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John T. Watkins died Wednesday, August 28, 2019 at the age of 59. He was born August 17, 1960 in Lansing, MI the son of John and Mary (Schrader) Watkins. John was a graduate of St. Johns High School, Class of 1978, attended Ferris State University and earned his Bachelor\u2019s degree from Michigan State University.<\/p>\n
JT enjoyed golfing, was an enthusiastic Detroit Tigers fan but he was mostly an avid MSU Spartan Sports fan, especially football. He was co-owner\/operator of Knob Hill Tavern between St. Johns and DeWitt.<\/p>\n
Surviving is his wife, Julie; step-children, Emberly (Skylar) Drews and Rich (Katie) Gregory; step grandchildren, Ally, Mia Grace and Larson Drews and Dylan and Millie Gregory. He was preceded in death by his parents.<\/p>\n
A celebration of John\u2019s life will be held September 21, 2019 at Knob Hill Tavern 8430 S. Old US 27 DeWitt. The celebration will begin one hour prior to the kickoff of the MSU – Northwestern game. GO GREEN!<\/p>\n
The family was assisted with these arrangements by Keck-Coleman Funeral Home<\/font><\/a>, St. Johns.<\/p>\n Mark P. Schafer<\/strong><\/p>\n A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Fowler, MI, on Friday, August 30, 2019 at 10:30 A.M., with Rev. Fr. Dennis Howard officiating. Burial will take place at Most Holy Trinity Cemetery, Fowler, MI. Visitation will be held on Thursday, August 29, 2019 from 2-8 P.M. with family present 2-4 and 6-8 P.M. at Smith Family Funeral Homes – Goerge Chapel, Fowler, MI. A Rosary will be prayed at 4:00 P.M. on Thursday.<\/p>\n Mark was born in Fowler, MI on December 25, 1935 the son of Martin P. and Esther A. (Miller) Schafer. He resided most of his life in Fowler and Grand Ledge. Mark served his country in the U.S. Army and was a bugler for Military Honor Guard Services for 56 years. After an honorable discharge, he worked as a Maintenance Carpenter for General Motors in Lansing, retiring after 30 years. He was an experienced private pilot for over 25 years, owning several different planes. Mark also was a drummer with the brass band The Harmonairs for 25 years. Mark will always be remembered for his gift of story telling, love of people and outgoing personality.<\/p>\n Mark loved his family. He is survived by his wife JoAnn Schafer of Bradenton, FL; 3 daughters: Lisa Schafer of Lansing, MI; Lori Schafer and Teri Woodbury of Dimondale, MI; Lynn Schafer of Lansing, MI; 2 step sons: Rick McDaniels of Lansing, MI; Jeff McDaniels of East Lansing, MI; 2 step daughters: Penny and Grady Penny of Lansing, MI; Wendy and Joe Ghinelli of Mason, MI; brother Jerome and Trudy Schafer of DeWitt, MI; sister Shirley and Don Simon of Macomb, MI; brother Francis and Mari Schafer of Williamston, MI. Mark was preceded in death by his parents, brother Paul Schafer and sister Georgiann Ward.<\/p>\n Memorials may be made to Sparrow Hospice in Mark’s honor with a special thank you extended to Bill and Jennifer. The family is being served by Smith Family Funeral Homes<\/font><\/a> – Goerge Chapel, Fowler, MI.<\/p>\n Jack Giesecke<\/strong><\/p>\n He graduated from Elgin High School and DePauw University, where he was a member of Delta Chi fraternity and a Communications major. He later attended Michigan State University for graduate work and became a die-hard Spartan fan. It was through his student and future brother-in-law, Dick Northrup, that he met his wife, Marta Jean Swanson. They were married on April 27, 1968, and had a wonderfully happy marriage, celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary shortly before her death on June 21, 2018.<\/p>\n They began married life in East Lansing and eventually settled in St. Johns, where they lived for 42 years. Jack and Marta enjoyed collecting antiques for their older Victorian home and loved to entertain family and friends there. Jack took great pride in their home and would happily relate its history to anyone who was interested.<\/p>\n Jack\u2019s early career was a business he developed renting televisions and bicycles to students at several Big Ten universities. As the rental business grew, he wrote a letter to his parents expressing optimism that \u201cthis could turn into full-time employment for me.\u201d That it did, and more. He grew his fledgling company into The Stereo Shoppe, selling high-end audio\/video equipment at five locations across Michigan. He loved making deals and had great fun negotiating with customers to find a fair price. He thoroughly enjoyed writing the well-known commercials that included The Stereo Shoppe Man and Wiley Moose and had many wonderful times over 40+ years with his Stereo Shoppe guys.<\/p>\n Jack loved his community and was a faithful supporter at Sea Lions meets, band concerts, softball games, tennis matches, football concession stands, and a myriad of other activities their three kids participated in over the years. He enjoyed a busy home with lots of friends and always made everyone feel welcome and part of the family, especially their children\u2019s friends. He and Marta delighted in opening their home for swim team dinners, Lions Band events, slumber parties, their annual Christmas Open House, family celebrations, home tours, and Stereo Shoppe parties. The family was active in the First Congregational Church of St. Johns for many years, where Jack served on several boards and committees and made many dear friends. He was also a long-time board member of the R.J. Scheffel Memorial Toy Project in Lansing and was instrumental in setting the organization\u2019s future course.<\/p>\n Jack\u2019s very favorite place was the family cottage his grandparents built in the 1920s at Big Sand Lake Club in Wisconsin. There he grew up loving to fish off the big dock, carry on family traditions, and enjoy the quiet life of the North woods. He made lifelong friends at the Club and passed his love of Big Sand on to his children and grandchildren who are the fifth generation to enjoy this wonderful place.<\/p>\n A special part of Jack\u2019s life was collecting Lionel trains – a hobby that began when he received his first train set as a child. For many years he traveled to model train shows in Pennsylvania and Michigan, enjoying the \u201chunt\u201d for new pieces and spending time with his special train-collecting buddies from around the country. Jack eventually converted two rooms in their home to display his collection of pre- and post-War era Lionel trains and accessories on floor-to-ceiling shelves. He always had great fun setting up a huge layout in their living room to \u201cplay trains\u201d with his kids and grandkids.<\/p>\n Avid Spartan fans, Jack and Marta held season tickets for MSU football and basketball for more than 40 years and enjoyed cheering on the Spartans at home, as well as following them to Tournament games. They liked to travel, try new restaurants, pile the family into the station wagon for Sunday drives, sit on the back porch, and organize friends for a fun night out. He loved good German food, a cold beer, bakeries, and especially pie.<\/p>\n Most of all, Jack will be remembered for his wonderful sense of humor and joking nature, love of family, integrity, fairness, and a work ethic often unmatched. He always seemed to find a way to make things happen by \u201clooking at the options\u201d with the firm belief that \u201call is possible.\u201d In recent years, as Parkinson\u2019s sapped his health, he handled the transition with his usual determination and good humor.<\/p>\n Surviving are his children, Jennifer (Jim) Beagle of St. Johns, MI; Michael (Laura) Giesecke of Scottsdale, AZ; and Betsy (Brandon) Chaffee of Granville, OH. Also surviving are his much loved grandchildren, Andy, Sam, Nicholas, Regan, Parker, McKenna, Evan, Matthew and Henry; sister, Nancy (Stu) Greene of Auburn, ME; sister, Sally (Bill) Giese of Hudson, WI; several dear cousins; in-laws, Jeff and Kathy Jackson of Grand Ledge, MI; and many loving nieces, nephews, cousins, and special family friends. In addition to his wife, Marta, he was predeceased by his parents, Marta\u2019s parents, Stanley and Doris Swanson, and in-laws, Dick and Mary Jane Northrup.<\/p>\n Jack’s family wishes to thank The Willows at East Lansing and Sparrow Hospice Services for caring for him with kindness, dignity, and respect. A special thank you to Hospice nurse, Karen Small.<\/p>\n The family will receive friends on Friday, September 6, from 4-7 p.m. at Keck-Coleman Funeral Home<\/font><\/a> in St.Johns. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 7, at 11 a.m. at Redeemer United Methodist Church of St. Johns, 200 E. State St., with visitation beginning at 10 a.m.\u200b \u200bPrivate interment will take place at Mt. Rest Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the R.J. Scheffel Memorial Toy Project, P.O. Box 23181, Lansing, MI,48909. Online condolences may be made at Keck-Coleman Funeral Home<\/font><\/a>.<\/p>\n Doris M. Orson<\/strong><\/p>\n A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Joseph Catholic Church, St. Johns, MI, at 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, August 28, 2019, with Rev. Fr. Michael Williams officiating. Burial will take place at Mt. Rest Cemetery, St. Johns, MI. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, August 27, 2019 from 2-8 P.M. with family present from 2-4 and 6-8 P.M. at Smith Family Funeral Homes – Osgood Chapel. Rosary will be prayed at 7:00 P.M. on Tuesday at the funeral home.<\/p>\n Doris was born in Lansing, Michigan on February 3, 1930, the daughter of Leonard J. and Amalia (Kolp) Smith. She graduated from Westphalia High School with the class of 1948. She married Frederick P. Orson on June 21, 1952, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Westphalia. He passed away on November 17, 2004.<\/p>\n Doris worked as an Ad Writer and did Composition work at the St. Johns Reminder for nearly 28 years. She was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church, St. Johns, MI.<\/p>\n She is survived by 3 daughters: Kathleen Orson of St. Johns, MI; Marie (Roy) Westendorff, Jr. of Lawrence, MI; Anita Olney of Fowler, MI; son Carl (Vicki) Orson of St. Johns, MI; 9 grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren; sister Donna Meitler of Grand Ledge, MI; brother Robert (Ellen) Smith of Grand Ledge, MI; and aunt Rose Kolp of Westphalia, MI. She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, step-mother Romilda Smith, and sister SueAnn (Ralph) Leonard of Lansing.<\/p>\n Memorials may be made to American Heart Association or your local humane society. The family is being served by Smith Family Funeral Homes<\/font><\/a> – Osgood Chapel, St. Johns, Michigan.<\/p>\n Richard W. Kohls<\/strong><\/p>\n In 1950, Dick started a family footwear business in downtown St. Johns (Kohls Shoes) which he operated until 1963. He then went to work for Oldsmobile retiring 22 years later. Dick is a member of the American Legion and a former member of the St. Johns Lions Club. On June 26, 1948 he married Helen Arndt and she preceded him in death in 2010.<\/p>\n Surviving is a daughter, Karen (Kenneth) Pontius of DeWitt; one son, William (Angela) Kohls of Beaver Island; grandchildren, Kenneth Pontius III (Shannon), Kristin Knight, Megan (Ahbi) Maheshwari, Cassandra (Scott) Wallace, Christopher Shockey and six great grandchildren.<\/p>\n The family will receive relatives and friends from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 28, 2019 at Keck-Coleman Funeral Home<\/font><\/a>, St. Johns. Private services will be held. Memorials may be made to the Beaver Island Rural Health Center, 37304 Kings Highway, Beaver Island MI 49782 or Beaver Island EMS, 37830 Kings Highway, Beaver Island MI 49782.<\/p>\n Patricia A. Kuenzli<\/strong><\/p>\n Also surviving are her children, Leslie (Dale) Lotspeich of Elko County, NV, Lisa (Steve) Croissant of Bently, CO, Jolene (Mitch) Supp of Wells, NV, Jennifer Dominguez of St. Johns and John(Grace) Kuenzli of Huntsville, AL; fourteen grandchildren; five great grandchildren; one brother, Gerald Trumble of Farwell, MI and a sister, Cheryl Rogers of Portland, MI. She was preceded in death by a brother James Trumble and a son-in-law Conrad Dominguez.<\/p>\n A memorial service will be held 2:00 PM Sunday, September 1, 2019 at Keck-Coleman Funeral Home<\/font><\/a>, St. Johns with Rev. Suzanne Goodwin officiating. The family will receive relatives and friends from 1:00 PM until service time at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to Redeemer United Methodist Church St. Johns Campus.<\/p>\n Mary Jane Barrett<\/strong><\/p>\n Surviving is one daughter, Jean (Virgil) Kemp; two sons, Westley (Kymberlee) Barrett and James Barrett; six grandchildren; twelve great grandchildren and one sister, Carolyn Geller. She was also predeceased by a daughter, Wenda Kimmey; three sisters, Dorothy Prowant, Ruth Caudy, and Martha Windsor; a brother, Milo Pecktil and two half brothers, Floyd and Lyle Pecktil.<\/p>\n Cremation has taken place and private graveside services will be held. Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society. The family was assisted with these arrangements by Keck-Coleman Funeral Home<\/font><\/a>, St. Johns.<\/p>\n George “Sam” Robinson<\/strong><\/p>\n The family will receive friends at Watkins Brothers Funeral Homes<\/font><\/a>, 520 W. Main St., Owosso, MI 48867 from 1-3:00 PM and 5-8:00 PM on Wednesday, August 28, 2019 with a Celebration of Life service at 6:30 p.m.<\/p>\n Sam was born July 7, 1943 in Ovid, Michigan to George and Thelma (Austin) Robinson. He entered the United States Air Force and served his country from 1962-1966. He was stationed many places but his favorite was Thule, Greenland. He married the love of his life, Kathie, in Pittsburgh, PA on May 8, 1965. He retired from Consumers Energy in 1998 after 31 years of service as a gas linesman. He enjoyed golfing, watching NASCAR, football, baseball and recently began doing the dishes in \u201chis\u201d kitchen.<\/p>\n Sam is survived by his wife of 54 years, Kathie; his children, Kris (Mark) Young, Ann (Tim) Murphy and Kevin Robinson, cherished granddaughter Erin Young, many grandpets, lifelong friend Bert Leland and golf buddy Jim Shipley. He was predeceased by his parents, his brother Stanley Robinson and his special Aunt Gladys Austin.<\/p>\n Memorials are suggested to National Multiple Sclerosis Society, 29777 Telegraph Road (Onyx Office Building), Suite 1651, Southfield, MI 48034 or St. Jude\u2019s Children Research Hospital,262 Danny Thomas Pl., Memphis, TN 38105 or to a charity of the donor\u2019s choice.<\/p>\n Rose W. Ritter<\/strong><\/p>\n Surviving are four sons, Randy (Connie) Ritter of Chelsea, Michael (Devona) Ritter of Ovid, David (Genny) Ritter and Larry Ritter all of St. Johns; eleven grandchildren and several great and great great grandchildren. She was predeceased by a daughter, Karen Russell.<\/p>\n A celebration of Rose\u2019s life will be held Saturday, September 7, 2019 from 1:00 to 4:00 PM at the St. Johns City Park. Memorials may be made to Solid Rock Church 810 Tecumseh Rd. Clinton, MI 49236. The family was assisted with these arrangements by Keck-Coleman Funeral Home<\/font><\/a>, St. Johns.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Obituaries John T. Watkins John T. Watkins died Wednesday, August 28, 2019 at the age of 59. He was born August 17, 1960 in Lansing, MI the son of John and Mary (Schrader) Watkins. John was a graduate of St. Johns High School, Class of 1978, attended Ferris State University and earned his Bachelor\u2019s degree Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5656","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-transitions"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/newindy\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5656","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/newindy\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/newindy\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/newindy\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/newindy\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5656"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/newindy\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5656\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/newindy\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5656"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/newindy\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5656"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/newindy\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5656"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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Mark P. Schafer, age 83 of Bradenton, FL formerly of Fowler, MI passed away Monday, August 26, 2019 surrounded by his family.<\/p>\n
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John Raymond \u201cJack\u201d Giesecke of St. Johns passed away peacefully on August 21, 2019, at age 80. He was born April 26, 1939, in Chicago, IL, to Raymond and Marie (Keese) Giesecke and grew up as the oldest of three children at Sunny Knoll, the family home in Bartlett, IL. As a child, he was active in their church, Boy Scouts, baseball and played the tuba. He developed a life-long devotion to the Chicago Cubs as a young boy, spending many happy days listening to games on his radio.<\/p>\n
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Doris M. Orson, age 89, of St. Johns, MI, passed away Saturday, August 24, 2019, at her home.<\/p>\n
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Richard W. Kohls, 94, of Beaver Island, MI formerly of St. Johns, MI died Thursday, August 22, 2019. He was born June 14, 1925 in Midland, MI the son of Clarence (Max) and Hazel (Burrows) Kohls. Dick enlisted in the Army during WWII and spent almost a year in the Southwest Pacific as a member of the 371st Bombardment Squadron serving as aircrew for a B-24 bomber (the \u201cLiberator\u201d) on bombing and reconnaissance missions. After returning from his military service he enrolled in Western Michigan University earning a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration.<\/p>\n
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Patricia A. Kuenzli, 81, died Monday, April 29, 2019 in Mesa, AZ where she spent her winters. She was born November 27, 1937 in Grand Rapids, MI the daughter of John and Ruth (Quarton) Trumble. Pat earned her Master\u2019s Degree in Education from Michigan State University and was a teacher for the St. Johns Public Schools, retiring in 1994 with 30 years of service. She was a member of Redeemer United Methodist Church St. Johns Campus. On December 21, 1957 she married F. Dale Kuenzli and he survives her.<\/p>\n
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Mary Jane Barrett died Friday, August 23, 2019 at the age of 84. She was born April 4, 1935 in Maple Rapids, MI the daughter of Fred and Lydia (McCracken) Pecktil. On September 4, 1954 she married Joseph Barrett and he preceded her in death in 1987.<\/p>\n
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George “Sam” Robinson, age 76 of Owosso, passed away Friday, August 23, 2019 at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, MI.<\/p>\n
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Rose W. Ritter, 86, of Chelsea, MI formerly of St. Johns, MI died Tuesday, August 20, 2019. She was born April 26, 1933 in Greenville, MI the daughter of Edgar and Mary (Ireland) Wilkes. Rose attended First Assembly of God Church in St. Johns and was currently attending Solid Rock Church in Clinton, MI. She enjoyed doing crafts of all kinds and during her working career she was an aide at several adult care facilities but primarily she was a homemaker taking care of her family. On July 15, 1951 she married James Ritter and he preceded her in death in 2017.<\/p>\n