Obituaries

Teresa I. LaDuke ofAlamoTownship diedSunday, September 28, 2008, inKalamazoo. Teresa was bornApril 30, 1960. Surviving are her fiancé, Bill Burkhead; her daughter, Jessica LaDuke and her fiancé, Mark Keech; two granddaughters, Cammi and Mia; her parents, Bernard and Sylvia (Bernier) Wilcox of Allegan; several sisters and brothers. The family will receive friends from1to4 P.M.Wednesday atWinkel Funeral Home.A pot luck gathering...

HaleWilson“H.W.” Hale ofNorth Ridgeville,OH diedSeptember 26, 2008inOhio. Mr. Hale was bornJanuary 14, 1917in Allegan to Guy and Ruby (Gillette) Hale and was a lifelong resident of the Allegan area until 1998 when he and his wife, Clio, moved toToledo,OHto be near their daughter, Linda. Beginning in 1947 he was employed with Imperial Carving until his retirement in 1980. Hale was...

Albert P. ‘Butch’ Germain ofWatsonTownship passed awayFriday, September 26, 2008inGrand Rapids. Butch was bornAugust 17, 1947in Plainwell, the son of John ‘Jack’ and Alleen (Brewster) Germain. He earned a Bachelors and Masters Degree fromWesternMichiganUniversity. For over 30 years, he taught atMartinPublic Schools. Butch was a member of theAlleganCounty4-H Travelers Club, the Martin Lions Club, and the Allegan and Martin Lionesses...

Mildred R. Ayres of Plainwell passed awayThursday, September 11, 2008inKalamazoo. Mildred was bornSeptember 23, 1921inTexarkana,Arkansas, the daughter of Robert and Ruth (Wallace) Connor. Surviving are 1 son, Phil (Leslie) Ayres of Plainwell; granddaughter, Joanna McHugh of Plainwell; 4 great grandchildren, Courtnie, Chelsea, Joshua and Cody; 3 step-grandchildren, Patti Kanipe, Peggy Trumble, Paul Trumble Jr., 3 step-great grandchildren, Nate, Jessica and...

Jack B. Forbes of Kalamazoo, MI, passed awaySaturday, September 6, 2008. Mr. Forbes was bornApril 8, 1934inGrand Rapidsto Clarence and Jessie (McDonald) Forbes. After 42 years of service, he retired from Menasha Paper Co. Jack was an active member of theOtsegoUnitedMethodistChurchwhere he was part of the Apple Dumpling Gang and the Lunch Bunch. In his younger years he enjoyed snowmobiling,...

Roger Brooks Warren of Otsego, Michigan, rotated to the heavens on August 31, 2008, doing what he loved most – flying helicopters. Roger was born September 7, 1964, to Zach and Jeanette (Walker) Warren. A multiple All State and All Conference track athlete and track team captain at Otsego High School, Roger held at one time six track and field...

Mr. Marion ‘ Peach’ Marciniak of Alamo Township passed awaySunday, August 31, 2008at Kairos Dwelling inKalamazoo. Mr. Marciniak was bornApril 15, 1926inGrand Rapids, the son of Peter and Mary (Alicke) Marciniak. Peach was an Army veteran of World War II. He served as a sharpshooter under General George Patton in the European Theater at theBattleof the Bulge, where he was...

Kenneth Lee (LeRoy) Russell of Kalamazoo, MI (formerly of Otsego) went home to be with the Lord, surrounded by family at Kairos Dwelling, onAugust 26, 2008. Ken was born inSchoolcraft,MI, onMay 6, 1922. He was the only child of Leo F. and Viola (Russell) Russell, who preceded him in death. For four years he served in the Army Air Corps...

Elwin D. ‘Al’ Bronson ofOtsegopassed away Friday morning,August 22, 2008at his home with his family by his side. His last days were filled with family and friends, jokes, laughter and love. Al was bornJune 21, 1926in Otsego, the son of Paul and Ruth (Null) Bronson. He was a Veteran of WWII, serving in the Navy. Beginning in his teenage years...

Raylene ‘Bubbles’ Riston ofPlainwell passed awayWednesday, August 13, 2008inKalamazoo. Raylene was bornOctober 29, 1947in Plainwell, the daughter of Raymond and Earlene (Braizer) Lober. She was a graduate ofMartinHigh Schooland earned an Associates Degree fromFerrisStateUniversity. In her younger years, Raylene had been very active in 4H. She was a meticulous record keeper and enjoyed sewing, watching Law And Order and soap...

Julia A. Schiebergen of AlamoTownship passed awayMonday, August 11, 2008inAlamo. Julia was bornOctober 23, 1917in Parchment, the daughter of Julius and Anna (Kuternoga) Czernecki. Julia was a graduate ofKalamazooCentralHigh Schooland went on to take some accounting at college. She had worked for many companies over the years, most of that for Protection Products, retiring in the early 1980’s. OnSeptember 30,...

Loena K. Matthews(Jewson, Healey) passed away on August 11, 2008 after a long illness at Florida Hospital in Sebring, FL. She was born to Paul and Beatrice Jewson, January 31, 1925 in Otsego, MI. She graduated from Otsego High School in 1943. Loena was employed by Springfield Public Schools in the business office. After her retirement, she moved to Avon...

Sandra Livingston ofOtsego,Michigan diedThursday, August 7, 2008inGrand Rapids. Sandra was bornJuly 30, 1957inKalamazoo, the daughter of Arthur and Ruth (Miller) Livingston.Sandygraduated fromPlainwellHigh Schooland has worked at Alamo Nursing Home for over 22 years.Surviving are 2 sisters, LindaBurtonof Otsego and Sally Waldron of Allegan; 2 nephews and 1 niece, Alan, Ginger and Dennis; 1 great nephew, Heath. Friends may meet with...

Donald W. “Don” Garthe ofPlainwell,MI went to be with the Lord onThursday, July 31, 2008at his home, with his family at his side. Don was born onJune 9, 1939inDetroitand was raised there by his loving parents Paul and Helen (Yambor) Garthe until they moved toKalamazoowhen Don was a High School senior. In 1960 he began working at Peterson Spring where...

Bernard J. “Ben” Budzinski of Otsego,Michigan passed awaySunday, July 27, 2008in Plainwell. Ben was bornJuly 27, 1913in Paw Paw, MI the son of John and Antoinette (Zurawski) Budzinski. He was working in a Ferris Foundry inKalamazoowhen he got pneumonia and was hospitalized. While still recuperating, his doctor advised him to find another job, and not go back to the foundry...

Lester A. Hermenitt ofOtsego passed awayMonday, July 21, 2008inKalamazoo. Lester was bornDecember 13, 1945in Plainwell, the son of Ray and Vera (Earl) Hermenitt. He was a graduate ofDeltonHigh Schooland a Navy veteran of the Vietnam War. When he was living inTexas, he mounted horns from Longhorn and Watusi cattle. He enjoyed golfing and fishing. OnJune 21, 2003, in Orangeville, he...

Eleanor M. Black ofKalamazoo,Michigan passed awayFriday, July 18, 2008inKalamazoo. Eleanor was bornApril 30, 1929inBattle Creek, the daughter of Ira and Daisy (Russell) Stouder. She was employed with Parker Hannifin for about 30 years and for a time she had done foster care. She enjoyed traveling and taking care of her grandchildren. OnAugust 10, 1957, Eleanor married Elmer Black ofAlamo, who...

Mrs. Frances L. Zantjer ofGobles, MI passed awayThursday, July 17, 2008at her home.Franceswas bornSeptember 6, 1916inLawton, the daughter of Herbert and Faye (Hamilton) Lofts. She was a member of theSeventhDayAdventistChurchin Gobles and for over 10 years she worked in the kitchen at the YWCA inKalamazoountil retirement. Her favorite pastimes were flower gardening and bird watching. Preceding her in death were...

Lloyd D. “Dave” Pixler ofOtsego passed awayTuesday, July 15, 2008inKalamazoo. Dave was bornMay 23, 1942inLancaster,Pennsylvaniathe son of Ward and Lillian (Davies) Pixler. He was a member of theLighthouseBaptistChurchin Plainwell. He was a historian, and some of his interests include railroads, gardening and woodworking. OnMarch 14, 1964inKalamazoo, he married Sharon Kiel, who survives. Also surviving are his daughter Karen Hummel of...

Vincent L. O’Neill ofOtsego,Michigan diedFriday, July 11, 2008in Allegan. Mr. O’Neill was bornJanuary 3, 1914inBoston,MAto James and Mary (Powers) O’Neill. For many years, he was employed with Standard Register Co. Later he served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing for both Sturgis-Newport Business Forms and later Star Business Forms. He was the past President of National Business Forms Assn....