Shirley A. Irish, Joan H. Whitford, William Henry Richards, Jerry Jay Walker, Gene Arthur Gall
Shirley A. Irish
Shirley A. Irish, 76 of Ovid, MI went to be with her Lord and Savior on Monday, November 3, 2014 at Sparrow Hospital after a very brief illness. Shirley was born on May 20, 1938 in Alma, MI, the daughter of Arnold and Gladys (Orwig) McKay. She graduated from Clare High School in 1956 and on February 20, 1960 she married Keith R. Irish in Clare. Shirley was a homemaker and a member of First Baptist Church in St. Johns, and loved her family, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
She is survived by her husband Keith, daughters, Dawn (Russ) Benson and Deb Galloway both of St. Johns, her Mother, Gladys McKay of St. Johns, grandchildren, Phil (Megan) Benson, Paula (David) Sattler, Trisha (Bryan) Feldpausch, Amber Galloway and Richie Galloway. Great grandchildren, Taylor, Jessie, Evelyn, Melinda, Sierra, and Annabelle.
Sister-in-law, Phyllis Straw of LeRoy, MI. Shirley was preceded in death by her father and brother, Duane McKay.
Funeral services will be held at First Baptist Church, St. Johns on Friday, November 7, 2014 at 11:00 A.M. with Pastor Tim Knaus officiating. Burial will follow at Maple Grove Cemetery in Ovid. The family will receive friends and relatives at Keck-Coleman Funeral Home on Thursday, November 6, 2014, 2-4 and 6-8 P.M. Memorial gifts may be given to First Baptist Church or Gideons International.
Joan H. Whitford
Joan H. Whitford died Sunday, November 2, 2014 at the age of 76. She was born February 23, 1938 in St. Johns, the daughter of Farin and Edna (Lester) Eldred. Joan retired in 1994 from ITT Automotive in Elsie, MI with 25 years of service. She attended Gilmore Church of Christ in Farwell, MI and Duplain Church of Christ in St. Johns and is a member of Honor Rebekah Lodge #194 in Pompeii. Joan loved to be with her family and enjoyed all the children. She was an avid quilter and seamstress making blankets for all the grandchildren and great grandchildren. Joan married Marvin Whitford on April 1, 1955 in Ovid and he survives her.
Also surviving are four sons, Raymond (Lynn) of Lansing, Gary (Joan), Farin Douglas (Cathy) all of St. Johns, Jody (Karen) of Ovid; seventeen grandchildren; 21 great grandchildren; one brother, Charles (Ann) Eldred of High Point, NC. She was preceded in death by her parents, infant brother, Dwayne Eldred, sisters, Mary Burl Eldred and Edna Jean Primm, half brothers, Richard and Robert Smith and grandson Conner Whitford.
Funeral services will be held 11:00 AM Wednesday, November 5, 2014 at Keck-Coleman Funeral Home, St. Johns with Pastor Chuck Emmert officiating. Interment will follow at Mt. Rest Cemetery. The family will receive relatives and friends 2:00 to 4:00 PM and 6:00 to 8:00 PM with a Rebekah Service held at 3:30 PM Tuesday at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to the Sunshine Foundation, St. Johns High School Athletic Department, American Cancer Society, Gilmore Church of Christ or Duplain Church of Christ.
William Henry Richards
William Henry Richards, 78, went home to his Lord on October 30, 2014 while hunting in South Dakota. Bill was born in Akron, Ohio to Clyde Austin and Verna Viola (Baldwin) Richards. A graduate of St. Johns High School, he worked and retired from the Clinton County Road Commission. As a member of First Baptist Church of St. Johns, he regularly served as an usher. Bill was extremely proud of his Native American heritage and took the nom de guerre of Tiewash to honor his Indian ancestry. His family delighted in referring to him as “Grandpa Tiewash.”
Serving in the U.S. Air Force, Bill participated as a weather observer for the 22 detonations of the Hardtack I nuclear tests in the South Pacific in 1958. He was an avid outdoorsman, enjoying fishing, hunting and archery. He was also a life-long pigeon fancier, raising, flying and showing Birmingham Roller pigeons. Tiewash had a passion for the incarcerated, donating many hours to programs under the auspices of the Forgotten Man Jail Ministries. He also supported numerous Veterans’ charities and Christian missions, including his niece Nancy and Birney Boyd, currently serving as Wycliffe missionaries in Nigeria.
He is survived by wife Mary Ellen (Seekell) Richards of St. Johns, son, Lieutenant Colonels (ret.) Jay and Maureen Richards of Grand Rapids, daughter, Laura and Dr. Paul Rasmussen of Mitchell, South Dakota, step-daughter, Lori and Darryl Brown of Allendale, step-daughter Cathy and Orv Sanke of Grandville, step-son, Scott and Denise Zimmerman of Columbus, Ohio, step-daughter Donnie and Jim Akins of Richland, step-son Barry Zimmerman of Grand Rapids, seven grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, 9 step-grandchildren, 6 step-great-grandchildren, and special friends, Jerry and Tammy Hine of DeWitt. He was preceded in death by wife Karol (Barrett) Richards of St. Johns, brother and sister-in-law Clyde and Thelma Richards of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, sister and brother-in-law Bernadine and Leon Wilson of Canton, Ohio.
Funeral Services will be Monday, November 10, 2014 at 10:30 a.m., at First Baptist Church of St. Johns with Pastor Tim Knaus officiating, burial to follow at Union Home Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the Osgood Funeral Home, 104 E. Cass St., St. Johns, on Sunday from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. Contributions may be made in lieu of flowers to the Forgotten Man Ministries, 3940 Fruit Ridge Ave. N.W., Grand Rapids, MI, 49544.
The family is being served by the Osgood Funeral Homes.
Jerry Jay Walker
Jerry Jay Walker, age 72, of Crystal, MI passed away Saturday, November 1, 2014 at Carson City Hospital in Carson City, MI.
Funeral Services will be held at Smith Family Funeral Homes, Elsie, MI on Wednesday, November 5, 2014 at 11:00 A.M., with Dr. Donald Ferris-McCann officiating. Burial will take place at Duplain Township Cemetery, St. Johns, MI. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, November 4, 2014 from 2-8 P.M. with family present from 2-4 and 6-8 P.M. at the funeral home.
Jerry was born in St. Johns, Michigan on June 21, 1942, the son of Glen and Harriet Olivia (Bancroft) Walker. He graduated from Elsie High School with the class of 1960. Jerry was raised in Elsie, and served in the U.S. Marine Corp. He retired in 2003 as a Corrections Officer from the State of Michigan. He loved to study history and genealogy. He also loved to fish with his grandkids and hunt. Jerry enjoyed restoring vehicles, building homes, and making furniture.
He is survived by his mother Harriet and Ross Henry of Elsie, MI, son Gregory and Jan Fisher of Washington, 7 daughters; Jerri Sue Wilson of Crystal, MI, Maureen and Gary Gould of South Dakota, Serena and Tom Jorgensen of Edmore, MI, Sarah Anderson and Marty Delo of Vestaburg, MI, Cheryl and Richard Godfrey of South Dakota, Anita and Kevin Lamberts of Utah, grandchildren; Nicholas and Nichole Main of Six Lakes, MI, Jeffrey Main of Edmore, MI, Laura Main of Edmore, MI, Thomas Bade of Ithaca, MI, Morgan DeMott of Rudyard, MI, Abraham, Mary Kate, and Illyana Lamberts, and 2 sisters; Lyla and Rod Brush of Elsie, MI, and Lora and Bill Furstenau of Elsie, MI. He was preceded in death by his father Glen, son Clint Fisher, and nephew Glen Baese Sr.
Memorial contributions may be made to American Heart Association. The family is being served by Smith Family Funeral Homes, Elsie, Michigan.
Gene Arthur Gall
Gene Arthur Gall of Bannister, MI died Friday, October 31, 2014 at the age of 86. Born July 29, 1928 to Herman and Clara (Vorndan) Gall in Norfolk, NE, Gene served in the US Air Force during the Korean Conflict. He married Delores Gall in 1961 and she preceded him in death on July 31, 2007.
Surviving are his children; Allan (Becky) Gall of St. Johns, Stacy Gall of Bannister, Randy Gall of Bannister; grandchildren, Jeremy, Ashley, Carly, Chad, and Kyle Gall; great grandchildren, Madilyn, Myla, and Nolan Gall; sister, Geraldine (Lumir) Buresh; brother-in-law, Marvin Stoneman; sisters-in-law, Carol (Roger) Campbell, Carolyn (Jeff) Brown; and many nieces and nephews. In addition to his wife, Delores, Gene was preceded in death by his parents, infant daughter, Colleen Rae Gall, two sisters and one brother.
Funeral services will be held 2:30 PM Saturday, November 8, 2014 at the First Church of God with Pastor Chris Bones officiating. Burial will follow at Northstar Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 2-4 and 6-8 PM Friday, November 7, 2014 at the Osgood Funeral Home, 104 E. Cass St., St. Johns, MI 48879. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the family to help defer funeral costs.
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