Obituaries

April 16, 2015

Ada Amelia Fraker Chaffin age 99 passed away Thursday, April 16, 2015 at Warwick Living Center, Alma, Michigan. A Memorial Service celebrating Ada's life will be held at Smith Family Funeral Home, 1333 East Center St. Ithaca, MI on Saturday, April 25, 2015 at 12:00 P.M. Visitation will be held for one hour prior to the service from 11:00 A.M....

April 15, 2015

Barbara Jean Freed of Sumner, died Wednesday, April 15, 2015, at Gratiot Medical Center in Alma.

Barbara was born in Alma on February 5, 1940, the daughter of Donald and Pauline (Donley) Clymer.  She married Alvin Merritt Freed on September 19, 1959 and they enjoyed fifty years together before he preceded her in death on June 7,...

April 15, 2015

Dolores Helen Clark of St. Johns, MI and formerly of Elmore, OH, passed away April 13, 2015 at the age of 87. She was born August 18, 1927, in St. Louis, MO, the daughter of Josephine and Stephen Chulick. On September 4, 1954 she married Edward C. Clark and he preceded her in death on September 1, 2013.

April 14, 2015

Thomas Joseph 'Tom' Strachota, age 64, of Elsie, MI passed away Tuesday, April 14, 2015 at his home, with his family by his side. Funeral Services will be held at Duplain Church of Christ, St. Johns, MI on Friday, April 17, 2015 at 11:00 A.M. with Mr. Chuck Emmert, Minister officiating. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, April 15, 2015...

April 13, 2015

Theresa Ann Ladiski, age 66, of Elsie, MI passed away Monday, April 13, 2015 at Sparrow Health Systems, Lansing, MI. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Holy Family Catholic Church Ovid, MI on Saturday, April 18, 2015 at 11:00 A.M. with Rev. Fr. Raymond Urbanek officiating. Burial will take place at Ford Cemetery, Gratiot County, MI. Visitation...

April 13, 2015

Margie Lee Wilcox, passed away on April 13, 2015 at Mid-Michigan Hospice House, Lansing, Michigan. There will be a private memorial service held at a later date. Margie was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the daughter of George and Lillian (Allen) Payne. She married Robert Wilcox in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Margie and her husband farmed a centennial farm in Hastings,...

April 11, 2015

Deborah Sue Rodriguez, age 59, of Alma, MI passed away Saturday, April 11, 2015 at Schnepp Health Care Center, St. Louis, MI. A Memorial Service will be held at Smith Family Funeral Homes Ithaca, MI on Saturday, April 18, 2015 at 5:00 P.M. with Mr. Keith Wise officiating. Burial will take place at Pine Grove Cemetery, Ithaca, Michigan. Visitation will...

April 10, 2015

Robert Don 'Bob' Hutchings, age 62, of Riverdale, MI formerly of Laingsburg passed away Friday, April 10, 2015 at his home. A Memorial Gathering will be held on Thursday, April 16, 2015 from 2-5 P.M. at the Ithaca Community Center, Ithaca, MI. Robert was born in Owosso, Michigan on January 25, 1953, the son of Robert Ellis and Katherine (Howe)...

April 9, 2015

Emma Kent Dunavant, age 86, of St. Johns, Michigan died Thursday, April 9, 2015 at Masonic Pathways, Alma, Michigan. Funeral Services will be held at Smith Family Funeral Homes, Ithaca, Michigan on Sunday, April 12, 2015 at 2:00 P.M., with Pastor Mona Dye officiating. Burial will take place at North Star Cemetery, North Star, Michigan. Visitation will be held on...

April 8, 2015

Casy McKenzie Clark, age 52, of Ithaca, died Wednesday, April 8, 2015, at her home.

Casy was born May 22, 1962 in Cherry Point, North Carolina, the daughter of James Wesley and Peggy Sue (McNerney) McKenzie.  She loved children, and doted on her nieces and nephews, and pets.  She was always very active, doing handcrafts and crocheting...

April 7, 2015

Jason Robert Bobzien, age 39, of St. Louis, MI passed away Tuesday, April 7, 2015 at his home. A Memorial Visitation will be held on Saturday, April 11, 2015 from 5-8 P.M. at Smith Family Funeral Homes, St. Louis, MI. Jason was born in Alma, Michigan on February 6, 1976, the son of Gerald Robert and Karen Sue (Edgar) Bobzien....

April 7, 2015

Vincent Paul Csapos, age 93, of Ovid, Michigan passed away Tuesday, April 7, 2015 at his home. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Holy Family Catholic Church, Ovid, MI on Friday, April 10, 2015 at 10:00 A.M., with Rev. Fr. Ray Urbanek officiating. Burial will take place at Ford Cemetery, Gratiot County, Michigan. Visitation will be held...

April 7, 2015

Bobbie J. Elders, age 84, of Alma, MI passed away Tuesday, April 7th, 2015. A Memorial Service will be held at St. Louis First Baptist Church on Saturday, April 11th at 1:00 P.M. Pastor Phil Maxwell will officiate. Bobbie was born in Louisa, Kentucky on August 10, 1930, the daughter of Eldon and Elizabeth Jane (Murphy) Fields. She was an...

April 7, 2015

Leroy E. Wierman, age 89, of Alma, MI formerly of Ashley, MI passed away Tuesday, April 7, 2015 at Mid Michigan Medical Center-Gratiot, Alma, MI. Funeral Services will be held at Smith Family Funeral Homes, St. Louis, MI on Monday, April 13, 2015 at 11:00 A.M., with Pastor Mona Dye officiating. Burial will take place at North Star Cemetery, North...

April 6, 2015

Lora Eva Clark, age 85, of St. Johns, formerly of Ithaca, MI went to be with the Lord, Monday, April 6, 2015 at Hazel I. Findlay Country Manor, St. Johns, MI. Funeral Services will be held at the Church of the Nazarene, St. Johns, MI on Friday, April 10, 2015 at 11:00 A.M. with Pastor Randall Rucker officiating. Burial will...

April 3, 2015

Carol M. Henry, age 73, of Bannister, MI passed away Friday, April 3, 2015 at her home. Funeral Services will be held at Smith Family Funeral Homes Elsie, MI on Saturday, April 11, 2015 at 11:00 A.M., with Pastor Mona Dye officiating. Burial will take place at Pinckney Village Cemetery, Pinckney, MI. Visitation will be held on Friday, April 10,...

April 2, 2015

Pauline M. Merchant, age 80, of Ithaca passed away April 2, 2015 at Gratiot Medical Center.

Pauline was born August 24, 1934 and adopted by James and Frances Frump. She married Larry Merchant June 14, 1953. He preceded her in death in August of 1995.

Pauline is survived by her children, Doug (Mary) Merchant, David...

April 2, 2015

Evon C. (Kioski) Goscinski age 96 of Elsie, MI, joined her daughter and mother on Thursday, April 2, 2015 at Hazel Findlay Country Manor, with her family by her side. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Cyril's Catholic Church, Bannister, MI. on Tuesday, April 7, 2015 at 11:00 A.M., with Rev. Fr. Bill Gruden officiating. Burial...

April 2, 2015

Ernest Leroy Packer, age 87, of Edmore, Michigan passed away Thursday, April 2, 2015 at his home. Funeral Services will be held at Faith United Methodist Church, Edmore, Michigan on, Tuesday, April 7, 2015 at 2:00 P.M., with Pastor Mike Riegle officiating. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, April 7, 2015 from 1:00 P.M. until the time of service at...

March 31, 2015

Larry Lee Purvis, age 65, of Elsie, MI passed away Tuesday, March 31, 2015. In Celebration of Larry's Life a Memorial Luncheon will be held on Saturday, April 4, 2015 from 1:00-4:00 P.M. at the ZCBJ Lodge in Bannister, Michigan. A dish to pass would be appreciated. Larry was born in St. Johns, Michigan on May 12, 1949, the son...