Amanda Jean MacDonald
Amanda Jean MacDonald, a loving mother and grandmother with a passion for nature, died peacefully on Friday, Apri12, 2024 at the age of 88. Amanda was born at home on January 13, 1936, during a snowstorm in Sunfield Township, the daughter of Noble Henry and Neva Irene (Bell) Sackett. She graduated from Grand Ledge High School before attending Michigan State University. Amanda grew up on a farm where she learned the importance of hard work. She loved raising her Jersey Cows. As a child, Amanda also spent many hours in the woods with her father and grandfather, which led to her love of the outdoors, a love she passed on to her children and grandchildren. Several generations of the family enjoyed countless camping trips across several decades, including to the Woods in the North. Amanda’s children not only remember special trips, but also always stopping along the roadside to look for “Lady’s Slippers” flowers in the spring. Amanda was a 4H leader, focusing especially on sewing, cooking and baking, and entomology. She developed a beautiful collection of pressed flowers and insects. She was lifetime member of NCHA/FCRV, and a dedicated member of the Order of the Eastern Star. Above all, Amanda loved her family.
Amanda is survived by her children, JoDee Naan (Tony) Pruden, Kent Neil (Teresa) MacDonald, Kelly Nona (Stanley) Karamol; grandchildren, Paddy (Holley) MacDonald, Heather (Robert) Youngs, Gregory (Courtney) Pruden, Dallas (Kelly Jo) Hartman, Cassandra Hankins, Mark Hankins, Amy (Mike) Restauri and Michael Karamol; several great-grandchildren; brothers, William (Christine) Sackett and Robert (Susan) Sackett; sisters-in-law, Kate and Susan MacDonald. She was predeceased by her husband, Bryce Lee MacDonald; daughter, Nika Lisle Hankins; sister, Vanya Ackerson; and her parents.
Friends are encouraged to support Amanda’s family by attending services or sharing memories on her Tribute Page at www.prayfuneral.com. Visitation was on Thursday, April 18, 2024, from 2-4:00 p.m. and 6-8:00 p.m., with an Eastern Star Service at 8:00 p.m. at Pray Funeral Home, Charlotte. Funeral services was at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, April 19, 2024 at Vermontville Congregational Church with Pastor Izzy Young officiating. Interment will take place in Woodlawn Cemetery in Vermontville. The funeral was webcast so you may watch it from any computer, smartphone, or mobile device that has internet access. Go to www.prayfuneral.com, click on Amanda’s tribute, then click on Photos and Videos from your computer (or Media from your smartphone). If desired, the family suggests memorial contributions to the Vermontville Congregational Church, the FCRV Conservation Fund, or Woldumar Nature Center. The family is in the care of Pray Funeral Home, Charlotte.