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Funeral Services:

Thomas Eugene Mahar, age 89, of Lake Leelanau passed away Saturday, April 25, 2020 at Medilodge of Traverse City with his loving family by his side.

Thomas was born April 26, 1930 in Hastings, to Michael and Nora (Spencer) Mahar. On October 18, 1952 in Nashville, Mich., he married Patsy Jean (Firestone) Mahar, who preceded him in death on February 14, 2006.

Tom honorably served his country in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War. Over the years, he often spoke highly of his time at sea; the challenges he experienced, the people he met and all the places he visited while on board the USS Hyman. While in the U.S. Navy, he obtained his initial electronics training where he advanced to become an electrical engineer. He loved spending time with his family, playing cards and playing solitaire on the computer. His hobbies were designing, building, tinkering with and repairing things. He was a long-time member of St. Mary’s Parish of Lake Leelanau where he served as eucharistic minister and lector. Before moving to Lake Leelanau, he was a member of St. Cyril Church in Nashville. Tom served his community as commander of the Little Finger VFW Post 7731 of Lake Leelanau and was also the financial secretary of the Knights of Columbus for many years.

Tom is survived by his six children, Kathryn Lea (Bill) Smith of Farmington Hills, Marilyn Ann (Curtis) Crow of Traverse City, Annette Marie (David) Andres of Traverse City, Patrick Aaron Mahar of Traverse City, Karen Louise (Derek) Botfield of Portage, and Matthew Scott (Ashley) Mahar of Clarksville, Tenn.; a half-brother Joseph Mahar of Alloway, NJ; a half-sister, Magdalen Joppie of Hastings; 14 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Bernard and Robert; sister, Martha Stamm; daughter, Barbara Jean; son, Thomas Allen; daughter-in-law, Carol Mahar; grandson, Michael Mahar; and great grandson, Devin Cowan.

A celebration of Tom’s life and graveside service will take place at a later date to be determined. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to St. Mary of the Assumption Church, PO Box 340 Lake Leelanau MI 49653. Memorials may also be directed to Hospice of Michigan, 10850 East Traverse Highway, Traverse City MI 49684. Share condolences and memories with Thomas’ family at martinson.info. Arrangements are with the Martinson Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Leelanau.

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Funeral Services:

Phyllis Ellen Haines, age 99 — a loving wife, mother and grandmother — died peacefully on Friday, April 17, 2020 surrounded by her family in Hastings. Phyllis was born November 30, 1920 in Vermontville, the daughter of the late William Hamilton and Leta Gale (Green) Northrup. She graduated from Vermontville High School before attending Melba School of Cosmetology in Lansing. She married Merle Haines in Angola, Ind. on December 3, 1938. They lived briefly in Charlotte and Albion until Merle was called to serve in WWII. After the war, they relocated to Vermontville where she owned her own beauty shop. The two moved to Hastings, where they raised their family, and Phyllis went to work as a cashier at Felpausch grocery store. She earned National Cashier of the Year and eventually worked her way into corporate headquarters as the company treasurer. Following her time in the grocery business, she went to work as the city treasurer of Hastings in the mid-1960s, retiring in 1980. Above all, Phyllis was most proud of nearly 63 years of happy marriage to Merle, and her family.

Phyllis is survived by her five sons, William C. (Carolyn) Haines of Holt, Merle Bradley Haines of Hastings, Mark Alan (Turid) Haines of Fanrem, Norway, John Charles (Diane) Haines of Hastings, and Peter Jeffrey (Ronnie) Haines of Spring Lake; 14 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; and sister, Barbara Harrison of Lake Wales, Fla. She was predeceased by her husband, Merle L. Haines in 2001; sister, Kathryn Bartholomew in 2006; daughter-in-law, Kathryn Haines in 2019; and brother-in-law, Les Harrison in 2019.

Phyllis and Merle will be joined together and buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in Vermontville and a memorial service will take place once travel restrictions are lifted. If desired, the family suggests memorial contributions to United Way/ Fresh Food Initiatives. Friends and family are encouraged to share memories of Phyllis on her tribute page at prayfuneral.com. The family is in the care of Pray Funeral Home in Charlotte.

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Funeral Services:

Steve Etherton, age 73, of Charlotte went to be with the Lord on April 19, 2020. 

He was preceded in death by his mother, Betty Kost, his grandparents, two nieces and one nephew. 

Steve is survived by his wife, Erlene, of 51 years. She was the love of his life. He is also survived by his sisters, Sherry Hays, Billie Jo (Bill Scott) and Cindy Colson; brother, Jeff Kost; aunt, Bonnie (John Carmen); many cousins, nieces and nephews, and a whole lot of friends.

Steve retired from Trinity Lutheran Church in Lansing. His hobbies were hunting, riding his yellow motorcycle and shopping. He had a very big heart for people. He will be missed always. Our hearts are broken. Until we meet again, we love you.

A memorial service will be held at a later date.

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Funeral Services:

Edwin John Schneider, age 87, a man with a gregarious personality and quick wit, passed away unexpectedly on April 24, 2020 at his home. He was born on January 7, 1933 to Edward and Matilda (Rademacher) Schneider in Fowler.

Ed served his country in the U.S Army as a tank crewman during the Korean War. After returning home, he met his future wife, Rosalie Cortright, in Lansing at Bradleys Dance Hall, and they were married June 8, 1955. When they started their family, they filled their home with love, caring, adventure, helping others and the Word of God. Edwin worked as a carpenter for Oldsmobile until his retirement in 1981 after 30 years. He was a member of St. Mary’s Mens Club, the St. Vincent DePaul Society and the Eaton Area Senior Center.

His family fondly remembers that he loved the outdoors. It didn’t matter if it was in the woods hunting, or caring for his enormous “weed free” garden (with 24 rows of potatoes), or working the farm. His children remember many lessons learned from their father: “Always put forth your best effort,” “Never do things halfway,” “You should learn how to be independent,” and “weed that garden” were among the many lessons he taught his family.

Some of the things that Ed and Rosalie enjoyed include camping, hiking, square dancing, polka music (especially the Beer Barrel Polka), and fall fishing trips to Sault Ste. Marie. After their retirement, Rosalie and Edwin enjoyed several trips to McAllen, Texas, and a special trip to Alaska and Newfoundland.

Edwin is survived by children, Marcella (Mike) Haag, Marvin (Teri) Schneider, Dorothy (Ron) Schroeder, Edward (Lynn) Schneider, Deacon Charles (Marlene) Schneider, and Kay (Parks) Preston; 21 grandchildren; 30 great-grandchildren; and one brother, Alvin Schneider. He was preceded in death by his wife, Rosalie Mae Schneider; daughter, Nancy; brothers, Andrew Schneider, Leo Schneider, Leonard Schneider, Louis Schneider, Joseph Schneider, and Hilary Schneider; sisters, Antoinette Schneider, Catherine Heckman, Florian Schneider and Ann Leneman.

A Funeral Mass for immediate family was scheduled for 1 p.m. on Friday, May 1 at St. Mary Catholic Church in Charlotte with Rev. Fr. Dwight Ezop officiating. The Mass will be web cast so others may watch it from any computer, smart phone or mobile device that has internet access.  The web cast will be available through Ed’s tribute page at prayfuneral.com. Click on Ed’s tribute, the click “photos & videos” from your computer (or media from your smart phone). Prior to the beginning of the service, a link will appear on this page to watch the web cast.

Friends and extended family members are also encouraged to share memories of Ed on his tribute page. If desired, the family suggests memorial contributions to St. Mary Catholic Church St. Mary St. Vincent DePaul Society or the Eaton Area Senior Center. The family is in the care of Pray Funeral Home in Charlotte.

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Funeral Services:

Bernard James Hall, age 77, of Charlotte passed away peacefully at his home on Wednesday, April 29, 2020. He was born December 2, 1942 in Hastings, the son of Kenneth and Pauline (Fugate) Hall. Bernard graduated from Olivet High School with the class of 1961. He then went on to proudly serve his country in the United States Navy. On April 9, 1966, he married Julie Ann McLane in Charlotte. Bernard loved the outdoors and could often be found fishing or hunting, depending on the season.

Bernard is survived by his wife of 54 years, Julie; children: Jerome (Tara) Hall of Jackson, Bernard (Shelly) Hall II of Battle Creek, Marguerite (Thomas) Patterson of Eaton Rapids, Jensy (Armando) Pellegrino of Charlotte, Meagan (Steve) Turner of Olivet, Farin Burt of Lansing, Brandon (Sara) Hall of Eaton Rapids; 24 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, sisters: Bonnie (Dan) Judd of Olivet, Beverly (Bill) Cahill of Tennessee and Betty (George) Banfield of Florida.  He was preceded in death by his parents. Visitation was scheduled for Friday, May 1, 2020 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Burkhead-Green-Kilgo Funeral Home in Charlotte. Those planning to attend are asked to be mindful of the executive order set forth by the governor and wear a mask. Staff will be ushering attendees into the visitation. A private graveside service was scheduled to be held May 1 at the West Carmel Cemetery with Pastor Charles Jenson officiating.

Those desiring may make contributions in Bernard’s memory to the family. To view Bernard’s obituary online, or to leave a condolence for the family, visit burkhead-greenfuneralhome.com.

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Funeral Services:

Paul “Cheatie” Anderson, age 84, of Eaton Rapids passed away on Wednesday, April 22, 2020. Paul was born on November 25, 1935 in Halo, Ky., the son of Hillard and Mary (Slone) Anderson. Paul moved to Michigan in search of work. He went to work for Heifetz Pickle Factory in Eaton Rapids. He then took a job with Springport Steel, where he worked until they closed. He eventually went to work for St. Lawrence Dimondale Nursing Center, retiring in the late 1990s. Paul loved to spend time with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, spoiling them with treats every opportunity he had. He was an avid collector and enjoyed going to auctions, spending time outside, working in his garden and fixing things around the house.

He was preceded in death by his parents, sisters, Hazel Bates, Sessie Gatzke, Edith Smallwood; brothers, Hillard Jr., Hobert, Claude, Bobby, and Buddy Anderson.

Surviving are his daughter, Belinda (Kevin) Hill; grandchildren, Amanda (Juan) Gatica, Ashley (Evan) Gruesbeck, Brittney Hill; great-grandchildren, Evelyn and Liam Gruesbeck, Carlijean Benson, Olivia Adkins; extended family, Eric (Susan) Eaton, Daryl (Deb) Eaton, Justin (Miranda) Eaton, Cindy Beck, Darian Eaton, Delanie Eaton; sisters, Ollene Stapleton, Betty “Chickie” Anderson; brother, Glen (Ruby) Anderson; sister-in-law, Beulah Anderson; brothers-in-law, James Smallwood, Jerry Gatzke and numerous nieces and nephews.

A graveside service was held on Thursday, April 30, 2020 at Rosehill Cemetery in Eaton Rapids. For those desiring, memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society in memory of Paul. To share memories or condolences, visit skinnerfuneralhomes.com. 

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Funeral Services:

Kathleen Joyce Graham, age 87, of Eaton Rapids passed away on Monday, April 27, 2020. Kathy was raised in Eaton Rapids, the daughter of Arlo and Eva (Kruger) Towns, and she graduated in the class of 1950. She worked numerous jobs for many companies over the years — including Boices Bazzar/ Candy Shop, Knapps, Consumers Energy, the Eaton Rapids Commerce and Eaton Federal Savings Bank. Kathy was very involved in the community, volunteering with the Eaton Rapids Medical Center Auxiliary, the Eaton Rapids Fire Department. She worked elections for several years at local polling centers. She was a long-time member of the First Congregational Church, the Red Hat Society and the Moose Lodge of Lansing. Kathy enjoyed spending time with her family, especially having them for dinner on Halloween evening and passing out candy together. She loved square dancing and enjoyed sewing. She leaves 74 years of penned diaries that she began writing at age 13 and consistently wrote until last year.

She was preceded in death by her parents, brothers, Keith Towns, Clair Towns, Jerry McConnell and best friend, Mary Montie.

Surviving Kathy are her husband of 67 years, Verlon Graham; daughters, Patti Nyquist, Karen Reynolds, Lori Duling; sons, Eric (Marie) Graham, Matthew Graham; grandchildren, Corey (Amber) Davis, Kerry (Jacob) Colestock, Jennifer (Dan) VanWasshenova, Ashleigh Reynolds, Amber (Jason) Ruttan, Zach Duling, Nathan Graham, Alissa Graham, Brandon Field, Katrina (Jimmy) Thomas, Brooklyn Graham, Chase Graham; great-grandchildren, Mason and Mikaylah Ruttan, Sage VanWasshenova, Clara Wilson, Ethan and Emma Thomas, Riyah and Amara Field, Zoey and Wesley Colestock, Harper and Hudson Davis; sister Linda (Keith) Fuller; in-laws, Gary and Caroline Cheadle, Ponnie Bailey and numerous nieces and nephews.

A private family funeral and graveside service will be held. The family will host a public memorial service at a later date. For those desiring, memorial contributions may be made to the First Congregational Church. To share memories or condolences, visit skinnerfuneralhomes.com.

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Funeral Services:

Steve Etherton, age 73, of Charlotte went to be with the Lord on April 19, 2020. He was preceded in death by his mother, Betty Kost. He is survived by his sisters, Sherry Hays, Billie (Bill Scott), and Cindy Colson; his brother, Jeff Kost; and several cousins, nieces and nephews. 

Steve’s hobbies were hunting and riding his motorcycle. He retired from Trinity Lutheran Church in Lansing. He is missed and loved very much. A memorial service will be held at a later date.

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Funeral Services:

Shirley Ann Kyre, age 85, a feisty little lady of Grand Ledge, formerly of Charlotte, died Sunday, April 19, 2020 in Lansing. Shirley was born May 25, 1934 in Grafton, W. Va., the adopted daughter of Bordman Walton and Anna M. (Detrick) DeWitt. She graduated from Fairmont High School before marrying George Ray Kyre, and the two started their family. They moved to Maryland and eventually Charlotte, where Shirley worked for many years at Wildern’s Drug Store and at Weymouth Elementary School, where she was both feared and loved by students and teachers alike. She and George enjoyed spending time up north in Harrison and traveling.

George would do anything for Shirley, including buying her a Ford Mustang, which he continually kept clean while she drove it around town in style, even though she had to scoot her seat all the way up and pull herself up over the wheel to be able to see! On most Fridays, you could catch her at either a CHS football game or a CHS basketball game, where George and his buddy Gordon would be working on statistics for the local paper and she would be tossing back a box of popcorn. She and George were huge WVU fans, and they would drive back to West Virginia from Michigan for most home Mountaineers football games. In the fall, she would have football on all day long, both college and NFL. Her favorite teams were WV, MSU, the Steelers and the Lions. When George died in 2002, a part of Shirley faded as well, but she never lost her spunk, she was still Shirley.

Shirley liked to play tough, but she was one of the most caring and loving women one could have ever met. The last couple years of her life she made a lot of new friendships and was involved in community activities such as bingo and exercise classes, which she would brag that she could do more than the 60-, 70-year-olds in her building. Although many will miss her, the many “Shirley Stories” will live on in her memory.

Shirley is survived by her son Russ; grandchildren, Cassi (Frank) Hobyak, Jamie Kyre, Jon-Eric Kyre, Carly Kyre, Donny Kyre, and Logan Kyre; great-grandchildren, Jaydin, Kalin, Mitchell, Jameson, and Spencer; daughter-in-law, Jackie Kyre; and her grand-dog, Ace. She was predeceased by her husband, George; and two sons, Jon Kyre and Mike Kyre.

Visitation took place on April 22, 2020 and was followed by interment at Maple Hill Cemetery in Charlotte, where she was laid to rest alongside George.

If desired, the family suggests memorial contributions to the Tri-County Meals on Wheels.  Friends and family are encouraged to share memories of Shirley on her tribute page at prayfuneral.com. The family is in the care of Pray Funeral Home in Charlotte.

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Funeral Services:

Shirley Jean Carpenter, age 93, of Whitehall, formerly of Charlotte and Lansing, passed away peacefully Friday, April 17, 2020 in Norton Shores. She was born November 10, 1926 in Holt, the daughter of Roy and Dora (Johnson) Feier. Shirley graduated from Holt High School in 1944. On May 9, 1947 she married Edward W. Carpenter in Lansing. Family was of the utmost importance to Shirley. She adored her grandchildren and great grandchildren. In recent times, Shirley could often be found reminiscing while paging through her many photo albums. She enjoyed reading, watching Detroit Tigers baseball, trips to the casino, bingo and playing cards.

Shirley is survived by her daughter, Lois (Rudi) Semen of Lansing; son, Kevin (Cindy) Carpenter of Columbia, Tenn.; daughter-in-law, Sue (Green) Carpenter of Whitehall; grandchildren; Shawn Semen, Mark Semen, Katrina (Michael) Kutzleb, Jamie (Tom) King, Crissie Carpenter; and five great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Edward W.; son, Leland Carpenter; grandson, LCpl. Andrew P. Carpenter; sister, Arlene Sheldon of Lansing; and brother, Wendell Feier of Holt.

A private graveside service was to be held at Maple Hill Cemetery in Charlotte. Due to the current mandate limiting public gatherings, a celebration of Shirley’s life will be held at a later date. Those desiring may make contributions in Shirley’s honor to Harbor Hospice, 1050 W. Western Ave. Suite 400, Muskegon MI 49441 or St. James Lutheran Church, 8945 Stebbins St., Montague MI 49437.