Tim Anderson

Tim Anderson 75, of Ithaca, MI and Portland, OR passed away on October 24,2024. 

Tim grew up in Ithaca and spent a lot of his adult life living in Oregon. He served in the Army. Tim is preceded in death by his Brother Nolan, Aunt Jane, Mother Caryll and Father Lyle. He leaves a Niece Sarah Sisco of Mecosta,MI and Nephew Tim Anderson of Alma, MI. 

In keeping with his wishes there will be no funeral or memorial services. The family is being served by Barden Funeral Home and condolences may be left for the family online at www.bardenfuneralhome.com.

Loren Duane Beck

Loren Duane Beck, 84, of Ithaca, Michigan went home to be with the Lord on Monday, October 14th, 2024, at Laurels of Fulton.  Loren was born October 27,1939 to Harold and Frieda (Harmon) Beck.  He was a graduate of Ithaca High school, class of 1958.  He married Sharon Burke on April 5th, 1969.

Loren grew up on his family’s farm, where he discovered his passion for working the land.  As the years went on, he followed his dream to become a farmer, building a life rooted in faith, family, & farm.  In addition to his service in the Army Reserves he spent many winters working at Lobdell Emery and Burton Mixer.  He was a faithful attendee of East Washington United Brethren Church.  He firmly believed in setting the sabbath aside for rest and worship, refraining from work, as an expression of his devotion to God.  He served as an usher and greeter, always ready with a kind smile and a warm welcome for all who entered.  He also served as a Sunday School teacher, sharing his love for God with teens.  He often picked them up on his way to church, to ensure they could attend.  He had a deep love for the old hymns, finding meaning and comfort in their messages.  His appreciation for tradition and community extended to Ola Camp, where he volunteered his time, often helping mow the grounds to maintain the camp’s beauty.  In addition to his love for the church and community, Loren had a passion for photography.  He enjoyed capturing the beauty of the world around him, seeing each photo as a way to preserve moments and tell stories.  

He is survived by his 2 children, Ted (Michelle) Beck of Ashley, Cindy (Vern) DuMond of Lake Odessa; 6 grandchildren, Levi Badgley, Hunter (LilliAnn) Beck, Dakota (Audrey) Beck, John Beck, Tyler and Clay DuMond; 2 great grandchildren Eden and Josephine Beck; sister Margie (Jerry) Drummond; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents.

A private family service was held at North Star Cemetery.  

 The family is being served by the Barden Funeral Home. Condolences may be left for the family online at www.bardenfuneralhome.com.

Loretta and Marvin Harkness

Loretta Harkness (Ret) 

March 26, 1934 - September 8, 2024

Marvin Harkness (Marv) 

June 28, 1932 - October 21, 2024

Loretta Harkness, age 90,  passed away on September 8, 2024 followed by her husband Marvin Harkness, age 92, who passed away October 21, 2024 at The Maples of St. Johns where they both resided.

Ret and Marv resided in Ithaca, MI and recently celebrated 72 years of marriage. They are survived by their sons, Perry (Cheryl) Harkness, Haines City, FL, and Bryon (Stacy) Harkness, St. John’s, MI, their grandchildren; Dane (Nicolette), Farmington Hills MI, Erin (Jeff) Regan, West Bloomfield, MI, Clint (Chelsea) Harkness, Lansing, MI., Hayley (Marcus) Newvine, Tampa, FL. and Chad (Kate) Harkness, Adrian, MI. and their great-grandchildren; Teah, Liliana, Victoria Harkness, Scarlett, Savannah, Sawyer, Sebastian Regan, Jackson, Roman Harkness, and Zachary Newvine. Marv is also by his sister, Sharon Williams, Ithaca, MI.

The family is being served by the Barden Funeral Home in Ithaca. Condolences may be left for the family online at www.bardenfuneralhome.com.

Muriel Crooks

March 20, 1929  - October 12, 2024 

Died peacefully at her home in Ithaca Michigan on her beloved farm Saturday morning surrounded by her son and daughter.   

She was the Carson City Bean Queen before marrying Stuart Crooks on August 21, 1948 they were married for 55 years before Stewart passed in 2003.  They raised 5 children together.  The first few years they lived in Huntington Indiana, then moved to Grand Rapids Michigan and lived there for 5 years before returning to the Crooks Family Farm.    

Muriel started a quilters qroup in her mom’s basement in 1983 called the Olde Time Quilters*, there were approximately 13 ladies that would meet weekly to hand quilt.  Along with being a master quilter she made sour cream cookies, making as many as a thousand dozen cookies at Christmas.  She also was a Bookkeeper at Middleton Farmers Elevator where she was always looking out for the farmers.   She retired at the age of 76 working for her nephew Kris Duflo. 

After retiring she lost both her legs at the age of 81.  For the last 14 years she has been on a “Jazzy Scooter” driving it throughout the house and  farm.  She was an inspiration to all for her resilience and never give up attitude.    She continued making her Sour Cream Cookies making sure her grandchildren had cookies every Christmas.   Her love for quilting continued right to the end, her quilting ladies  came Wednesday to work on one of the two quilts that she had on the quilt frames.   

She would put her “Jazzy Scooter” on high and get to the kitchen as fast as she could when Greg came in to cook or can some vegetables from his beautiful garden.  Greg was always here with his mother making sure all her needs were met.  Greg would tell you that his mom was his Hero, but we all knew that Greg was her Hero. 

Barbara with her diligence to make sure her momma was always taken care of.   Muriel had a word that she would put special emphasis on from time to time “Whatever”, we can honestly say that Barbara heard it more than all of us.  The relationship of a mother and daughter is always beautiful. 

She loved watching game shows, her and Mark would try to guess the answers to Wheel of Fortune or Jeopardy,  most of the time guessing the right answers.    She would keep Linda busy trying new recipes, she loved watching the cooking shows, always making sure the recipe was printed to try it.  It never seemed like Mark and Linda could come up often enough to please her. 

She was loved dearly by her family, always there to listen, always there with unconditional love and support.   We are all so Blessed for having this amazing woman in our lives. 

We would like to thank her 6 care givers for taking such excellent care of her and loving her.  You  are all amazing people, we will always be grateful. 

Surviving are her four children: 

Steven Crooks, Florida 

Gregory Crooks, Ithaca MI 

Mark (Linda) Crooks, Warsaw, IN 

Barbara VanAtten, Ithaca MI 

Four Grandchildren: 

Amber (Kris) Howes, Kalamazoo, MI 

Sarah (Ralph) Ponze, Holt, MI 

Nicole (Marcus) Haskin, Mount Pleasant, MI 

Cody VanAtten, Lansing MI 

Nine great grandchildren 

Preceded in Death: 

Husband:  Stuart  Crooks 

Daughter:  Elladyne MacNabb 

Grandson:  Jason Crooks 

Brother:  George Smith 

Sister:  Phyllis Duflo 

Funeral services for Muriel will be 1pm Saturday, October 19, at the Barden Funeral Home in Ithaca. Burial will follow at Fritz Cemetery. Visitation will take place prior to the service from 11am - 1pm at the funeral home.

The family is being served by the Barden Funeral Home in Ithaca. Condolences may be left for the family online at www.bardenfuneralhome.com.

Barbara Jean Flegel

Barbara Jean Flegel (Barb), 76, of Perrinton, Michigan unexpectedly left this earth on October 9, 2024.

Barb was born on February 14, 1948, to Ruth and Romaine Flegel in Lansing, Michigan. When she was still a young girl, the family moved “home” to Gratiot County.  Barb’s youth was filled with fond memories of playing in the creek with her brother, cousins, neighbors, and friends and spending her days with her large extended family.

She graduated from Ithaca High School in 1966 and attended Lansing Business University (now LCC) where she developed her talent with numbers. Her love of cars and knack with numbers lead her early career path to car dealerships in the Lansing area. She spent most of her career at Meridian Township, where she retired in 2008. After retirement, she moved back home to Gratiot County.

Barb was proud of her family heritage and carried the traditions, values and stories of her family with reverence and pride. She was known as the keeper of family history and passed along the stories with detail and care. Barb had a sharp mind and playful sense of humor. She was quick-witted and always ready with a comeback to keep the laughter rolling with a smile and a mischievous glint in her eye.   She enjoyed traveling, camping, music, and her annual trips to Arizona to spend time with her long-time best friend, Ellen (Green) Neumann. Barb carried a compassion for animals and treated her pets as cherished members of the family. Her love of animals extended beyond her own pets, and she could be found feeding the local strays, helping find homes for animals in need or watching the deer graze and play in the fields.   

In 2019, Barb married her childhood friend, Larry Dean Andrews, whose paths crossed again when they both needed each other the most. They lived their remaining years in Perrington, Michigan.   

Barb was preceded in death by her husband, Larry Andrews (by one day), mother, Ruth (Souden) Flegel, father Romaine Flegel, in spirit, “sister-in-law” Brenda Crooks and many cherished family members. Left behind are her brother, Ron Flegel of Ithaca, Michigan, daughter, Arlene (David) Vincent of Mecosta, Michigan, special uncle, Phillip Flegel of Elsie, Michigan and too numerous to mention special aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews and other extended family members.

Her humor, kindness and spirit will be missed by all that knew her.  

A memorial service will be held at 11am on Friday, October 18, 2024 at the Edgewood Church of God with Pastor Dave Perry Officiating. Visitation will be held on Thursday, October 17, from 4-7pm at the Barden Funeral Home in Ithaca. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Dalis to the Rescue, a non-profit animal rescue in Gratiot County.

The family is being served by the Barden Funeral Home in Ithaca. Condolences may be left for the family online at www.bardenfuneralhome.com.