Leola May Wieczorek

Leola May Wieczorek, age 90, of Ionia, died Thursday, March 10, 2011, at United Memorial Hospital in Greenville.

Leola was born May 18, 1920 in Cedar Springs, the daughter of Lewis S. and Florence M. (Ogg) Ferguson. She married Harold J. Wieczorek in Ionia on April 14, 1938. He preceded her in death in January 1994.

Leola worked for Chrysler as an inspector at the Lyons Trim Plant for 17 years. She enjoyed crafts, crocheting many items, was an avid Bingo fan, and loved spending time outdoors tending the flowers in her garden.

Leola is survived by her daughters, Janet Wieczorek of Hubbardston, Nancy (Danny) Arens of Sheridan, and Jacqueline (Gerald) Spencer of Lowell; her grandchildren, Lonnie Arens, Todd (Kelly) Arens, Jason (Laura) Spencer, Jessica (Josh) Olson, Joshua Spencer, and Jared Spencer; and 9 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents and several brothers and sisters.

Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Wednesday, March 16, at the Barden Funeral Home in Stanton, with Father Dominic Tirkey officiating. Interment will be in Balcom Cemetery. Visitation will be 4-7 p.m. Tuesday, March 15.

LaVon N. Hodges

LaVon N. Hodges, 84, of Crystal went Home to be with her Lord on Sunday, November 27, 2011.

LaVon was born May 7, 1927 on the family farm in Stanton to George and Rosetta (Emmons) Young. She graduated from Stanton Schools and married Bobbie Hodges at the Congregational Church in Stanton on October 9, 1948. They lived in Carson City and then moved to Loon Lake in 1955.

LaVon was a member of the First Baptist Church in Stanton for many years. She retired from Data Processing at Hitachi Magnetics and was also an in home health care nurse and a Pioneer Girls leader. She loved to camp, golf, paint, downhill ski, sew, and quilt. She traveled Canada and the United States, going to Alaska twice, with her husband, Bob. Her greatest pleasure was spending time with her family. Please remember her fun loving sense of humor!

LaVon is survived by her husband of 63 years, Bob; her daughters, Krista and Lanny Prout of Rosebush and Robin and Michael August of Sheridan; grandchildren, Steven and Shannon Prout of Mt. Pleasant, Shelly and Mike Nelson of Rosebush, Melissa and Todd Smith of Charlotte and Sara and Rich White of Carson city; great grandchildren, Hailee Kimball, Baylee Prout, Tyler, Cameron, and Kiera White, Nickolas and Olivia Nelson; her Brother, Chuck and Bonnie Young of Stanton, 2 Nieces and 1 nephew, and many friends. She was preceded in death by her parents and two great grandsons, Andrew and Alexander Nelson.

Visitation will be held from 3 pm to 7 pm on Monday, November 28th at the Barden Funeral Home, Stanton. A celebration of LaVon’s life will be held on Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 11:00 am at the First Baptist Church of Stanton with Pastor Gene Haymaker of the Maranatha Baptist Church, Mt. Pleasant officiating. 

For those desiring to do so, Memorial Contributions may be made to the Maranatha Baptist Church or the First Baptist Church; envelopes will be available at the funeral home and church.

Larry Dean Mikus

Larry D. Mikus, age 55, of Ashley, died Friday, November 11, 2011 at University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor.

Larry was born May 7, 1956 to Steve and Dorothy (Shaw) Mikus in Alma, Michigan. Larry worked in auto body repair for several local body shops. He enjoyed drag racing, going to swap meets and antique auctions, and restoring antique lawnmowers.

Larry is survived by his mother, Dorothy Mikus; brother, Steve Mikus; sister, Carrie (Rick) Murgittroyd; nephews Corey (TIna) Mikus and Josh (Sarah) Murgittroyd; niece Elizabeth Murgittroyd; and grand nephews and nieces Caden, Isaac, Devon, Lexi, Molly, Charlie, and Josie. 

He is preceded in death by his father Steve, and brother John.

Funeral services for Larry will be 2:30 p.m., Monday, November 14, 2011 at the Barden Funeral Home in Ithaca with visitation starting at 1 p.m. until the time of the service. Burial will follow at North Star Cemetery. Casual dress is requested.

June Marie Powell

June Marie Powell was living proof that angels walk among us.

She was the devoted wife of Hershel Powell for nearly 64 years and the loving mother of two daughters, Ginger Vetter and Barb (Bill) Clark - both of Wheeler. She is also survived by sons, Gerald (Sylvia) Powell from Napolean, Missouri, Douglas (Althea) Powell, and Larry (Pam) Powell both from Perrinton.

She was grandma to 18 grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren, and one great, great grandchild.

June was born March 5, 1928 in Flint, Michigan to Hollis and Ester Skinner. The family later moved to Gratiot County where she attended Ithaca School. She was active (and excelled) in sports as well as journalism.

She worked for Ithaca Schools and retired as a transportation specialist.

June and Hershel raised their family of six in the Ithaca area. Besides working outside the home, she was a seamstress and canned fresh vegetables from their garden. She also loved camping and fishing.

On April 17, 2011, June joined those that have left before her. She passed away at Schnepps in St. Louis where she had been lovingly nurtured for the past 3 years. Surrounded by family she was called home. Per her wishes cremation has taken place.

Waiting to greet her in heaven will be her parents, sisters, JoAnn Acker and Nancy Hall, son Roger, and infant great grandson Jarrett Wing.

The family will meet with friends for a memorial service in celebration of her life on Saturday, April 23, 2011 at 11am, at the Barden Funeral Home in Ithaca with Pastor Dale Golden officiating. Visitation will be held from 10am until the time of the service. A luncheon will follow at the Ithaca Senior Center.

Janet P. Foote

Janet Patricia Foote, age 65, of Ithaca, passed away at her home with her family by her side on August 29, 2011 after a courageous 11 year battle with cancer.

She was born on July 12, 1946 in rural Ashley, the youngest child and only daughter of Rudolph and Ruby (Morse) Skriba. She attended Dagget Country School in Washington Township and graduated from Ashley High School in 1965. She married Douglas Foote on November 6, 1965 in Ashley.

After the birth of their three daughters, she stayed at home to raise them and help out with the family business, Doug’s Wrecker Service. She began working outside of the home when her daughters were grown and was employed by the Gratiot-Isabella RESD for 15 years.

She enjoyed watching wildlife, reading, listening to old country music, sewing, raising and sharing flowers, and cooking from scratch. She often made kolache nut rolls to share with her family at Christmas time. She loved traveling in the Upper Peninsula, including her cabin on the Little Two Hearted River, and spending time with her family and grandchildren. She coordinated “Grandma Camp” every summer for a weekend together with her six grandchildren.

Janet is survived by her husband, Douglas; three daughters, Karen (Roland) Carman of Sumner, Cheryl (Monte) Reichard of Wheeler, and Jeanne (Brett) Fidler of North Star; her grandchildren, Kennedy and Lottie Carman, Lindsey and Kelby Reichard, and Clare and Jamie Fidler; three brothers, James (Virginia) Skriba of St. Johns, Michiel (Barbara) Skriba of Fort Smith, Arkansas, and William Skriba of Ashley; her sister-in-law, Christa Newton of Fort Smith, Arkansas, along with many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, and sister-in-law, Rita Skriba, and a brother-in-law, Kenneth Foote.

A memorial service is scheduled for Friday, September 2, 2011, at 11 AM at the Barden Funeral Home in Ithaca, with Chaplain Christopher Lauckner officiating. Visitation will be 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. Thursday, September 1, at Barden Funeral Home. Memorial contributions may be given to Thompson Home Library or your choice.