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SHARON KAY GATCHELL
March 9, 1946 - May 27, 2013
Sharon “Kay” Gatchell, 67, of Coloma, passed away peacefully Monday, May 27, 2013 at Royalton Manor in St. Joseph.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at Duffield & Pastrick Family Funeral Home in Coloma. Visitation will be Thursday from 5 – 8 p.m.
Memorials may be made to Berrien County Cancer Service.
Those wishing to leave an online message or share a memory with the family may do so by selecting the "Sign the Guestbook" link on the left.
Kay was born March 9, 1946 in Niles, Michigan to Harold and Betty (Welsh) Zehner. She married Richard Gatchell on Aug. 15, 1965. The couple enjoyed 48 years together; raising their two children and later enjoying time with their beloved grandchildren. Kay worked at A&W; in Coloma for 20 years, Coloma Public Schools for 5 years and then at Lake Michigan College for 13 years. She enjoyed the Christmas holiday season, liked traveling to Mackinaw Island, visiting Bronners Christmas Wonderland and going camping.
Kay is survived by her husband Richard; two sons, Darrell (Kelly) Gatchell of Coloma and Doug (Tammy) Gatchell of Zealand, MI; two sisters, Sandy (Walter) Hatfield of Benton Harbor and Ruth (Chuck) Rantz of Watervliet; four brothers, Harold (Pam) Zehner, Phillip (Joni) Zehner, George (Holly) Zehner and Mike Zehner, all of Watervliet; and three grandchildren, Angel, Zach, and Benaiah.
She was preceded by her sister Brenda Brown in 2012, her parents, and her grandparents, Cleao and Glen Rife.
Aubrey E. Counts
August 30, 1920 - May 23, 2013
Aubrey Ellen Counts, 92 of Stevensville passed away, May 23, at Lakeland Regional Medical Center in St. Joseph.
Services will be held 1:00 pm Tuesday, May 28 with visitation beginning one hour prior at Duffield & Pastrick Family Funeral Home in Coloma. Burial will take place in McDaniel Memorial Gardens next to her first husband, James McCauley, in Kennett, Missouri at 11 a.m. Friday, May 31st.
Donations may be made to the Twelve Corners Community Church in Benton Harbor of which she was a member.
Those wishing to leave an online message of comfort for the family may do so by selecting the "Sign the Guestbook" link on the right.
Aubrey was born August 30, 1920 in Palatka, Ark to Robert and Mattie May (Sparks) Stacy.
Survivors include her husband Woodrow J. Counts; son Dan (Sue) McCauley; daughter Linda (John) Bellinger; three step children; Sandy (Doug) Lombard, Jim (Sylvia) Counts, and Janette (Bob) Brink; five grandchildren, Michal, Jacob, and Kellan McCauley, Karen Reinhardt, and Kurt Bellinger; step grandchildren, Scott (Kim) Lombard, Bryan Lombard, Kevin (Kristen) Counts, Cristin (Matt) Cruikshank, Deanna Kelly, Amy Kelly, and Joseph (Amber) Kelley. Also surviving are numerous great and great-great grandchildren, along with several nieces and nephews.
In addition to her first husband Aubrey was preceded in death by two infant children, Shelby and Donald, three sisters, Ora Floyd, Lela Yarbro, Julia Hawkins, and one brother Vuren Stacy.
LURETTA H. BROOKS
April 5, 1926 - May 21, 2013
Luretta H. Brooks, 87 of St. Joseph passed away at her residence Tuesday, May 21, 2013.
Per her wishes cremation has taken place. A memorial service will be held 11:00 am Saturday, May 25 followed by fellowship and refreshments at the Plymouth Congregational Church in Watervliet of which she was a member. The family will receive friends beginning one hour prior to the service. Donations in memory of Luretta may be made to the church food pantry. Those wishing to leave an online message of comfort for the family may do so at www.duffieldpastrick.com.
Luretta was born April 5, 1926 in Watervliet to Glen and Florence Nichols. She was a Girl Scout Leader, PTA President, President of the Ladies Aid Society of Plymouth Congregational Church, board member of Watervliet 40 Year Club. She was active in the church Food Pantry, loved cooking and giving away baked goods, and was a member of the Ladies Card Club.
Survivors include one daughter Sandra J. (Jerry E.) Pritchett of Watervliet, a granddaughter Sharla J. (Jason) Harpole of Portage and a great grandson Justin E. Harpole.
She was preceded in death by her husband Charles in 2002.
Russell Hayduk
BENTON HARBOR - Russell Hayduk, 81, of Benton Harbor died at 12:24 a.m. Friday, March 20, 2009, at Lakeland Regional Medical Center, St. Joseph of natural causes.
Two memorial services will be held: 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 22, at St. Bernard's Catholic Church in Benton Harbor and 7 a.m. Monday, May 11, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in St. Joseph. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Berrien County Humane Society. Hoven Funeral Home, Buchanan is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Hayduk was born Feb. 18, 1928, in McKeesport, Pa., and lived here since 1954. He was an operator with the Waste Water Plant in St. Joseph. Russell was a U.S. Army Korean War veteran (1948-1959) serving with the 33rd Infantry Division in Fort Davis, Canel Zone, and was awarded the National Defense Service Medal.
He never met a stranger and was always willing to help anyone. He had many friends. Russell was a loving husband, father and grandfather. Family was very important to him.
He is survived by his wife, Sara (Hernandez) Hayduk of Benton Harbor. They were married on Sept. 1, 1951, in Fort Kobbe, Canal Zone. Also surviving are sons, Kenneth Hayduk of Knoxville, Tenn., and Harry (Ramona) Hayduk of Waynesville, Mo.; daughter, Marta Daniels of Benton Harbor; 10 grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and a brother, John Hayduk of Port Vue, Pa.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Stephen and Eva Hayduk; two brothers, George and Harry Hayduk; and three sisters, Ann Castor, Mary Kmetko and Catherine Gallo.
Gunnars Varpa
BENTON HARBOR - In loving memory, Gunnars Varpa, 81 years old, passed away Wednesday morning, April 15, 2009, at Lakeland Regional Medical Center. Those wishing to send the family condolences or sign the guestbook may do so online at www.starks-menchinger.com.
Gunnars was born on Feb. 27, 1928, in Riga, Latvia. The son of Voldemars and Valija (Stokmans) Varpa, Gunnars became a faithful American citizen in 1955 and served in the United States Army during the Korean War. Married to Ligsma Petritis for 57 years, Gunnars ended his years at the post office as a postal supervisor in Benton Harbor. He was active in Kiwanis, Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Latvian Society.
He is survived by his wife, Ligsma, his son, Robert, daughter-in-law, Karen (Roland), grandson, Brandon; stepgrandchildren, Fawn, Jyl and Katrina Todd; great-grandsons, Jonathan and Landon; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Inara and Bob Milroy, Mara and Bill Stark, Nancy and Valdis Petritis; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his daughter, Silvia Varpa of Colorado, and his sister, Mara, and his parents.
His love of poetry and Latvia continues in death as in life.
Elsie Van't Zelfde
KALAMAZOO - Elsie K. Van't Zelfde passed away April 17, 2009, at her residence at Park Place Living Center, Kalamazoo.
Elsie was born Feb. 20, 1916, in East Decatur, Mich., a daughter of Hans and Kristine (Rasmussen) Christensen and had lived in the Kalamazoo area in recent years. Prior to her retirement, she was employed for several years by the City of Kalamazoo.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Jacob, a son, Dennis Van't Zelfde; a son-in-law, Roger Locke, and by brothers, Thomas and Roy, and sisters, Loretta Damaske and Jessie Fitzsimmons.
Surviving are three daughters, Christine Locke of Cassopolis, Anna (Jack) Stryd and Linda (Paul) DeVries, all of Kalamazoo; a daughter-in-law, Jackie Van't Zelfde of Kalamazoo; seven grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild; a sister, Louise Morris of Benton Harbor; several nieces and nephews.
Services were held today, April 21, at Langeland Chapel in Kalamazoo. Memorial contributions in Elsie's memory may be made to Providence Christian School or Hospice Care of Southwest Michigan.
Caiden Reyes Angel
SOUTH HAVEN - Caiden Reyes Angel, 7-week infant, died Thursday, April 16, 2009, at Lakeland Regional Medical Center in St. Joseph.
He was born Feb. 24, 2009, to Jessica Presley and Javier Angel Hernandez in Kalamazoo, Mich.
He is survived, along with his parents, by his twin brother, Christian Javier Angel; grandparents - Patricia and Rob Miller of Bloomingdale, Mich., Charlie Presley of South Haven, Josefa Hernandez of Roblero, Mexico, and Isidoro Angel of Escalante, Mexico; great-grandparents - Peggy Hessey of Paw Paw, Eugene Murphy of Hartford, Alfred and Eve Miller of South Haven, Rose Presley of Hartford, and Isabela Hernandez of Escalante, Mexico; aunts and uncles - Savanna, Nicholas, Norma, Flor, Reyes, Gustavo, Juan, Wilver and Jessica; and several great-aunts and uncles, cousins and extended family.
Visitation will be Tuesday, April 21, from 1 to 2 p.m., at the Filbrandt Family Funeral Home. Funeral services will begin at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Father Robert Flickinger officiating. Burial will take place in Monk Cemetery in Geneva Township. Kindly share your thoughts and memories on the family's online guest book at www. FilbrandtFFH.com.
The family is being helped by the Filbrandt Family Funeral Home of South Haven.
