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Funeral Services:

Beverly Jean England of Eaton Rapids passed away after a short battle with cancer on June 25, 2018. Bev was born in Eaton Rapids, February 18, 1935, the daughter of Franklin and Violet (Weatherby) Rockafellow. She worked as a bookkeeper for several companies. Bev was a member of the Jean Bradford Kline Senior Center, was an avid doll collector and loved to work in her flower and vegetable gardens.

Beverly is survived by her husband, Richard England; children, T. Michael (Darlene) Swan of Eaton Rapids, Timothy Swan of Charlotte, Debra England of Charlotte, Richard (Debra) England of Elsie, Michael Swan of Eaton Rapids; grandchildren, Mischelle Prill, Melissa (Donny) Bever, Teresa (Jamie) Bartley, Rachel (Scott) McCune, Jerry England, Joshua England, Ricky (Misty) England, Tony Swan, Trevor (Katie) Swan, Stacee (Justin) Robison, Dillon (Harley) Swan; 20 great-grandchildren; three great great-grandchildren; siblings, Judy Husted, Joyce Burlison, Robert Rockafellow, Keith (Carol) Rockafellow.

She was preceded in death by her parents; siblings, Juanita Kirchen, James and Donald Rockafellow; great-grandchildren, Victoria Tanner and Hayden Bartley.

A Celebration of Life will be held July 15, 2018 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church, 600 S. Main St., Eaton Rapids.

Those desiring may make memorial contributions to the Jean Bradford Kline Senior Center, 201 Grand St., Eaton Rapids, MI 48827.

Arrangements were entrusted to the Mills Funeral Home, Shelly-Odell Chapel in Eaton Rapids. Please visit millsfuneral.com to place online condolences or to sign the guest book.

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Funeral Services:

Tanya Rene Barnes, 45, of Charlotte, died peacefully with her loving husband by her side on June 11, 2018.  Tanya was born May 10, 1973 in Fulton, Ky. to Robert and Jacqueline (Husted) Polhamus. She grew up a “military brat” living on many different military bases including a base in Germany for several years.  Tanya was a very social, loving, and caring lady who very courageously battled cancer four years. She loved all things related to motorcycles, including riding them and talking about them all the time. She enjoyed photography, and was an animal lover (especially cats and dogs). She worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant at Sensations Memory Care, and later at Eaton County Health and Rehabilitation Services. She enjoyed hanging out with friends and family, and was very proud of her children and grandchildren.

Tanya is survived by husband, Michael Barnes; children, Bruce, Blake, Kody, and Evan Anderson and A.J. Barnes; grandchildren, Courtney Anderson and Aubree Anderson-Smith; and parents Robert and Jacqueline Polhamus.

She was preceded in death by an infant brother, Robert Aaron Earl Polhamus; and grandparents. Edgar Husted and Caroline Berry.

Friends are encouraged to support Tanya’s family at visitation and memorial services. Memorial services are Friday, June 22, at 1 p.m. at Pray Funeral Home in Charlotte, with Pastor Jack Childs officiating, and visitation prior to the services from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

If desired, the memorial contributions are suggested to the family.

Friends and family are encouraged to share memories of Tanya on her Tribute Page at PrayFuneral.com.

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Funeral Services:

Daune Martis, a devoted wife to her husband, John, died June 10, 2018. Daune, 74, was born December 10, 1943 in Carson City, Mich., to Franklin and Leona (Fishburn) Hall. Daune’s family shared that others would remember her for her Christian character and how she cared for others. She was a long-time member of Zion Lutheran Church in Lansing. After graduating from high school, Daune was employed at the State of Michigan in Collections at the Department of Treasury, retiring in 2004. On August 18, 1979, Daune married John Martis. Daune’s interests were varied, although she loved to be home cooking great meals. Her favorite pastime was travel. There were many trips including cruises, visiting Las Vegas and travel abroad.

Daune is survived by her husband, John; stepchildren, Scott (Cathleen Johnson) Martis, Shari Schnepp, Sandi Martis, and Shannon Martis; grandchildren, Jena and Jodi Martis, Richard Whitbeck, Dartanion (Sandra) Thomas; and great-grandchildren, Audrey and Braylon Whitbeck, and Tredon Thomas.

She was predeceased by her parents, Franklin and Leona Hall.

Funeral services were held Friday, June 15, 2018, at 11 a.m., at Zion Lutheran Church in Lansing, with Pastor Michael Bater officiating.

If desired, the family suggests memorial contributions to the American Cancer Society or the Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Friends and family are encouraged to share memories of Daune on her tribute page at PrayFuneral.com.

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Funeral Services:

Richard Best, 78, of Charlotte, a devoted husband, father, and grandfather who loved to fish and was an avid MSU fan, passed away on June 9, 2018 from pancreatic cancer. Richard was born on May 24, 1940 in Lansing.  Richard attended J.W. Sexton High School, graduating in 1958. After high school Richard joined the Coast Guard reserves and served 5 1/2 years.

Richard went to work for the State of Michigan. He hired as a clerk and went on to write the code and programs to convert many of the State’s records and processes to computers. He retired in 1996 after 38 years of service as a Systems Analyst Manager.

Richard is survived by his wife of nearly 50 years, Linda; son, Bradley (Missy) Best; daughters, Jamie (Matt) Bennett, Carrie Best (Tom Beebe); seven grandchildren; brother, William (Luella) Best; five nephews; one niece; and sister-in-law, Sharon Monroe.

Richard was preceded in death by a son, Bryan Scott Best; his parents, Rista and Doris (Hutchins) Best; brother and sister-in-law, Frank and Sue (Tabor) Best; and brother-in-law, James Bradshaw.

Funeral services were held Wednesday, June 13, 2018 at Pray Funeral Home. Interment took place in Dimondale Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Eaton Community Palliative Care or Eaton County Humane Society.

Family and friends are encouraged to share remembrances and condolences online in Richard’s tribute page at prayfuneral.com.

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Funeral Services:

Rev. Timothy W. Olson, 51, of Eaton Rapids, passed away Wednesday, May 30, 2018, as a result of an automobile accident. He was born November 5, 1966, in Antigo, Wisc., the son of Peter L. and Valerie M. (Lichman) Olson. Tim graduated from Antigo High School in 1984. He then went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Concordia University in Wisconsin. In 1994 he received his Masters of Divinity from Concordia Seminary in Fort Wayne, Ind. On October 22, 1994, Tim married the love of his life, Deborah “Chris” Hackett in Indiana. Tim’s first assignment was in St. Helen, Mich. at Hope Lutheran Church, where he had the privilege of serving for 5 years. In 1999, Tim, was called by the First Lutheran Church of Charlotte. Tim loved the Charlotte community and cherished the opportunity he had to serve them. He was a devoted husband and father. Tim loved his family with a deep devotion and enjoyed every moment they spent together. He was also an active member of the Charlotte Rotary Club and served as the Chaplain at Hayes-Green-Beach Memorial Hospital.

Tim is survived by his wife of 23 years, Chris; children, Rebekah (Adam Boston) Olson, Rachel Olson, James Olson; mother, Valerie Olson; siblings, Tom (Maria) Olson, Andy (Peggy) Olson, Mark Olson, Dan (Katie) Olson, Laura (Jerry) Houdek, Theresa (John) Schmidt, Sally Glazer, Patty Olson, Pete (Pam) Olson; parents-in-law, Earl and Kathy Hackett; brothers-in-law, Jim Hackett, Bryan (Amy) Hackett; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his father, Peter Olson; and sister, Linda Olson.

Funeral services were held Tuesday, June 5, 2018 at First Lutheran Church in Charlotte, with Rev. David Maier officiating. Interment followed at Maple Hill Cemetery in Charlotte.

Those desiring may make contributions in Tim’s honor to the First Lutheran Church, 550 E. Shepherd St., Charlotte, MI 48813.

To view Tim’s obituary online or to leave a condolence for the family, please visit burkhead-greenfuneralhome.com.

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Funeral Services:

Marjorie Louise Mobbs Woolstenhulme, 92, was called home by her loving Heavenly Father, Wednesday, May 30, 2018. Midge, as she was known by her family and friends, passed away peacefully at Sensations Memory Care of natural causes. She was born August 14, 1925 in Exeter, N.H. to Karl and Gladys Mobbs. She proudly served her country in the United States Navy where she met and married Lynn J. Woolstenhulme October of 1952. Through the many years of her husband’s military transfers and deployments, Midge never lost her love for adventure, sense of humor, or her New Hampshire accent.

Midge had many jobs, but her two favorites were, town librarian in Bakersfield, Vt. and working as a hospice volunteer. She loved to sew, garden and visiting with people. She actively served in various capacities for her church, always putting the needs of others before herself.

Midge is preceded in death by her by husband of 56 years, and one daughter, Janise Witkowski (Thomas) of Tooele, Utah.

She is survived by two sisters, Doris Kleinheitz (Herman) of Kentucky, Edith Belanger (Edward) of New Hampshire; daughters, Yvonne King (Gary) of Charlotte, Karen Morales (David) of Gresham, Ore., Sandra Woolstenhulme of Grand Ledge; many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews. All of whom she loved deeply.

Midge spent the last two years living at Sensations Memory Care in Charlotte. Our family would like to thank all the staff from Sensations and Great Lakes Caring Hospice for the wonderful compassionate care they shared with our mum making sure she was most comfortable in her final days.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, June 9, 2018, at 11 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, located at 200 N. Bostwick Street in Charlotte. Visitation was held on June 8, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Burkhead-Green-Kilgo Funeral Home and one hour prior to the service Saturday at the church. Interment will take place at Benton Township Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Great Lakes Caring Hospice or Eaton Community Palliative Care.

To view Midge’s obituary online or to leave a condolence for the family, please visit burkhead-greenfuneralhome.com.

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Funeral Services:

Candy Sue Miller Riley, 49, of Shelbyville, Ky., passed away Saturday, May 26, 2018. She was employed by Pegasus Transportation.

She is preceded in death by husband, Joseph Riley.

Survivors include: daughters, Crystal Shannon (Steven) and Ashley Riley; son, Trevor Riley, all of Shelbyville, Ky.; grandchildren, Brandon, Logan, Blake and Madison Shannon, Scarlett and Joseph Montfort and Carolyn Riley; parents, Larry and Pam Miller, of Charlotte; sister, Rhonda Shopper, of Charlotte.

A funeral service was held Thursday, May 31, 2018 at Shannon Funeral Home, with Tina Theiler officiating. Burial followed in Defoe Cemetery.

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Funeral Services:

Duane Leslie Cook of Charlotte, a friendly, easy-going man that was loyal, selfless, and honest, died May 29, 2018. Duane, 80, was born February 12, 1938 in Vermontville to Willis and Marie (Boyles) Cook. Duane was an outdoorsman, and loved to hunt deer, pheasant, duck, and turkey. He coached little league baseball and softball for many years, and was a long-time volunteer at Camp Michawana in Hastings. Duane enjoyed playing ping-pong during his breaks at work, and he was an avid sports fan and enjoyed watching all the Michigan based teams from Detroit, MSU, and UofM. Duane retired from General Motors, after working for 48 years at the parts plant.  He was very proud of his service to our country in the Army from 1961 to 1963.

Duane’s friends and family will miss his happy demeanor and great sense of humor. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Bobby (Ransburg) Cook; sons, Stephen M. and Michael W. Cook; daughter, Faith (Joel) Truax; three grandchildren, Angel Polhamus, Daniel Cook, and Brianna Truax; one great-grandchild, Dane Martin; brother, Darwin (Liz) Cook; sisters-in-law, Pat and Alene; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and siblings, DeVere (Barbara) Cook, Dale Cook, and Dorr (Bobby) Cook; and sister-in-law, Nancy.

Friends are encouraged to support Duane’s family at visitation and funeral services. Funeral services are Saturday, June 9, at 11 a.m. at Nashville Baptist Church, with Rev. Lester DeGroot officiating. Visitation is Friday, June 8, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Pray Funeral Home in Charlotte.

If desired, the family suggests memorial contributions to Camp Michawana in Hastings.

Friends and family are encouraged to share memories of Duane on his tribute page at PrayFuneral.com.

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Funeral Services:

Edward “Ted” Ells, a deeply devoted and loving father and grandfather, passed away peacefully on May 24, 2018, in Charlotte, at the age of 86. Ted was born April 27, 1932, the son of William and Aletha (Root) Ells.  He graduated from Charlotte High School in 1950 with a letter in every sport. Soon after, he enlisted in the Army National Guard and served nine years. Ted married the love of his life, Ann Ruth McMillen on November 14, 1953 and the two enjoyed 43 years together before her death on January 22, 1996. He worked for General Motors for 32 years, never missing a day of work. He retired in 1997 and continued an active lifestyle as a member of the Charlotte Moose Club, the American Legion, and the Charlotte Fraternal order of Eagles #3552. He enjoyed showing off his Eagle membership card with an expiration date in the year 3042. Ted enjoyed Tuesday breakfast with his cousins, and started many adult softball fast pitch leagues as pitcher. He enjoyed his daily routines, stubbornly sticking to them throughout the years. Many will remember Ted as a very generous friend to many, with a prankster sense of humor and always making others smile. He treated everyone he knew as family, and knew someone everywhere he went. Above all, Ted loved his children and grandchildren.

Ted is survived by hais daughters, Ann (Scott) Britton of Charlotte; Rebecca (Gary) Bala of Mulliken; Tina Ells (Dale) of Olivet, Debbra Jones (Mark) of Arizona; son, Ed (Tiffany) of Colorado; 13 grandchildren, Bob, Tresa, Levi, Casie, Jason, Blake, Karli, Devin, Paige, Morgan, Lindsay, Olivia, and Logan; 15 great-grandchildren; loving sister, Marilyn (Carroll) Briggs of Charlotte; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Aletha; sister, Elaine; brothers, Maynard (Mickey), Willard (Bill), Donald; and his wife of 43 years, Anna.

Funeral services were Tuesday, May 29, 2018 at Pray Funeral Home, with Pastor Charles Jenson officiating. Interment took place in Maple Hill Cemetery.

If desired, the family suggests memorial contributions to McLaren Hospice of Lansing.

Friends and family are encouraged to share memories of Ted on his Tribute Page at PrayFuneral.com.