Obituaries
Lenore T. Wieber
Lenore Theresa Wieber, age 84, of Charlotte, formerly of Portland, passed away peacefully into the arms of her Heavenly Father on Saturday, April 18, 2020. She was born June 28, 1935 in Mt. Pleasant, the daughter of Joseph and Regina (Mazylewski) Potocny. Lenore graduated from Ionia High School in 1953. On November 21, 1953 she married Frank Wieber Jr. at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Portland. Together Lenore and Frank raised their family in Portland. Lenore was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She doted over her entire family and brought a smile to them all. Her grandchildren enjoyed an uncommonly close bond with her. If they were part of any type of event, grandma was there. She loved reading in her spare-time. After Frank passed away, Lenore enjoyed traveling with her twin sister Leona and John Rupp. They made many precious memories together through the years. P.J. Hoffmaster State Park was her sanctuary on the beautiful shore of Lake Michigan. Lenore had a keen eye for details. She was meticulous about her appearance, and holiday gatherings were always flawlessly arranged.
Lenore is survived by her children: Julia (Ronald) Bruner of Holt, Laura (Ronald) Goostrey of Charlotte, Lydia (Jim) Kopydlowski of Goodrich, David (Michelle) Wieber of San Jose, Calif.; grandchildren: Robyn (Rob) Mc’Brien, Jeff (Katina) Bruner, Nathan (Amanda) Kopydlowski, Megan (Kyle) Creyts, Tyler (LeAnna) Kopydlowski, Thomas Goostrey, Hannah Kopydlowski, Justin Wieber, Trevor Wieber, Derek Wieber; great-grandchildren; Jackson Mc’Brien, Makyna Mc’Brien, Raymond Bruner, Shayleigh Bruner; and sister, Carol Savage. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Frank Wieber Jr. in 1985; and three brothers and four sisters.
A private Mass of Christian Burial took place on Wednesday, April 22, 2020 at St. Mary Catholic Church with Rev. Fr. Dwight Ezop celebrating. The Mass was livestreamed on the parish’s Facebook page. Interment took place at Portland Cemetery.
Those desiring may make contributions in Lenore’s memory to Smile Train, 633 3rd Ave. 9th Floor, New York NY 10017 or my.smiletrain.org. To view Lenore’s obituary online, or to leave a condolence for the family, visit burkhead-greenfuneralhome.com. The family is being served by the Burkhead-Green-Kilgo Funeral Home in Charlotte.
Byron L. Aeder
Byron Lee Aeder, age 62, of Charlotte died on April 18, 2020. He worked as a mechanic at Sawyer’s Pontiac.
Jerrold L. Gilding
Jerrold Lynn Gilding, age 68, of Charlotte died April 16, 2020. He was a line worker at General Motors. Services will be held at a later date.
Judith A. Peters
Judith Ann Peters, age 81, of Charlotte passed away Tuesday, April 14, 2020 at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing. She was born December 17, 1938 in Charlotte, the daughter of Val and Alice (Fhaner) Becktel. Judy graduated from Charlotte High School with the class of 1957. On October 12, 1957, she married Ronald Peters. Together they raised their family on the farm in Walton Township. Judy spent countless hours helping her husband milking cows and working in the fields. Judy was an avid gardener who loved spending time tending to her many beautiful flowers. She cherished each and every moment she was able to spend with her family. She also loved when her many friends and neighbors would stop by for a visit.
Judy is survived by her children: Jeffrey Peters of Milan, Tenn., Diana (Pat) Ruthruff of Charlotte; grandchildren: Jessica Ruthruff, Michelle (Albert) Nagel; great-grandchildren: Andrew Seedorff and Sylas Nagel.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Ronald; sister Janice Neal; and great-granddaughter, Jasmine Seedorff.
A graveside service will take place at Bosworth Cemetery when the current restrictions on public gatherings are lifted. Those desiring, may make contributions in Judy’s honor to the American Cancer Society. To view Judy’s obituary online, or to leave a condolence for the family, visit burkhead-greenfuneralhome.com. The family is being served by the Burkhead-Green-Kilgo Funeral Home.
Joan K. Franks
Joan K. Franks, age 59, of Bellevue died on Tuesday, April 14, 2020 at her home surrounded by her family following a short illness.
Joan was born on August 17, 1960 in Charlotte to James and Laura (Everette) Shaw. She graduated from Bellevue High School in 1978. On December 16, 1988 she married Charles E. Franks in Olivet. Joan had been working as a steward for Firekeepers Casino and Hotel in Battle Creek for the past seven years until her illness in January of this year. She also cared for the elderly, and she was a custodian at Bellevue and Charlotte schools for several years. Joan was a former member of the Marshall Women of the Moose. She enjoyed collecting tea pots, going to garage sales and watching children. Joan loved the outdoors, going camping on the Manistee River, hunting for mushrooms and reading. She also enjoyed cooking and playing scratch-off lottery tickets.
She is survived by her husband Charles of Bellevue; children, Bobbie Jo (Leon Kemp) Hanke of Bellevue, James (Danielle) Hanke of Bellevue, and Travis (Lisa) Franks of Potterville; grandchildren, Jordyn Franks, Kyle Franks, Ashley Bujarski, Alexis Hanke, Hunter Hanke, Madison Hanke, Dominic Moore, and Krista Moore; great-grandchild Blakely Roosa; siblings, Jannette Shaw-Groom of Bellevue, Katherine (Leo) Cider of Rolla, Missouri, and Terry Shaw of Bellevue; sister-in-law Angela Shaw-Duke of Bellevue and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; a brother Joe Shaw; a nephew Trenton Shaw; and a brother-in-law Martin Groom.
Due to COVID-19, there will be a memorial service held at a later date. Interment of her cremated remains will take place at Riverside Cemetery in Bellevue. Family requests memorial contributions to Hospice Care of Southwest Michigan, 222 N. Kalamazoo Mall #100, Kalamazoo MI 49007. Leave a personal message for the family and sign the online guestbook at kempffuneralhome.com. Mrs. Franks and her family are being cared for by the Kempf Family Funeral and Cremation Services.