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Lyle W. Smith
Lyle W. Smith, 92, of Bellevue, died Tuesday, March 6 at Marshall Manor in Marshall.
Mr. Smith was born Aug. 16, 1908 in Eaton County to Eli and Mae (Dolph) Smith. He married Fern Kinsey; she died Nov. 9, 1988. Mr. Smith was employed for 47 years by Eaton Manufacturing in Battle Creek and Marshall, retiring in 1973. He was a member of the Eaton Quarterly Century Club, and worked with Civil Defense during World War II. He was an active member of the Bellevue Christian Center and the National Rifle Association. He enjoyed outdoor sports and wood cutting.
He is survived by daughters, Alvetta Lea and Myrna Avery of Bellevue; sons, Robert and Richard Smith of Bellevue, and Carroll Smith of Nashville; 24 grandchildren and many great- and great-great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a son, Bruce Smith; and a sister, Vinie Gibbs.
Services were held March 9 at Shaw Funeral Home, Lehman Chapel, Bellevue, with Pastor Stephen Covert officiating. Interment was at Riverside Cemetery, Bellevue. Memorial contributions may be made to the Bellevue Christian Center.
Roger L. Smith
Roger Lee Smith, 70, of Charlotte, died Saturday, May 12, 2001.
Mr. Smith was born in Grand Ledge, the son of Cloman and Hazel (Walters) Smith. He was a mail carrier for the U.S. Postal Service for 33 years, a member of American Legion Post 42, the Eaton County Buck Club, and the Eagles Aerie, and had been a volunteer fireman in Charlotte. He served with the United States Air Force during the Korean Conflict.
He is survived by his wife, LaRae (Beck); sons, Greg (LeeAnn) Smith of Charlotte and Phillip Long of Lansing; daughters, Valerie Campbell of Battle Creek and Shelli Long of Eaton Rapids; eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Funeral services were held May 15 at Pray Funeral Home, Charlotte, with Rev. Darwin Kuhl officiating. Interment was at Maple Hill Cemetery, Charlotte.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, P.O. Box 12284, Lansing, MI 48901. Arrangements were by Pray Funeral Home, Charlotte.
Marcella R. Southerling
Marcella R. Southerling, age 80 of Holt, died Saturday evening, April 14, 2001 at an East Lansing nursing home. Mrs. Southerling was born May 29, 1920 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a daughter of William and Mable (Collette) Chandler.
Surviving are her husband of 62 years, Robert, six daughters, Dottie (Ed) Hansen, Barb (Bill) White, Karen (Wayne) Jackson, Nancy (Dave) Price, Diane (Russ) Miller, and Cindy (Leon) Black; three sons, Robert (Becky) Southerling, Jr., Brent (Laurie) Southerling and Bill (Jan) Southerling; 25 grandchildren; 26 great-grandchildren; and 2 great-great-grandchildren.
Services were held Wednesday, April 18th, at Field & Leik Funeral Home, Dimondale, with Rev. Kathy Kursch officiating. Interment was in Maple Ridge Cemetery, Holt.
Robert E. Spotts
Robert Edward Spotts, 77, of Charlotte, formerly of Montague, died Friday, August 31, 2001 at the St. Lawrence Dimondale Center after a lengthy illness.
Mr. Spotts was born Aug. 10, 1924 in Charlotte, the son of Ray and Gladys (Casler) Spotts. He was the owner and operator of Insty Prints in Muskegon until he retired in 1994. He was a member of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Charlotte, the Brookfield Masonic Lodge, Maple City VFW Post 2406 and the American Legion Post #42 in Charlotte. Mr. Spotts served with the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II and was awarded the Purple Heart.
He is survived by sons, Randy of Charlotte and Brad (Carey) of Florida; daughter, Cindy (Steve) Lowing of Muskegon; five grandchildren and one great-granddaughter, and a sister, Velma (Harold) Dingman of Bellevue.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Carol (Stratton) on Aug. 30, 1995.
Graveside services were held Sept. 5 at Maple Hill Cemetery, Charlotte, with Rev. Dr. Carol Spangenberg officiating. Memorial contributions may be made to St. John’s Episcopal Church. Arrangements were by Pray Funeral Home Inc., Charlotte.
Margaret Berniece (Barnes) Sprague
Margaret Berniece (Barnes) Sprague, age 92 of Eaton Rapids, died Saturday, January 13, 2001 in Eaton Rapids. Berniece was born July 12, 1908 in Onondaga, the youngest of three children of Seward and Grace Lucretia (Styles) Barnes. She graduated form Eaton Rapids High School in 1927 and Albion College in 1931. She married Donald H. Sprague in 1936 and he preceded her in death in 1964. Mrs. Sprague taught elementary school for many years, retiring in 1973. She enjoyed retirement and traveling in every state (except two) also the countries of Spain and Canada. She was active in the Eaton Rapids Senior Center, Eaton county Antique Club, the Charlotte Business Women’s Guild and the Eaton Rapids County Retired Teachers Association. Berniece made ceramics, worked in porcelain, collected dolls, enjoyed reading, gardening and cooking.
Berniece is survived by three daughters, Sue Dunn and husband Bill of Denver, CO., Jane Sprague of Minneapolis, MN, Jacki Sprague of Eaton Rapids; 2 step grandchildren, Diane Dunn, Lawrence (Anne) Dunn; sister-in-law, Mary Alexandra Barnes of Florida; nephew, Jan Barnes of Lansing; and cousin, Jane Galvin of Traverse City.
A memorial service was held on Wednesday, January 17, 2001 at the First Congregational Church, Eaton Rapids. Arrangements were made by the Shelly-Odell Funeral Home, Eaton Rapids. Those desiring may make contributions to the Memorial Garden Fund at the First Congregational Church in memory of Berniece Sprague. He love of life and her generosity to others will be well remembered. She will be greatly missed.
Kathryn L. Spear
Kathryn L. Spear, 86, of Lansing, died Thursday, May 3, 2001 at her home.
Mrs. Spear was born July 13,1914 in Gowen, the daughter of Frank and Janette Baird, and was a lifelong Lansing resident.
She is survived by her daughter, Janet (Charles) Wright of Charlotte; her son, Clair Ferris Jr. of Lansing; five granddaughters, Debra (Gary) Gearhart, Candy (Jim) Patterson, Sandra (Dan) Vandlen, Renee (Gerald) Bellon and Robin (George) Blanche; one grandson, William Wright; 13 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Dennis Spear in 1997.
Funeral services were held May 5 at Burkhead-Green Funeral Chapel, Charlotte, with George Blanche officiating. Interment was at Gresham Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Charlotte Church of Christ. Arrangements by Burkhead-Green Funeral Home, Charlotte.
June Stair
June Parkinson Stair, 93, of East Lansing, formerly of Charlotte, died Feb. 23, 2001, at the East Lansing Health Care Center after an extended illness.
Mrs. Stair was born June 1, 1907, in Vermontville, the daughter of Roy and Cora (Chatfield) Hager, and was a graduate of Vermontville High School. She had been employed as an assistant secretary/treasurer for the Borg-Warner Corp. in Auburn, Ind., from where she retired with 33 years of service. While in Charlotte, she attended the Lawrence Avenue United Methodist Church.
She is survived by a son, William (Shirely) Parkinson of Cadillac; two grandsons, Matthew Lee Parkinson of Rochester Hills and Michael Lee Parkinson of Mt. Pleasant; one great-granddaughter, Meghan Ann Parkinson; a brother, Patrick Hager of Vermontville; and a sister, Phyllis Kilpatrick of Vermontville.
She was preceded in death by husbands, Chester Parkinson and Jerry Stair.
At Mrs. Stair’s request, cremation has taken place. Private family services will be held at a later date.
Memorial contributions may be made to the East Lansing Health Care Center Activities Fund.
Arrangements by Burkhead-Green Funeral Home, Charlotte.
