Barbara Jean (Buck) Sovis

      Barbara Jean "Jean" Sovis, age 89, of Ovid, MI, passed away Monday, January 22, 2024, at her home. 

      Funeral Services will be held at Smith Family Funeral Homes Elsie, MI at 1:00 P.M. on Friday, January 26, 2024.   Burial will take place at Riverside Cemetery, Elsie, MI. Visitation will be held on Thursday, January 25, 2024, from 4-8 P.M. at the funeral home. 

       Jean was born in Owosso, MI on March 6, 1934, the daughter of Melvin Buck and Dorothy (Woodward) Buck.  Jean graduated from Ovid High School with the Class of 1952.  She married Tony Sovis on June 28, 1952. Tony passed away April 26, 1996. She married Frank Dudash, Sr. on September 8, 1999.  Fritz passed away on April 18, 2017. 

      Jean loved to travel, visiting Canada, Mexico, Florida, out west and trips to Nebraska for the Polka Festival.   She did enjoy bowling and playing golf after her children were grown, later she took up bicycling and rode on many long bike rides.  Jean worked at the library in Elsie, she was active in the literacy campaign for children and volunteered her time at Memorial Healthcare.  Jean and Tony were members of St. Cyril Catholic Church in Bannister, later she and Fritz remained members of the church and most recently she was attending Chapin United Methodist Church.  

      She is survived by her daughter Mary Ann Reid of Portland, MI; daughter Barbara Vanderhoof of Elsie, MI; son David and Audrey Sovis, of Ovid, MI; 6 grandchildren: Emily (Matt) Wies, Butch (Nicole) Vanderhoof, Jon (Nicolle) Reid, Christopher (Stephanie) Reid, Stephen (Taylor) Sovis, and Tony (Ashley) Sovis; 14 great-grandchildren. Jean was preceded in death by her parents, her husbands, siblings: Raymond Buck, Virginia Mcleod, and Melvin 'Murl' Buck who all grew up in Elsie. 

      Memorials may be made to Memorial Healthcare Hospice or Shiawassee County Humane Society. Online condolences can be sent to www.smithfamilyfuneralhomes.com. The family is being served by Smith Family Funeral Homes, Elsie, Michigan.