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Daniel Raymond Francis Quigley
Daniel Raymond Francis Quigley, 69, of St. Johns, MI, peacefully passed away Wednesday, February 10, 2021, at his home surrounded by his family.
A Memorial Service will be held at St. Johns Seventh Day Adventist Church, 1400 Oakland St., St. Johns, MI, on Sunday, February 14, 2021 at 11:00 A.M., with Pastors Dan Towar and Monte Landis officiating. Burial will take place at a later date at South Bingham Township Cemetery, St. Johns, MI.
Dan was born in Chatham, Ontario, Canada on February 20, 1951, the son of Francis Thomas Aloysius and Iva Mae (Morey) Quigley. On May 14, 1971 Daniel married Sheila Delores Blood at the First United Methodist Church, St. Johns. They were blessed with nearly 50 years of marriage.
Dan loved to travel and see different places. He enjoyed driving semi all over the country. He was a very competitive Monopoly player and liked to play baseball against other churches. Most of all, Dan loved his family and always looked forward to spending time with them.
Dan is survived by his wife Sheila, son Matthew Quigley of Haslett, daughter Rebekah (Dale) Mulder Jr. of Ovid and grandson Dale Mulder. He is also survived by 2 brothers: Michael Thomas Quigley and Larry Quigley of Ontario, Canada; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. Dan was preceded in death by his parents.
Memorials may be made to St. Johns Seventh Day Adventist Church, 1400 Oakland St., St. Johns, MI 48879 or the Salvation Army. The family is being served by Smith Family Funeral Homes – Osgood Chapel, St. Johns, MI.
Joseph Frank Houska Jr.
Joseph Frank Houska Jr., age 79, of Elsie, MI, passed away Tuesday, February 9, 2021, at his home (not Covid related).
Funeral Services will be held at Smith Family Funeral Homes Elsie, MI, on Sunday, February 14, 2021 at 1:00 P.M., with Rev. Fr. David Jenuwine and Mr. Thomas J. Bradley officiating. Burial will take place at Ford Cemetery, Gratiot County, MI. Visitation will be held on Friday, February 12, 2021 from 2-8 P.M. with family present from 2-4 and 6-8 P.M. and also on Saturday, February 13, 2021 from 5-8 P.M. at the funeral home. A prayer service will be held on Friday at the funeral home at 6:00 P.M.
Joseph was born in Elsie, MI on December 3, 1941, the son of Joseph Frank and Mildred Ann (Fornusek) Houska. He graduated from Elsie High School with the class of 1959. Joe married Joyce Marie Thelen on April 23, 1966 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, St. Johns, MI.
Joe was a lifelong farmer. He started farming at 11 years old and worked up until the day he passed. He enjoyed all hunting, but especially deer hunting. Joe loved spending time with his wife, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. He also liked playing his accordion and gardening. Joe was a volunteer for the Elsie Ambulance Service for many years, and a lifetime member of the ZCBJ Lodge, Bannister.
He is survived by his wife of 54 years Joyce Houska of Elsie, MI; children: Joe III and Kristy Houska of Elsie, MI, Jan and Todd Gulick of Grand Ledge, MI, Julie and Russ Smith of Elsie, MI, and Jeff and Carrie Houska of Elsie, MI; grandchildren: Jensen and Zack Schmidt, Wesley Houska and Fisher “David” Houska, Jackie and Matt Harris, Adam Gulick, Robbie Klco and fiancée Abby Brenz, Jeffrey and Kelsey Houska, Justin Houska and fiancée Destinee Rice, and Jamie Houska, great-grandchildren: Connor Harris, baby boy Harris on the way, Elliot Schmidt, and baby Houska on the way; brother John and Rosemary Houska of Elsie, MI, in-laws: Carlene and Jerry Smith, Diane and John Kusnier (lifelong best friend), Mary Jane Feldpausch, Donna Seay, Eileen Schneider, Judy and Bruce Cameron, and Lynn and Janet Thelen. He is also survived by many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, mother and father-in-law Laurene and Carl Thelen, in- laws: Ron Schneider, Dale Feldpausch, and John Seay.
Memorials may be made to WOES Radio, Elsie, MI or to Elsie Fire and Rescue, Elsie, MI. The family is being served by Smith Family Funeral Homes, Elsie, MI.
Marjorie Ann Floate
Marjorie Ann (Hylbak) Floate of East Lansing, formerly of Greenville and Maple Rapids went to be with the Lord on Tuesday, December 29, 2020 after a brief battle following a stroke. Marge was 84.
A Memorial Service will be held at Smith Family Funeral Homes – Osgood Chapel, St. Johns, MI on Saturday, April 3, 2021 at 1:00 P.M., with her grandson Mr. Cody Floate officiating. Visitation will be held on Friday, April 2, 2021 from 4-8 P.M. at the funeral home.
Marge was born on March 15, 1936 in Lake Mills, Iowa, the daughter to the late Oscar and Luella (Bergo) Hylbak. During her childhood, her family moved to Fremont, NE. Upon graduation from Fremont High, Marge moved to Omaha, NE where she met her husband Lyle Floate. They were married on December 14, 1958 in Fremont. Marge and Lyle moved the family to Maple Rapids, MI in 1967.
Marge started working in the insurance industry early in her life. Her first job was at Mutual of Omaha and then upon moving to Michigan, she started working as a secretary for the State Farm office in Maple Rapids. During her years working in the office, she gained a wealth of knowledge about the business. In 1983, Marge became a State Farm insurance agent and continued as an agent until her retirement. During retirement, Marge and Lyle traveled often taking trips that included Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, England, Ireland, Scotland, Hawaii and several road trips in the US before making Auburndale, FL their winter home.
Marge was a wonderful and caring mother to her children who survive her, Michelle Roepke (friend Tom Rich) and Tim (Diane) Floate, her grandchildren: Kendra (Travis) Boggs, Cody (Emily) Floate, Jantzen Floate and Gabrielle Floate; and great grandchildren: Carson and Jackson Boggs. Marge was preceded in death by her husband Lyle Floate, and siblings Marion Schenzel, Christine Pearson, and Martin Hylbak.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Boys Town located in Boys Town, NE in Marge’s honor. The family is being served by Smith Family Funeral Homes – Osgood Chapel, St. Johns, MI.
Barbara Ann Biddle Minarik
Barbara Ann Biddle Minarik, a long time resident of St. Johns and native of Owosso, Michigan, died peacefully at her home on February 6, 2021 at the age of 83.
Barb Biddle was born in Owosso, Michigan on January 25, 1938, the daughter of Cecil and Leena Biddle and grew up in Owosso. On October 29, 1955 she married Paul Minarik, the love of her life, in St. Joseph Catholic Church. They went on to celebrate over fifty-six years of marriage.
Barb was very active at her church, St. Joseph Catholic Church in St. Johns. She served as housekeeper for Fr. Hankard and Monsignor Lunsford, cared for the priest vestments, served as Sanctuary Chairperson, Eucharistic Minister, and brought Communion to the homebound. Barb served for over twenty-five years at St. Joseph Catholic School. She worked with children as a teacher’s aid, was the school Carnival Chairperson, and cooked meals in the cafeteria for many years.
Barb enjoyed being active in 4-H with her children, enjoyed tending to her large vegetable garden, cooking, baking, and loved opportunities to sing. She was very loving and caring of her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren and trusted in the Lord to give her the strength to endure.
She is survived by her companion, Bob Nurenberg; her daughter, Linda (Mike) Fox; her sons, Jerry (Dena) Minarik, and Donald (Shawn) Minarik; grandchildren, Mitchell (Erica) Fox, Kassondra (Corbin) Feldspausch, April Minarik, Christopher Minarik, Justin Minarik, Leesa Vaclavik, Amber, Tyler, and Ashley Minarik; great grandchildren, Savannah, Coltyn, Xander, Zoey, Jaxon, Levi, T.J., Callie, Emma, Logan, Ryder, Mikala, and Madilynn; many nieces, nephews, dear friends, and her faithful dog, Dakota. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband Paul in 2011, sons, David and Ron Minarik, parents, Cecil and Lena Biddle, sister, Joan (Paul) Ocko, and brothers, Dan (Diane) Biddle and Bob (Bette) Biddle.
Visitation will be held at McGeehan Funeral Home, Keck-Coleman Chapel, 1500 Waterford Parkway, St. Johns, on Wednesday, February 10, from 2-8 PM with a Vigil Service at 7 PM. *For those friends attending the visitation, please call the funeral home at 989-224-4422 to schedule an hour between 2 and 8 to attend.
Mass of the Resurrection will be celebrated at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 109 Linden St., St. Johns, on Thursday, February 11, at 11 AM with the Rev. Fr. Michael Williams officiating. Mass may be viewed via Livestream on the church YouTube page. Burial will follow in Mt. Rest Cemetery. Memorials may be made in her name to St. Joseph School.
John R. Gilpin
John R. Gilpin, a resident of the St. Johns area for many years, died peacefully at his home in the care of his family on February 5, 2021 after valiantly battling pulmonary fibrosis for many years.
He is survived by his daughters, Shelley Gilpin of Switz City, IN and Tina Saltsman of Lansing; his son, Eric (Sandy) Gilpin of Bloomington, IN; twenty-four grandchildren and thirteen great grandchildren; siblings, Richard “Dick” (Sharon) Gilpin of AZ, Louise (Andy) Pryor of CO, and David (Heidi) Gilpin of Mt. Pleasant, and many nieces, nephews, and dear friends. He was preceded in death by his wives, Kaye Gilpin, and Susan (Miller) Gilpin who passed in August of last year. He was also preceded in death by a son, John Robert Gilpin II, and a sister, Brenda Coe.
John was retired from General Motors with whom he worked as a Supervisor for many years before his retirement in 1994. He was a member of Duplain Church of Christ and enjoyed volunteering at Rock Lake Christian Assembly. John loved golfing, watching sports, camping, and enjoyed one last special trip to Florida in his dream motor home “Black Beauty” just months ago. Wherever he went, he made friends easily and enjoyed good conversation. He will be dearly missed.
A Memorial Service will be held at Duplain Church of Christ, 5565 E. Colony Road, St. Johns, on Saturday, February 20, at 11AM. The family will receive friends and relatives from 10AM until the time of service.
Memorials may be made in his name to Rock Lake Christian Assembly, 7389 E. Vestaburg Rd., Vestaburg, MI 48891. For further information please contact McGeehan Funeral Home, Keck-Coleman Chapel, St. Johns.
James B. Schumaker
James B. Schumaker, a lifelong resident of St. Johns, passed peacefully at home, surrounded by his family, on February 5, 2021 after valiant, year long battle with brain cancer.
He is survived by his beloved wife of twenty seven years, Kelly (nee. Bryde) Schumaker; son, Jason (Angela) Schumaker; daughters, Jessica (Luke) McMasters, Jenna (Jake Sturgis) Schumaker; grandchildren, Jack, Chaz, Ajay Schumaker, Milo McMasters and one on the way. He was preceded in death by his parents, John W. and Rachel (nee. Warner) Schumaker.
Family will receive friends and family on Monday, February 8, 2021 from 2-7 PM at McGeehan Funeral Home, Keck-Coleman Chapel 1500 Waterford Pkwy., St. Johns. For those friends attending the visitation, please call the funeral home at 989-224-4422 to schedule an hour between 2 PM and 7 PM.
A private Funeral Service will take place on Tuesday, February 9, 2021. Burial Mt. Rest Cemetery, St. Johns, Michigan.
Thomas William Walker
Thomas William Walker, age 81, of St. Johns, MI, passed away peacefully with his niece and nephew at his side Thursday, February 4, 2021, at Sparrow Hospital, Lansing.
Funeral Services will be held at Smith Family Funeral Homes – Osgood Chapel, St. Johns, MI, on Saturday, February 13, 2021 at 1:00 P.M., with Pastor Mona Kindel officiating. The service will be streamed live on the Smith Family Funeral Homes’ Facebook page. Visitation will be from 11:00 A.M. until the time of service.
Tom was born in Detroit, Michigan on September 19, 1939, the son of Eldred O. and Romilda Josephine (Schafer) Walker. He attended the St. Johns Military Academy in Delafield, WI. Tom proudly served his country in the U.S. Army and was a member of the American Legion Post #153 in St. Johns, MI.
On November 11, 1961 Tom married Janet Marie Wilkie at the Church of the Nazarene, St. Johns, Michigan. She preceded him in death on July 29, 2020 after 58 years of marriage.
Tom was an avid outdoorsman and collector of all things, but especially John Deere tractors and memorabilia. As a young man he worked at the family restaurant, Walker’s Cafe. After his military service, he was employed by General Motors, retiring in 2001 after over 40 years of service. He was a kindhearted, generous man who was always smiling. Tom never knew a stranger and had a gift of gab which he loved to share, especially with his friends at Swany’s Pub & Grub.
Tom is survived by his sister Pru Walker Cooley (Dick) of Ft. Myers Beach, FL, and sister-in-law Kay Wilkie. He is also survived by nieces: Ann Martin Blier, Lynne (Rick) Priester, Brenda (Doug) Fedewa, and Jenifer (Dan) Smith; nephews: Bill (Vicki) Martin and Brandon (Samantha) Schrock; several great nieces and nephews, one cousin Janet Mann, and special friends: Dana Swanson and Tom Klein. Tom was preceded in death by his parents, wife Janet, his sister Joyce Ann Walker; brother-in-law Glen Wilkie, and nephews: Scott Wilkie and Paul Wilkie.
Memorials may be made to St. Johns American Legion Post #153 – P.O. Box 265 St. Johns, MI 48879. The family is being served by Smith Family Funeral Homes – Osgood Chapel, St. Johns, Michigan.
Divorce decrees filed the weeks of~ January 18, 25 and February 1, 2021
Root, Christie L. / Root, Jason M.
Jimmerson, Anne Marie / Jimmerson, Jack D.
Flegler, Yvonne M. / Flegler, William H.