Obituaries
Josephine Madeline Ostrowski
Josephine Madeline Ostrowski, 90, of Olivet, died peacefully on Wednesday, November 20, 2019 at her home with family by her side. Josephine was born April 11, 1929 in Throop, PA, one of nine children of Maciej and Anna (Fyk) Siedlecki. She graduated from High School in Stratford, CT, in 1946, making her the first of her family to earn her diploma. Josephine worked as a file clerk at various posts until marrying John Ostrowski on February 27, 1954. Following their marriage, Josephine settled into family life in Connecticut, briefly in Florida and finally in Michigan. Her family will always remember her loving hospitality, always making sure her guests were well nourished and comfortable. Her meticulous nature meant her home was always well organized. Josephine particularly enjoyed her time at home, especially watching the birds and deer pass by while working on her latest crochet or knitting project. She was a woman of devout faith and love for family.
Josephine is survived by her daughter, Joann (Jack) Ostrowski Parrinder; sons, John (Patti) Ostrowski, Jr. and James Ostrowski; 5 grandchildren, Louann Ostrowski, Ashley (J.D.) McDaniels, Eric (Nicole) Wells, Melissa (fiancé Scott Conger) Ostrowski, and Katie Ostrowski; 2 great-grandsons, Joshua and Jaden Ostrowski; brother, Vincent (Ruth) Siedlecki; and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband, John Ostrowski, Sr., in 1986; her parents; and her siblings, Walter (Julia) Siedlecki, Mary (Stanley) Oldakowski, Lucille (Fred) Fischialetti, Pauline (Raymond) Kotchkowski, Catherine (Tony) Prushko, Leo (Angie) Siedlecki, and Edward Siedlecki.
A Funeral Mass was scheduled for 3 p.m. on Friday, November 22, 2019, at St. Mary Catholic Church in Charlotte with Rev. Fr. Dwight Ezop officiating. Visitation was scheduled to take place an hour prior to Mass at the church on Friday. If desired, the family suggests memorial contributions to St. Mary Catholic Church of Charlotte. Friends and family are asked to share memories of Josephine on her Tribute Page at www.PrayFuneral.com. The family is in the care of Pray Funeral Home in Charlotte.
Clara Virginia Fast
Clara Virginia Fast, age 87, of Charlotte, passed away Thursday, November 21, 2019, at Eaton Community Palliative Care with her family by her side. She was born July 23, 1932, in Ripley, Mississippi, the daughter of Martin and Ina (Willis) Mauney. At a young age, Clara and her family moved to Michigan. She graduated from Charlotte High School in 1950. On October 20, 1951, she married Richard “Dick” Fast in Angola, IN. Clara was a devoted mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She adored each and every member of her family and cherished every moment they spent together. In 1981, Clara moved to Sarasota and spent nearly 17 years there. While in Florida, she loved spending time at the beach and watching the sunset over the Gulf of Mexico. In her spare time, she was an avid reader and enjoyed doing crossword puzzles. She liked movies and watching sporting events.
Clara is survived by her daughters: Sherri (Randy) Crandell, Michaelle “Micki” Smith, Kim Fast, Tracy Symonds; grandchildren: Nicole (Troy) Jamieson, Chad (Dawn) Crandell, Katherine Harmon, Ryan (Sonya) Harmon Emily (Ryan) Berning, Jeromi (Ashley) Klont-Braatz, Tyler (Samantha) Braatz, Jared Braatz; great grandchildren: Cole Jamieson, Evan Jamieson, Nolan Jamieson, Natalie Crandell, Lily Crandell, Maddie Crandell, Faith Crandell, Samuel Crandell, Chace Braatz, Bailey Braatz, Norah Braatz, Aryah Braatz, Beau Harmon, Gwendolyn Harmon, Kelly Kolk; sister, Linda (David) Stafford; sister-in-law, Laurel E. Mauney; close friends and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; former husband, Dick Fast; and brother, Marty Mauney.
Funeral services will be held on Monday, November 25, 2019, at 1:30 p.m. at the Burkhead-Green-Kilgo Funeral Home with Pastor John Bailey officiating. The family will receive friends on Sunday from 3 to 6 p.m. at the funeral home. Interment will take place at Maple Hill Cemetery.
Those desiring, may make contributions in Clara’s memory to Eaton Community Palliative Care, 2675 S. Cochran, Charlotte MI 48813.
To view Clara’s obituary online, or to leave a condolence for the family, visit www.burkhead-greenfuneralhome.com.
Peter William Tengler Jr.
Peter Tengler was born in December 19th 1944 in England to Peter and Dorothy Tengler. He passed peacefully in his home in Olivet, MI on November 14th 2019. Peter worked as an engineer on the Canadian National Railroad for 36 years. He enjoyed fishing, golfing, vacationing and spending time with his family. He was loved by many and cared for others deeply. He is survived by his wife, Alice Tengler and children Elizabeth Tengler, Billy Tengler, and Matthew Ward.
Margaret Ann Fitnich
“Maggie” Margaret Ann Fitnich, a beloved family member and therapy dog at Eaton Rapids Medical Center, died November 4, 2019. Maggie, age 10 (or 70 in dog years), was born May 10, 2009, in a litter of 12. While her father was a Miniature Poodle, Maggie was the largest of the litter and grew to be much larger than her littermates. Maggie joined the Fitnich household shortly after she was born and brought much joy to her people parents, Trisha and Jason Fitnich. Trisha enrolled Maggie in training classes at K9 Connections at the age of two. Maggie easily earned her AKC Canine Good Citizen award and participated in several other classes, including agility. Her temperament as a natural encourager brought joy to those she met, so it was an easy decision for Maggie to be trained as a therapy dog. Maggie made many appearances at Charlotte-area nursing homes, the Eaton County Youth facility and eventually became a therapy dog at the Eaton Rapids Medical Center, where she was sought after and found in many various departments. When she was nine, she lost her eyesight. Trisha enrolled Maggie in Nose Work classes in order to “see” through her sense of smell. It was truly amazing to see Maggie navigate both at home and throughout the hospital and locate specific rooms, as well as her treats. In addition to her work at the hospital, she made appearances at Lockwood Elementary in Eaton Rapids through the mentoring program and volunteered time at the Eaton Rapids District Library with the Children’s Reading Program. She was a very patient and good listener, as children learned to improve their reading abilities by reading stories to Maggie. Trisha considers it a wonderful honor to have had this beautiful companion in her life and to be at her side when she left our world. She is proud of Maggie bringing so much joy to others, by being present with their therapy and spreading her love as only beloved pets can.
Duane and Sharon Mears
Duane and Sharon Mears
Duane “Dewy” and Sharon Mears of Charlotte, soul mates for 26 years, died together unexpectedly on November 11, 2019. They were married August 22, 1993, and loved many of the same activities in life. A blind date at the bowling alley is where they met, and they have been together ever since. They were extreme U of M football fans, holding season tickets for many, many years. Together, they enjoyed gardening and many other activities. They loved traveling. Their favorite time together was time spent at Grand Marais in the U.P.
Dewy, 57, was born August 6, 1962, in Yakima, WA, to Herman and Sylvia (Tefft) Mears. A sales rep for Nabisco for 29 years until his retirement, Dewy made lots of friends. He was just awesome. With a great sense of humor and a hopeless romantic, Dewy loved setting up surprises for Sharon. Small-engine repair came very naturally to Dewy, and his family was always amazed at his know-how.
Sharon, 64, was born December 7, 1954, in Battle Creek to Richard and Frances (Beatty) Jelinek. She worked at Pennock Hospital, Hastings, in home healthcare prior to her retirement. Known as funny, feisty and strong-willed, Sharon loved to have fun, and she was also a great gift-giver. She enjoyed yard sales and bargain shopping and was a collector of Boyd’s Bears and many cookbooks, which she often used to bake delicious treats. Christmas was her favorite time of year. She loved to celebrate with family for days. Sharon was also talented at making wedding cakes, something she learned to do with her sister.
Dewy and Sharon died in a tragic accident, along with Dewy’s mother, Sylvia Mears. They are survived by Dewy’s sister, Joy Martin; Sharon’s sister, Sandy Hook; Sharon’s brothers, Ron (Peg) Hook and Randy (Leona) Hook, aunts, Charlice Crane and Nila Baldwin; and many nieces and nephews. They were preceded in death by Dewy’s father, Thurman “Sonny” Mears; Dewy’s brother, Scott; and Sharon’s parents, Richard and Frances Jelinek.
Friends are encouraged to support the Mears family at visitation and funeral services. Funeral services are Saturday, November 16, at 11 a.m. at Pray Funeral Home in Charlotte with Pastor Mark Booth officiating. Visitation is scheduled for Friday, November 15, from 6 to 8 p.m. If desired, the family suggests memorial contributions to American Cancer Society “Lavonne’s Lame Ducks Relay for Life of Eaton County.” Friends and family are asked to share memories of Duane Mears and Sharon Mears on their Tribute Pages at www.PrayFuneral.com. The family is in the care of Pray Funeral Home, Charlotte.