Bryan Beland
Bryan Beland of St. Johns, Michigan formerly of Mason, Michigan. passed away on December 28, 2015 at the age of 46. He was born on July 23, 1969 in Lansing, Michigan to Dennis and Sharon Beland,. Bryan worked in the dairy industry as a dairy manager. He was an outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting and fishing. Bryan especially enjoyed open water fishing on Lake Michigan for steelhead and salmon. He loved deer hunting and farming and was very passionate about wildlife preservation. As a child he met his loving wife Joy in Lansing.
Surviving is his loving wife, Joy Powers-Beland; parents, Dennis and Sharon Beland; son, Thomas Beland; brother, Brandon Beland; and grandparents, Ronald and Lois Smith. Bryan was preceded in death by his grandparents, Thomas and Gerry Beland; one of his best friends, Cliff Corrette; beloved dogs, Cody and Cooper.
Funeral Services will be held Monday, January 4, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. at Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes, 621 South Jefferson Street, Mason MI. The family will receive friends on Sunday, January 3, 2016 from 4-7 p.m. at the funeral home. Those desiring may make contributions to Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan, 7600 Grand River Ave, Suite 175, Brighton, MI 48114 in memory of Bryan.
Mary L. Ewing
Mary L. Ewing of St. Johns, died Sunday, December 27, 2015 at the age of 81. She was born July 17, 1934 in St. Johns, MI the daughter of Joseph and Mary (Kandle) Hopko. Mary was a graduate of Rodney B. Wilson High School in St. Johns, Class of 1952 and a 1955 graduate of the St. Lawrence Unit of the Mercy School of Nursing in Detroit. She was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in St. Johns, worked for the Red Cross Blood Bank, was a member of the Clinton County Child Abuse Council and was an avid golfer. Mary was a retired Registered Nurse with over 40 years of service at Clinton Memorial Hospital in St. Johns, enjoyed the monthly lunches with the CMH retirees and loved traveling with her best friend Irene Armbrustmacher. Mary married Clark Wayne Ewing in 1956 and he preceded her in death in 1961.
Surviving is her son, Sim (Glenda) Ewing; two grandchildren, Allison (Adam) Sharp and Kelsey (Jonathan) Grimes; two sisters, Helen Glazier, Betty (Larry) St. Pierre; three sisters-in-law, Marlene “Sam” Hopko, Alexandra Hopko, Audrey (Fred) Stahl; brother-in-law, Jim (Bonnie) Ewing and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by a sister, Margaret Gurski; three brothers, Joe, Steve and John Hopko and in-laws, Stanley Gurski, Gary Glazier and Eunice Hopko-Wirth.
Funeral services will be held at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, December 30, 2015 at Keck-Coleman Funeral Home, St. Johns with Rev. Fr. Michael Williams officiating. Interment will take place at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, December 31, 2015 at Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Bath, MI. The family will receive relatives and friends 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, December 30 at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to St. Joseph Catholic Church 109 Linden St. Johns, MI 48879 or UVA-Wise Nursing Program, C/O UVA-Wise Foundation, 1 College Ave. Wise, VA 24293.
Laurie E. Kidder
Laurie E. Kidder, 53 of St. Johns, MI died at Sparrow Clinton Hospital on Sunday, December 27, 2015. She was born on September 11, 1962 in Monroe, MI the daughter of Roger and Lillian (Hawke) Jorae. She graduated from St. Johns High School, and on October 26, 1986 she married Kim K. Kidder. Laurie worked for Ford Motor Credit for 30 years and retired in 2013. Her favorite things were antiquing, collecting antique Christmas ornaments and especially her time with family and friends.
Laurie is survived by her husband, Kim; her Mother Lillian Jorae of St. Johns, step children, Steven (Kimberly) Kidder of Lansing and Keith (Melissa Smith) Kidder of DeWitt, MI; 5 grandchildren and brothers, Ken (Deb) Jorae of Parchment, MI and David Jorae of St. Johns, MI; sister, Pam (Mark) Johnston of Muskegon, MI; her cat, Annie and her dog, Luke. Laurie was preceded in death by her father, Roger.
Funeral services will be held at Keck-Coleman Funeral Home on Wednesday, December 30, 2015 at 11:00 A.M. with Pastor Kathy Leydorf-Keck officiating. Burial will follow at Mt. Rest Cemetery. The family will receive friends and relatives at the funeral home on Tuesday, December 29, 2015, 2-4 and 6-8 P.M. Memorial contributions may be made to Paws with a Cause, 4646 S. Division St., Wayland, MI 49348.
Eugene L. Thelen
Eugene L. Thelen passed from this life on December 25 (Christmas!) after 95 years. He was born November 26, 1920, to Arthur and Nora (Theis) Thelen of Fowler, MI. He and his wife Evelyn were farmers in Fowler, having raised the best crop of all: six loving children. Eugene and Evie were life-long members of Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church. He had served as a Grand Knight in the Knights of Columbus.
Eugene always had a wide smile, and a curiosity about all things dairy. He was a voracious reader of articles on human health and nutrition, and believed strongly in minerals and vitamins. He worked on the family dairy farm well into his 90s, driving a tractor or tinkering with something in the shop, long after the rest of us were inside with our feet up.
He is survived by his children Alice (Kerm) Wheeler, Gordie (Ruth) Thelen, Jerry (Linda) Thelen, Joanie (Bob) Nelson, Mike (Denise) Thelen, and Brian (Rose) Thelen; 22 grandchildren, and 24 great-grandchildren; his brother Bernard (Marilyn) Thelen; sisters Roseline Fedewa and Kathleen Simmon; and dozens of nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by Evie in 2011 after 67 beautiful years of marriage, by brothers Wilbur and Joe, and by infant grandson John.
He will be greatly missed, but we know that today he is discussing Holsteins with the Owner of “the cattle on a thousand hills” (Psalm 50:10).
Funeral Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 10:30 AM Wednesday, December 30, 2015 at Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Fowler with Rev. Fr. Dennis Howard presiding. Burial will follow at Most Holy Trinity Catholic Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 2-4 and 7-9 PM Tuesday at the funeral home with a rosary being prayed at 3 PM and a Vigil Service being prayed at 8 PM.
The family is being served by Osgood Funeral Homes.
Dale A. Howard
Dale A. Howard of St. Johns, died Wednesday, December 23, 2015 at the age of 63. He was born September 30, 1952 in Lansing, MI the son of Philip and Lucille (Droste) Howard. Dale enjoyed hunting, fishing, playing cards and golf. He was a member of the MS Society and a diehard Detroit Lions fan. Dale was part owner and vice president of the former Central Michigan Lumber Company. On August 16, 1975 he married Peggy Brooks and she survives him.
Also surviving is a daughter, Tracy (Brian) Warner of DeWitt; one son, Todd (Monica) Howard of East Lansing; four grandchildren, Brooklyn and Brennan Warner and Gavin and Macy Howard, with number 3 Howard grandchild due for arrival soon; his mother, Lucille; two sisters, Deb (Charlie) Smith and Becky (Brad) Weir all of DeWitt; two brothers, Mark Howard and Jim (Angie) Howard all of St. Johns. He was preceded in death by his father and a brother Tom.
Private services will be held. Memorials may be made to the MS Society, Michigan Chapter, 21311 Civic Center Dr. Southfield, MI 48076. The family was assisted with these arrangements by Keck-Coleman Funeral Home, St. Johns.