JACKIE D. RIGGS
Services for Jackie Riggs, 67, of Garden City will be Monday, April 8, in L.J. Griffin Funeral Home-Westland Chapel.
Mr. Riggs was born Dec. 20, 1934, in New Boston, Ohio, and died April 3 at his home in Garden City. He was a superintendent for an automotive company. He was active with the Masonic Lodge as a 3rd Degree, MSA & PM.
Surviving are his wife, Jo Ann; children, Michael, Tonya (Allen) Cutshaw, Douglas, Tamara and Jeffrey (Stacey Marie); brothers, Ralph and Kenneth; sisters, Bonnie (Nell) Sparks, Hazel Smittle and Jo Ellen Martin; grandchildren, Jaclyn, Austin and McKayla.
CHESSIE R. ANSTINE
Services for Chessie Anstine, 84, of Livonia were June 8 in R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Home.
Mrs. Anstine was born Dec. 4, 1917, in North Carolina, and died June 4, 2002, in Livonia. She was a waitress at H & N Hamburgers.
Surviving are her children, Nelson, Thomas (Nancy) and Hope (Ron) Wikentiew; eight grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Mrs. Anstine was preceded in death by her husband, Nelson.
Memorial tributes may be made to American Cancer Society or Angela Hospice.
LENA IRENE VEANES
Services for Lena Veanes, 75, of Livonia were June 8 in Neely-Turowski Funeral Home with burial at Grand Lawn Cemetery. Officiating was the Rev. John Meyer.
Ms Veanes was born Nov. 4, 1926, in Casey, Ill., and died June 5, 2002, in Detroit. She was an office clerk.
Surviving are her sisters, Vera, Louise, Betty and Peggy; niece, Cheryl Williams; and many nieces and nephews, and great nieces and nephews.
JAMES MOODY
Services for James Moody, 73, of Redford will be 11 a.m. Monday, June 10, in Thayer-Rock Funeral Home, 33603 Grand River Ave., Farmington, with burial at Parkview Cemetery. Officiating will be the Rev. Paul Bousquette of St. James Presbyterian Church.
Mr. Moody was born Dec. 29, 1928, in Ernest, Pa., and died June 6, 2002, in Farmington Hills.
He was a tool and die maker 35 years for Robotron Corp. Previously he worked as a miner 11 years for R & P Coal Co. in Pennsylvania.
Mr. Moody was a Golden Eagle Member of F.O.E. No. 1468 in Indiana and Pennsylvania. He served in the Army during the Korean Conflict.
Surviving are his wife of 50 years, Beulah; son, James of Livonia; daughter, Cathy (Bill) Balent of Waterford; sisters, Nellie Schloder and Margaret (Paul) Hydock; and five grandchildren.
Memorial tributes may be made to American Heart Association, Memorial and Tributes Program, Dept. 77-3968, Chicago, Ill 60678-3968.
GEORGE WHALEN JR.
A Celebration of Life Service for George Whalen Jr., 84, of Livonia was today, Thursday, June 13, in St. Aidan's Catholic Church.
Mr.Whalen died June 10, 2002.
Surviving are his children, Janet (Joseph) and Michael; step-children, Elaine (John), Billie (Harold), Faye and Andrea (Phillip); siblings, Marion and Leroy; 17 grandchildren; 38 great-grandchildren; and seven great-great-grandchildren.
Mr. Whalen was preceded in death by his wife, Rose; children, Karen and Thomas; and siblings, Vern and Anita.
Memorial tributes may be made to Hospice of Michigan.
Arrangement were made by Harry J. Will Funeral Home.
BENJAMIN J. REULAND
A wake is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, June 15, in Westland for Benjamin J. Reuland, 50, of Northville, who died suddenly June 8 while working in Wayne.
Mr. Reuland, a former employee at the Observer & Eccentric Newspapers, was a 1969 graduate of Stevenson High School in Livonia.
He earned two degrees from Schoolcraft College and attended Eastern Michigan University. He worked in the mailroom at the O&E for 21 years, from 1974 to 1995.
Mr. Reuland was born July 12, 1951 in Aurora, Ill., to Karl and Mary Reuland. The family moved from Kansas to Livonia in 1969.
Mr. Reuland was described by friends and family as a loving father, friend and writer.
"Throughout his life, he wrote poems and essays, often about nature. From wood, feather and other bits he collected on his frequent hikes or while fishing, he created sculptures featured at Toledo Botanical Gardens.'' said longtime friend Annette Taylor, a journalism professor at the University of Dayton.
"He loved Michigan State University basketball, books, and music, and had a vast eclectic album collection. He had a poet's heart and sweet, mischievous smile.
"He said his greats gifts were his children - Aaron, 26, of Ypsilanti; Erik, 24, of Detroit and Rebecca, 19, of Livonia and a student at Columbia College in Chicago. He adored his new daughter-in law, Connie, Erik's wife,'' said Taylor.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Mary.
In addition to his sons, and daughter, other survivors include father, Karl of Orlando, Fla.; sisters, Karla Matweychek of Westland and Martha Price of Fullerton, Calif.; brother, John of Spokane, Wash.; nephews, Scott Boze of Westland, Seth Boze of Taylor and Shawn Boze of Taylor, "Little'' Ben Reuland of Spokane and nieces, Noel Reuland of Spokane, Sabrina Price and Elizabeth Price of Fullerton.
No funeral was held. Mr. Reuland was cremated on June 11.
For details on the wake, call (734) 427-1441.
ROBERT D. HOWARD
A memorial service for Robert Howard, 74, of Hartland will be 3 p.m. Friday, June 21, in Our Savior Lutheran Church, 13667 W. Highland Road, Hartland. Officiating will be the Rev. Frank Pies, Jr.
Mr. Howard was born July 18, 1927, in Ferndale, and died June 6, 2002, in Garden City. He was a former resident of Farmington Hills.
He was a self-employed contractor, retiring in 1972. Mr. Howard served in the Navy.
Surviving are his sons, Michael Howard of Warsaw, Ind. and Bruce Howard of Farmington Hills; daughter, Robin Stanford of Livonia; brothers, Ray Howard, James Howard and Bud Howard; sisters, Jane Janssen and Mary McKay; and eight grandchildren.
Mr. Howard was preceded in death by his wife of 51 years, Marguerite.
Memorial tributes may be made to Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society or Our Savior Lutheran Church.
Arrangements were made by Thayer-Rock Funeral Home in Farmington.
RICHARD E. RUEL, M.D.
A funeral Mass for Richard Ruel, 68, of Livonia will be 10 a.m. (in state 9:30) Saturday, June 15, in St. Aidan Catholic Church, 17500 Farmington Road, Livonia.
Visitation is 5-8 p.m. today, Thursday, and 2-8 p.m. Friday, June, 14, in Heeney-Sundquist Funeral Home, 23720 Farmington Road, Farmington. There will be a 7 p.m. scripture service Friday in the funeral home.
Dr. Ruel was born Feb. 13, 1934, in Lebanon, N.H., and died June 9, 2002. He was a former resident of Farmington Hills and moved to Livonia 1974. He was a physician of internal medicine/gastroenterology.
Dr. Ruel was a 1956 graduate of Dartmouth College and a 1959 graduate of Harvard Medical School. He was affiliated with St. Mary Hospital-Livonia, Harper Hospital-Detroit, Rehabilitation Institute of Detroit, American College of Physicians, American Medical Assoication, Michigan State Medical Society and Wayne County Society of Medicine.
Surviving are his wife of 47 years, Ann; children, Suzanne Garcia, Barbara Ruel, Christine Carnovale, Catherine Alati, Richard Ruel, Jr., Ellen Cairns and Michael Ruel; 14 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. Also surviving is his dog "Barney."
Dr. Ruel is preceded in death by his son, Joseph Ruel.
