Obituaries
Ulysses Tom Huntley
Apr 20, 2021
Ulysses T. Huntley 69 of Portage passed away Tuesday April 20, 2021 at home. Ulysses was born November 6, 1951 in Miami, FL. He is a son of Thomas and Bertha (Coker) Huntley. He attended the University of Miami and retired from the Stryker Corporation. Ulysses was a Vietnam War veteran serving in the Marine Corps, he was a member...
Viola Lucille Blum
Apr 14, 2021
Viola Lucille Blum 96 of Kalamazoo passed away Wednesday April 14, 2021 at home. Viola was born December 6, 1924 in Vernon, MO the daughter of King Saul and Bessie (Rose) Jones. She retired as an English and Spanish teacher for Gull Lake High School. Viola was a member of North Eastern Baptist Church and enjoyed flower gardening. On August...
Brenda Mae Guerin
Apr 13, 2021
Brenda M. Guerin 43 of Portage passed away Tuesday April 13, 2021 at Bronson Methodist Hospital. Brenda was born May 24, 1977 in Kalamazoo the daughter of Lee and Catherine (Marlatt) Cliffman. She was a manager of Circle K and loved going to the Casino and playing BINGO. She loves spending time with friends and family. On February 16, 2001...
Amanda Stafford
Apr 7, 2021
Amanda Marie Stafford passed away April 7, 2021. Amanda was born in Kalamazoo on October 13, 1984, the daughter of Gregory and Leona (Gleesing) Slye. Surviving beside her parents, Amanda is survived by her children: Kylie (Quinton Whaley) Stafford of N.Y., Garrett and Anthony Stafford of Kalamazoo, Siblings: Michelle Perry, William & Nicole) Gibson and Matthew Gibson all of Kalamazoo,...
Georgia Mae McComis
Apr 6, 2021
Georgia Mae McComis, 89, of Kalamazoo passed away Tuesday April 6, 2021 at home. Georgia was born January 17, 1932 in St. James, the daughter of R. Cole and Vernice (Greenway) Foster. She was a cook at the Sugar Bowl and the Kozy Inn. Georgia enjoyed playing pool, bowing, ceramics and crocheting. In 1952 in Kalamazoo Georgia was united in...
Alvin Ray Holmes
Apr 3, 2021
Alvin Ray (Drummond) Holmes 91 of Cooper Township passed away Saturday April 3, 2021 at home. Alvin was born April 18, 1929 to Wilbur and Leora (Smith) Drummond in Kalamazoo. They had two sons, Alvin and Alvin’s older brother Merle, that marriage ended, but Leora later met and married Lyle J. Holmes. Lyle adopted both boys and raised them and...
Jose Antonio Medina
Apr 3, 2021
Jose A. Medina passed away April 3, 2021. Jose was born November 19, 1956 the son of Miguel and Evangelina (Davalos) Medina. He was employed at Summit Polymers. He was preceded in death by his sister: Rosita and brother Bernadino. Jose is survived by his wife Debra to whom he married for 43 years, Daughters: DeAnna (Matthew) Fontena, Angela Marie...
Eugene Shelton
Apr 2, 2021
Eugene Shelton 71 of Grand Rapids passed away Friday April 2, 2021. Eugene was born January 20, 1950 in West Memphis, AR the son of Joe T. and Bertha (Toliver) Shelton. He retired as a residential carpenter and enjoyed dancing and was one of the best drum major’s in his high school. Surviving are two brothers, Joe Shelton, Lee (Kathy)...
Sharon Lee Jasensky
Mar 29, 2021
Sharon Lee Jasensky, age 73, of Cooper Township passed away Monday, March 29, 2021 at Select Specialty Hospital in Battle Creek. Sharon was born March 31, 1947, in Vicksburg, Michigan, the fourth of six children of Rex and Betty (Dingman) Simpkins. She co-owned MiNiT Print for 33 years alongside her husband before retiring. Sharon enjoyed crafts, cooking, gardening, traveling out...
Linda Sue Coleman
Mar 24, 2021
Linda Sue Coleman 77 of Comstock Township passed away Wednesday March 24, 2021 at home. Linda was born May 10, 1943 in Kalamazoo the daughter of William and Margaret (Dodson) VanErkel. She was a 1961 graduate of Loy Norrix High School, She was a life member of the Comstock VFW Auxiliary and was a strong community member and was affectionately...
Ilene Carley
Mar 20, 2021
Ilene Carley, 90 of Portage passed away Saturday March 20, 2021 at Upjohn Community Care Center. Ilene was born April 20, 1930 in Kalamazoo the daughter of Earl and Henrietta (Maring) Colvin. She retired from Green Bay Packaging Co. and was a member of Portage Senior Center. Ilene had enjoyed volleyball, playing pool, Euchre and building bird houses. On November...
Lula Marie Scheid
Mar 15, 2021
Lula Marie Scheid (Carlisle), 86 of Cooper Township, passed away March 15, 2021. Born April 2, 1934 in Mendon, Michigan. Lula "Marie" was a charter member of St. Ambrose Catholic Church in Parchment. She was employed at Parchment and Portage Public Schools Food Service. Later years in the family business as a floral designer. She was happiest on-the-go, loved her...
Joseph Henry Holysz
Mar 15, 2021
Joseph Henry Holysz of Kalamazoo, Michigan passed away in his home on March 15, 2021 at the age of 72. Joe was born in Chicago, Illinois on July 6, 1948, the son of Roman Paul Holysz and Marion Josephine (Chat) Holysz who both died in 2014. Joe is survived by his wife of 46 years, Christine Marie (Porritt) Holysz, their...
Gayann Marie Schipper
Mar 13, 2021
Gayann Marie "Gayannie" Schipper went to be with the Lord and Savior on Saturday March 13, 2021 at home. Gayann was born September 28, 1943 in Ludington the daughter of the late Jack and Ruth (Miller) Knowles. She was a faithful member of Oakwood Bible Church and member of the Eagles Lodge Auxiliary AIRE #3531 Schoolcraft-Portage. On November 9, 1991...
Lisa Kaye Dziewicki
Mar 10, 2021
Lisa Kaye Dziewicki passed away at home, March 10, 2021. Lisa was born in Kalamazoo on March 19, 1962, the daughter of Arnold and Phyllis (Kuhn) VanDyk. She graduated from Parchment High School and took her basketball efforts to KVCC. After graduation, she worked at her father’s (eventually Dr. David Brown D.D.S.) dental practice, where she enjoyed and loved all...
Sen. John "Jack" A. Welborn
Mar 7, 2021
Passed away Sunday March 7, 2021 at home. Jack was born December 20, 1932 in Kalamazoo the son of H.S. and Elizabeth (Dougherty) Welborn. He was a graduate of Gull Lake High School and Drove Gull Lake School Bus, Owned Welborn Antique Shop for over 25 years. Jack was elected to the Cooper Township Commissioner and elected Supervisor, then Michigan...
James Barnard Johnson
Mar 5, 2021
Passed away March 5, 2021 at home. Jim was born on April 21,1943 in Hamilton, OH the son of Samuel and Irene (Long) Johnson. He was a Tool and Die make and worked from GM then Checker Motors then Western Diversified Plastics in Mattawan. He was the Head District Umpire and active in Portage Little League, he was involved with...
Kenneth Lee Potts
Mar 3, 2021
Kenneth Lee Potts of Climax, Michigan passed away on March 3rd, 2021. Ken was born on December 25, 1956 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He was the son of the late James Earl Potts and Ada (Adele) Clayborn. Ken was raised on Flat Top Mountain in Bledsoe County, Tennessee. Ken served in the US Navy for 22 years and retired in 1997....
Andrew J. Bush, Sr.
Feb 28, 2021
Andrew J. Bush, Sr. of Kalamazoo passed away Sunday February 28, 2021 at home. Andrew was born September 8, 1939 in Wheatfield, Indiana, The son of William and Mary (Cheever) Bush. He worked for KVP Paper Mill and then retired from Gull Lake Schools. Andrew enjoyed ridding dune buggies and fishing. On August 23, 1958 in Kalamazoo Andrew was united...
Christine Marie Stevens
Feb 26, 2021
Passed away peacefully Friday February 26, 2021 at home while holding her husband’s hand. Christine was born January 10, 1951 in Kalamazoo, the daughter of George and Dorothy (Brown) Higgins. Christine graduated from Kalamazoo Central Highschool in 1969, then continued her education at Kalamazoo Valley Community College and Western Michigan University. She used her education to become a System Analysis...