Margaret Hartsuff
Margaret Hartsuff, age 97, died June 25, 2004 at Arbor Manor Care Center in Spring Arbor, Mich.
Margaret was born August 15, 1906 to Peter O' Leary and Lela (English) O'Leary. She was married to Harry Hartsuff, who preceded her in death in 1974.
Also preceding her in death were her son, Maurice Hartsuff; brother, Maurice O'Leary; sister, Rosemond Silveus; and granddaughter, Amy Whitaker (Hartsuff).
Mrs. Hartsuff was a resident of Brooklyn from 1937 until her confinement at Arbor Manor in 1995. She was a member of the Presbyterian Church in Brooklyn, where she served in a variety of capacities over six decades. She was a teacher in the Brooklyn Columbia School System for over 25 years.
She is survived by one son, Donald (Gloria) Hartsuff of Higgins Lake, Mich.; four grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren; and seven great-great grandchildren, plus several nieces and nephews.
A celebration of Mrs. Hartsuff's life was held on Monday, June 28, at the Borek Jennings Funeral Home, Braun Chapel in Brooklyn with the Reverend Robert Malsack officiating. Burial was in Highland Cemetery. Memorials may be given to the Brooklyn Presbyterian Church.
Mabel Stanton
Mabel Stanton, age 63 of Manchester passed away at W.A. Foote Memorial Hospital on June 24, 2004.
Mabel was born in Norvell Township on April 6, 1941, the daughter of Walter and Edna (Miller) James. She married Robert Stanton on Dec-ember 16, 1961 in Jackson and he survives. Mrs. Stanton was a loving wife, mother and grandmother. Besides her husband, Mabel is survived by her children, Robert Jr. (Julie) Stanton and their children, Paige, Luke and Brooke of Brighton; Martha (Anthony) Riker and their children, Keri, Zarina, Joni, Danielle and Zachary of Hanover; Kelly Stanton (Dave Shipp) and their children, Nicole, David and Jessica of Jackson, and Steven Stanton of Manchester; siblings, Walter James, Frances Abbey and Margaret James. She was preceded in death by her parents.
A celebration of Mabel's life will be held on Wednesday, June 30, at the Borek Jennings Funeral Home, Braun Chapel, Brooklyn beginning at 2 p.m. Memorial contributions may be given to the American Cancer Society. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home, where family will receive friends on Wednesday, beginning at 10 a.m. until the time of the service. Interment will be at Norvell Township Cemetery.
Mary Jane Carens
Mary Jane Carens, age 89 of Brooklyn, formerly of Toledo, Ohio, passed away on Friday, June 25, 2004 at W.A. Foote Hospital in Jackson, Michigan. She was born on Jan. 23, 1915 in Toledo, Ohio, to Joseph O. and Elizabeth M. (Bell) Hickey.
She married Vincent G. Carens on Aug. 24, 1940, and he preceded her in death on May 18, 1988. Mary Jane lived in Toledo until 1976. Having spent her summers at Round Lake, Manitou Beach since 1962, she wintered in Lake Placid and Sebring, Fla. She lived in Addison for two years, and then moved to Brooklyn Living Center in Brooklyn in 2001. She graduated from Libby High School in Toledo, Ohio in 1934. At age 50, she became a Licensed Practical Nurse working at St. Lukes Hospital in Toledo and doing private duty nursing, retiring after l5 years.
Mary Jane was a member of St. Mary On The Lake Catholic Church in Manitou Beach, a former member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Toledo, member of the Ladies Auxiliary V.F.W. of Adrian, former member of St. James Catholic Church in Lake Placid, Fla., former member of St. Catherine Catholic Church in Sebring, Fla., and attended the Addison Senior Citizens Center. All her life she took care of others: family, friends and neighbors. She enjoyed crafts and taking care of her flowers.
Surviving are daughter, Maryann (Richard) Davis of Addison; two sons, Joseph (Nancy) Carens of Temperance, Mich. and Matthew (Candace) Carens of Grand Rapids, Ohio; six grandchildren; and one brother, Gene Hickey of Florida. She is preceded in death by her husband, Vincent, and three brothers.
Per Mary Jane's wishes, cremation will take place. Memorial services were held at on Saturday, July 24, 2004, at St. Mary On The Lake Catholic Church in Manitou Beach, with Jean Schaub officiating. Memorial contributions are suggested to St. Mary On The Lake Catholic Church, St. Joseph Shrine Catholic Church, Cornerstone Community Church of Brooklyn, or Daybreak Adult Day Services of Adrian.
Arrangements are entrusted to the Brown-Van Hemert Funeral Home in Addison.
Athena Marie Zarr
Athena Marie Zarr, age 24 of Brooklyn, passed away suddenly at her home. Athena was born in Ann Arbor, Mich. on March 21, 1980, the daughter of David A. and Carol A. (Kowalewski) Zarr. She is survived by her parents and brother, David Zarr II of Brooklyn. Athena was preceded in death by her grandmother, Jean Kowalewski and Uncle Joseph "Buffalo" Kowalewski.
A celebration of Athena's life will be on Thursday, August 12, 2004, beginning with prayers at 10 a.m. at the Borek Jennings Funeral Home, Braun Chapel, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. at St. Joseph Shrine Catholic Church with Father Carl Simon officiating. Memorials may be given to the Lenawee County Humane Society. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home, where family will receive friends on Wednesday, from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. with a Scripture Service at 7:30 p.m.
I folded her soft hands upon her bosom.
And placed flowers in her hair, they still live
I kissed her closed white eyelids
And thought of all the joy she used to give
Cruel indeed it was to take her from me
She sleeps, she will not wake again
But I must trust our Lord now enfolds her
That she'll never suffer again
I dream of her spirit rising
So beautiful and free
Happy and unburdened
Now to be whatever she wants to be.
Gloria Jean Arnold
Gloria Jean Arnold of Belmont went to be with her Lord on August 4, 2004 after a brave four-year battle with breast cancer.
Gloria was preceded in death by her father, Paul Stanley Toland in 1993. She is survived by her mother, Eva Fisher Toland, currently of Grand Rapids, Mich., previously of Onsted and Grey's Lake, Illinois; her husband of 35 years, Gary Arnold of Belmont; two children, Matt Arnold of Belmont and Kim (Kaci) Duhart of St. Ives, England. Gloria was also blessed with two beloved grandchildren, Amaya, age 3, and Isaiah, 3 months old. She is also survived by one sister, Brenda (David) Dillon; one brother, Harold (Linda) Toland; three nieces and seven nephews.
Gloria was born on July 27, 1946 in Adrian, Mich. She was part of the third generation to grow up on her parents' Centennial Farm in Onsted. She lived in the Onsted area until 1987. Gloria brought joy to all of those around her. She loved her friends and family selflessly and will be remembered fondly by all.
A memorial service was held on Saturday, August 7, at Gilda's Club of Grand Rapids. Memorial donations may be given to Gilda's Club Grand Rapids, 1806 Bridge St. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504. Gilda's Club is a fantastic resource for cancer patients and their families. Gloria truly appreciated the support of all the friends she made there. For more information on Gilda's Club, visit www.gildasclubgr.org.
Funeral arrangements were made by Memorial Alternatives of Grand Rapids.
Karen M. Foster
Karen M. Foster, age 52 of Lapeer, Michigan, formerly of Brooklyn, passed away on Aug. 5, 2004. She was born on Aug. 19, 1951 in St. Clair, Mich., the daughter of Hank and Jean (Detkowski) Wojtowicz. She married Fred Foster on Dec. 26, 2002 in Lake Orion, Michigan.
Mrs. Foster was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister and daughter. She owned and managed the Lapeer Pak Mail Store.
She is survived by her husband, Fred Foster of Lapeer; daughters, Christine (Patrick) McPharlin of Holt, Teresa (Andre) Robinson of Lansing and Kathryn (fiancé Christopher Hoyt) Wonderly of Warren; step-children, Kent Foster of Washington, D.C., Stephen (Shelby) Foster of Jackson and Bradley (Heather) Foster of Jackson; parents, Hank and Jean Wojtowicz of Johannesburg, Mich.; grandchildren, Jennifer, Brendan, DeAndre, Brianna, Stephen, Michael Lynn and McKenna; sisters, Deborah (John) Morgan of Lapeer and Sheryl (Jim) Cross of Oxford; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her first husband, Charles McCave.
Funeral services were held on Saturday, Aug. 7, 2004, at Muir Brothers Funeral Home in Lapeer with the Rev. James M. Lorch officiating. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be made to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Funeral arrangements were made by Muir Brothers Funeral Home of Lapeer.
Virginia Rose Steen
Virginia Rose Steen, age 48, born May 6, 1956 in York, Pa., died of complications from the flu on December 19, 2003 in Evansville, Wyo.
She leaves behind her husband Alann B. Steen; daughter, Alia Rose Steen, 10, of Evansville; parents, John and Dorothy Rose of Clarklake, Mich.; sister, Marjorie Wilhite (Stephen) and children Emily and Daniel; brother, John C. Rose, Jr. (Nancy) and children, Jonathon and Andrew of Melbourne, Fla.; stepdaughters, Jackie Scardino of Thousand Oaks, Calif., and Becky Monday of Spokane, Wash., and their families; special friends, Denise Curtis and Claudia Henning of Jackson, Patti Faling of Clarklake, Jean Sutherland of Ft. Collins, Colo., Harriet Jacobsen of Stockholm, Sweden, Marilyn Racdscha of Wisconsin, Mickey, Joyce, and Krista Hammell of Evansville, the "Casper 8" co-graduates in accounting and numerous friends and former students around the world.
Virginia was a 1974 graduate of Jackson High School, a 1978 graduate of University of Michigan and University of Iowa, 1982. While working on her Doctoral Studies in Art History at University of Iowa, she accepted a position at Beirut University College in Beirut Lebanon in 1983. There she met Alann and they were married on July 24, 1986 in Hawaii. She fought for Alann's release as a hostage in Beirut until 1989 and continued to work with the government in the U.S. until his release. She taught Art History at Albion College in 1991-1992, Casper College and University of Wyoming in 1992-1993. She then changed careers, graduating from University of Wyoming with an Accounting degree in 2002, taking her CPA exam in November 2003. Virginia was honored at the White House by President Bush and Barbara for her relentless efforts to have Alann and other hostages released in December 1991. In addition, she was also named Michiganian of the Year by the Detroit News in 1991. Also among her many accomplishments, Virginia and Alann were both recipients of the State Bar of Michigan's Liberty Bell Award in 1992. Virginia inspired so many in her 48 years.
A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, August 14, 2004 at the Brooklyn Presbyterian Church at 11 a.m.
"When something terrible happens to your family... you have to fight, and stand up and do something," Detroit News 1991.
Jesse Shaffer, Jr.
Jesse Shaffer, Jr., age 79, of Cement City passed away Friday, August 6, 2004 at St. Vincent's Hospital in Toledo.
He was born December 15, 1924 in Cement City the son of Jesse Sr. and Oral Shaffer. He married Patricia Sisler on September 21, 1974 and she survives. Jesse was preceded in death by his parents; two sisters, Annie and Virginia; brother, Earl; and two step-children, Edwin and Cheryl. Jesse was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and served our country in the Navy during WW II. Besides his wife, he is survived by one daughter, Cindy (Joey) Howard of North Carolina; step-children, Patricia (Kenneth) Pisel, Steven Kinney, all of Florida, Marc Messner of Cement City and Chris Dowely of Brooklyn; sisters, Darlene and Louella; brothers, Gilbert and Curtis; sister and brother-in-law, Jean and Dick Strauser; custodial grandchildren, Jessica, Kara, Angela and Christen and several additional grandchildren; great grandchildren, nieces, nephews and many close friends.
A celebration of Jesse's life took place on Tuesday, August 10, at the Borek Jennings Funeral Home, Braun Chapel with Pastor Drew Woods officiating. Burial was at Cement City Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be given to the Cement City Baptist Church, 100 Cary Road, Cement City, Michigan, 49233. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home.
