiver for several people and did house cleaning for so many people we couldn’t count them all.
She worked at Vaughn’s Seed Co. in Ovid and every fall picked apples for several orchard owners. Ethel was saved March 6, 1976 and was always willing to share her love for the Lord with everyone she met. She was known as the “Card Lady” at church for over 30 years, as she was such an encourager with her notes. Ethel was a breast cancer survivor. She was diagnosed in 2007 with cancer and underwent four surgeries in six weeks, then seven weeks of radiation.
Ethel is survived by her husband, Don, daughter Rita (Frank) Gazda; sons, Dale (Elena) Mulder and Donnie (Jackie) Mulder; ten grandchildren; 27 great grandchildren; brother, Richard (Kathleen) Simpson and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, one brother, Harry Simpson and sisters Dorothy Sefarian and Grace Stallings.
Funeral services will be held 11:00 AM Tuesday, October 9, 2012 at Grove Bible Church 6980 E. Price Rd. St. Johns, MI with Pastor Larry Smith officiating. Interment will follow at Middlebury Cemetery. The family will receive relatives and friends 2-4 and 6-8 PM Monday, October 8, 2012 at Keck-Coleman Funeral Home, St. Johns. Memorials may be made to Grove Bible Church or McLaren Visiting Nurse and Hospice of Lansing 2316 S. Cedar St. Lansing, MI 48912.
Charles “Chuck” A. DeSander, Sr.
Charles “Chuck” A. DeSander, Sr. went to be with the Lord on October 5, 2012, at the age of 73. Born December 17, 1938 in Saginaw, Michigan, he was the son of Emiel and Tracy (Felt) DeSander. Chuck was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church of St. Johns, the U.A.W. Post #652 as well as the Clinton County Boys Club. He also coached youth softball, was a Cub Scout Master, and the Clinton County Boxing Club Coach, as well as the President for years of the Michigan Game Fowl Breeders Association. Chuck married Emojune (Vandegriff) DeSander on May 14, 1966 in Lansing and she survives him.
Also surviving are his children, Theresa (Chad) Thompson, Chuck (Michelle) DeSander, Tricia (Kris) Cooper, grandchildren, Makenzy, Jaden and Haden Thompson, Mehgan, Hunter and Seneca DeSander, Brian and Mason Paksi, Hailey, Meadow and Sydney Cooper, one sister, Florine Ingwersen, brothers, Billy Collison, Emiel DeSander, Jr., as well as many nieces and nephews. Chuck was preceded in death by his parents, step-father Forrest Ingwersen, one sister, Cookie Thornburg, Aunt Magdalena Spak, and father-in-law Chester Vandegriff.
Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, October 9, 2012 with Fr. Michael Williams presiding, at the St. Joseph Catholic Church in St. Johns. The family will receive friends Monday, from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. with rosary being prayed at 3 p.m. and a vigil service at 7 p.m. at the Osgood Funeral Home in St. Johns. Memorial donations may be made the Clinton County Boys Club.
To learn more about Chuck and to view his Life Story film, please visit his personal webpage at www.lifestorynet.com/memories/83799. The family is being served by the Osgood Funeral Homes.
Jeanne Vail Rand
Jeanne Vail Rand, age 92, of St. Johns, Michigan died Friday, October 5, 2012 at her residence.
Funeral Services will be held at Smith Family Funeral Homes, St. Johns Chapel, St. Johns, MI on Monday October 8, 2012 at 1:00 P.M. with Rev. Hugh Banninga officiating. Burial will be at Mt. Rest Cemetery, St. Johns, MI.
Visitation will be held 2:00-4:00 and 6:00-8:00 P.M. Sunday October 7, 2012 at the funeral home.
Jeanne was the daughter of Ward and Henrietta (Palmer) Vail of St. Johns, Michigan. Jeanne married Robert Rand of Rahway, New Jersey. They had one son, Ward Vail Rand. Both preceded her in death.
She is survived by two sisters, Pauline Warren and Virginia Teich and one brother, Theodore (Marceda) Vail. Jeanne also leaves many nieces and nephews, and very devoted friends.
Memorials may be made to the charity of the donor’s choice. The family is being served by Smith Family Funeral Homes, St. Johns Chapel, St. Johns, Michigan.
Roma Eve Hamer
Roma Eve Coleman Hamer, 97, went to be with her Lord on October 2, 2012 at Kalkaska Memorial Health Center in Kalkaska, Michigan surrounded by her loving family. Roma was born April 14, 1915 in Duplain Township, Clinton County, Michigan, the daughter of Joseph Lowe Coleman and Caroline Mayke Coleman. She was preceded in death by her sisters, Doris Smith, and twin, Josephine Parker and her brother Robert Coleman. Roma attended The Red Brick School that was formerly on the corner of Colony and Shepherdsville Roads and graduated from Rodney B. Wilson High School in St. Johns, in 1933. She married Raymond A. Hamer in April, 1934 and he preceded her in death in December, 1968.
Surviving her are two children, Shirley (Eugene) Farrier of Kalkaska, and David (Sandra) Hamer of Lansing. She has five grandchildren, Dale (Trisha) Farrier and Dean (Connie) Farrier of Kalkaska and Dan (Shannon) Farrier of Tomball, TX, Jeremy (Sheri) Hamer and Tim Hamer of Lansing and thirteen great grandchildren.
Roma was a home maker and worked for many years for Citizens Bank in St. Johns. Roma and her husband were avid supporters of The Rochester Colony Park and worked tirelessly to help make it the community attraction it is today. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Rochester Colony and in her later years, the First United Methodist Church in St. Johns.
Funeral services will be held 11:30 AM Saturday, October 6, 2012 at Keck-Coleman Funeral Home St. Johns. Interment will follow at Duplain Cemetery. The family will receive relatives and friends 11:00 A.M. until service time on Saturday at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to the Rochester Colony Historical Association.
J.D. Washburn
J.D. Washburn, 89, passed away on Friday, October 5, 2012 at his home near St. Johns. He was born April 24, 1923 in Lansing, Michigan the son of George and Zelma (Pratt) Washburn. J.D. served his country during WWII as a Captain in the United States Air Force and flew 52 missions in the Philippines. He was employed by John Bean Co. in Lansing before becoming a full – time farmer and also was a sales representative for Pioneer Hi-Bred Seed Co. for over 30 years. On June 30, 1946 he married Nellie Kaufman and they celebrated 66 years of marriage this past June.
Surviving is his wife Nellie; two daughters, Dee (Bill) Holley of Elsie and Rita (John) Craig of Holt; two sons, Kam (Kathleen) and Dan (Pam) all of Elsie; 13 grandchildren; 19 great grandchildren; one sister, Vivian (George) Huntington of Slidell, LA; and one brother, Elwin (Dorothy) Washburn of Winter Garden, FL. He was preceded in death by five brothers, George, Ivan, Edwin, Floyd and Dale.
Funeral services will be held 11:00 AM Monday, October 8, 2012 at Keck-Coleman Funeral Home, St. Johns. Interment will follow at Duplain Cemetery. The family will receive relatives and friends 2-7 PM Sunday, October 7 at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to the Elsie American Legion or the Rochester Colony School.
Visit us at http://twitter.com/sjindyand begin to follow us today. Don’t have a Twitter account? Sign up now. It’s free
For obituaries published before January, 2009 please click here.
At the bottom of that page you will find an index to obituaries dating back to July, 1989.