Donna J. Harter of Otsego, MI passed away Wednesday, May 16, 2012 at Kairos Dwelling in Kalamazoo with her family by her side. Donna was born August 31, 1929 in Watson Township, MI in the home of her parents; Raymond “Bill” and Esther (Baker) Newcomb.

She is survived by her brother , Jim (Sue) Newcomb; 3 sons, Leon (Cindy) Harter, Bob (Bonnie) Harter and Ron (Penny) Harter; grandchildren, Chasity and Jessecia Harter; step grandchildren, Christie Snyder, Justin Snyder; her Aunt, Helen Baker; nephews, Nathan (Shawn) Newcomb, Corey (Tricia) Newcomb, Eric (Linda) Hewitt, Dawn Hewitt; brother-in-law, Hal Hewitt and a special friend and caregiver, Claudia Blaha; as well as many extended family members and friends.

Donna was united in marriage to Leon M. Harter Sr. in 1946. She worked many years for Otsego Public Schools as a bus driver, worked for and retired from National Waterlift, was a demo lady at Sam’s Club, a door greeter at Walmart and drove cars for Midway Chevrolet until her health declined. In her lifetime she was a member of the VFW, enjoyed BINGO, crocheting, crafts, playing the lottery, casinos, holidays, cookouts and spending time with her family, friends and her cat Punkin.

Donna was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; a daughter, Debra Nelson; her sisters, Joan Hewitt and June Girton; brother-in-law, John Girton, infant brother, Raymond Newcomb and a niece, Terry Reynolds.

Friends may visit with her family on Sunday from 3-6 P.M. at the Winkel Funeral Home, Otsego where services will be held on Monday at 11 A.M. with Rev. Patricia Catellier officiating. Burial will take place at Mountain Home Cemetery, Otsego.

Contributions in memory of Donna may be made to Kairos Dwelling or Heartland Hospice.

Messages of condolence may be left at www.WinkelFuneral Home.com

Helen T. O’Neill of Otsego, Michigan passed away Saturday, May 12, 2012 at her home. Mrs. O’Neill was born March 5, 1916 in Boston, MA to Timothy and Sarah (McCloskey) Daly. She was a graduate of St. Gabriel High School and had enjoyed golfing for many years.

On October 24, 1937 in Hyde Park, MA, Helen married Vincent O’Neill who preceded her in 2008. They had been married over 70 years.

Surviving are 5 children, Joyce O’Neill and friend Sam Lafata of Otsego, Lawrence and Christine O’Neill of Yarmouth Port, MA, Stephen and Jackie O’Neill of Healdsburg, CA, Daniel and Wendy O’Neill of Decatur, TX, Joanne and Dave Coy of Otsego; her grandchildren, Amy (Tim) O’Connor; Sean O’Neill, Morgan O’Neill, Kevin O’Neill and Sarah O’Neill; great-granddaughter, Caroline Wendy O’Connor; many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her step-father, Joe McDonough; a brother, Daniel McDonough; her sisters, Margaret McDonough and Mary Engelke; a sister-in-law, Rita McDonough; a daughter-in-law, Wendy O’Neill and a granddaughter, Pamela O’Neill.

Friends may meet with her family from 10-11 A.M. Wednesday at St. Margaret’s Catholic Church where a Rosary will be recited at 10:30 A.M. and where a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 A.M. Rev. Fr. Gordon Greene, Celebrant. Interment will be in Hicks Cemetery. Memorial contributions can be made to Wings of Hope Hospice or St. Margaret’s Catholic Church.

Messages of condolence for her family may be left at www.WinkelFuneralHome.com

Emma Lillie (Fuhst) West of Austin, TX (formerly of Plainwell) died April 18, 2012 in Texas. Emma was born September 2, 1927 in Plainwell to Wilfred and Rosa (VanDyke) Fuhst. She was a 1946 graduate of Plainwell High School and attended Argubright Business College in Battle Creek. In the late 1950s, Emma served in the Women’s Army Corps at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. She had lived in Austin, Texas since 1972 where she was employed at Seaton Hospital.

Surviving are a cousin, Gertrude Long of Kalamazoo and many close friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents and a brother Wilfred Fuhst, Jr.

Cremation has taken place. A Memorial Service will be held Tuesday at 1:30 PM at the Winkel Funeral Home, Otsego, with Pastor Kevin Smith officiating. Burial of cremated remains will be in Hillside Cemetery, Plainwell.

Contributions in memory of Emma may be made to Wounded Warriors, USO at P.O. Box 96322, Washington, DC 20090-6322

Messages of condolence for her family may be left at www.WinkelFuneralHome.com

Roger F. Gilligan of Plainwell, Michigan passed away Wednesday, May 9, 2012, in Battle Creek with his loving family by his side. Mr. Gilligan was born in Hopkins, MI on May 18, 1927 to Walter and Georgia (Flynn) Gilligan. As a young man Roger worked on the family farm until he enlisted in the U.S. Navy where he served his country in the Pacific Theater during WWII. Following his time in the Navy he worked for Mac-Sim-Bar for a short time before eventually purchasing the Mobil Gas Station in Otsego, he later owned and operated Rog and Bob’s Marathon Station where he worked until retirement in 1977. Following his retirement Roger worked for the Otsego Public Schools as a mechanic at the bus garage for over 10 years. As a young man Roger had also raced stock cars and had been a very successful driver, he still holds the record for most consecutive feature race wins with 11 at the Galesburg Speedway. In 1987 he was inducted into the Michigan Motor Sports Hall of Fame. He had been a member and former Post Commander at VFW Post #3030 in Otsego and had been a longtime member of the Otsego Elks Lodge. On November 18, 1949 in Allegan he married Marjorie Barber.  He and Marjorie enjoyed traveling together and spent many winters together in Florida.Surviving Roger are a son and a daughter, James (Carleen) Gilligan of Plainwell and Ann (Paul) Petersen of Otsego; three grandchildren, Sheila (Mike) Howard, Todd Petersen and Jaime (Aaron) Kortokrax; seven great-grandchildren, Jake, Ryan and Samantha Howard, Timothy Petersen and Zach, Drew and Cole Kortokrax; a brother Bill Gilligan of Kalamazoo and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife who preceded him in death in 2011. parents; siblings, Joe Gilligan and Joan Hazard.

Cremation has taken place; burial of ashes will take place with military honors at Hillside Cemetery in Plainwell. A celebration of Roger’s life will be held on May 26, 2012 from 2 to 6 P.M. at the Otsego V.F.W.

Contributions in memory of Roger may be made to VFW Post #3030, 124 N. Farmer St., Otsego, MI  49078.

Messages of condolence may be left at www.WinkelFuneralHome.com

Margie ‘Tootie’ Lakeman of Otsego, Michigan, passed away Monday, May 7, 2012, at Wings Home in Allegan. Mrs. Lakeman was born November 27, 1934 in Holland, Minnesota to Jacob and Anna Evink. On December 14, 1952 in Elkton, South Dakota she married Earl ‘Toby’ Lakeman and they moved to Michigan in 1955.

The main enjoyment in Tootie’s life was her family, having been raised with so many siblings. There was never a time that her home housed just her immediate family, there were always some other family members living there, whether it be nieces, nephews, grandparents, sisters or brothers. When her children were young there were family picnics at Brookside Park. Four of her siblings as well as her mother and father, who lived right next door, lived in Otsego at the time. There was lots of food and fun and always a baseball game – kids against the grownups, who would often intentionally throw the ball away, stumble and fall down to make the game fun for the kids.

Then there was her love of music; she loved to play her guitar. She was part of a few bands, one of which was The Happy Wanderers, which included her brother Ken, sister Harriet and sister Jane. If she wasn’t playing her guitar she would be up dancing to each and every song. For about 20 years Tootie and Toby went camping at Miles Cove, where Tootie was part of a band made up of campers who called themselves The Muskrat Ramblers. There were more nights than not that the sun would be near to coming up before the band would quit and go to bed. Many, many friends and happy memories came from those years.

Over the years, it seemed as though Tootie was always making something. She took ceramic classes and made many very nice pieces that her kids now have as keepsakes. She also worked with leather and made leather belts. Later on, she and Toby both did woodworking, Tootie started out and then Toby joined in. Toby would cut out the designs and sand them, while Tootie would stain or paint, then varnish. Eventually they worked on custom orders.

Surviving are four children, Gary (Cheryl Bailey) Lakeman of Otsego, Terri (Mike) Enos of Grand Haven, Debra (David) TenBusschen of Otsego and Kelley (Jim Jr,) Dendel of Otsego Twp.; 9 grandchildren, Asa J., Marisa, Joshua, Lisa, Robert, Nate, Kalyn, Trey and Madi; a special child, Heather; siblings, Angeline Larson of Dell Rapids, SD, Kenneth Evink of Flandreau, SD, Lois Wrigg of Elkton, SD, Jerold Evink of Rockford, IL, Jane Hoyt, Elmer Evink and Harriet Evink, all of Otsego; many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Earl ‘Toby’ Lakeman on February 11, 2007; eight brothers; four sisters; an infant son, Danny Jay Lakeman; and a grandson, Alex William Dendel.

Friends may visit with Tootie’s family from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 P.M. Thursday at the Winkel Funeral Home, Otsego, where funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. Friday, Pastor Stephen J. Burrow officiating. Burial will follow at Mountain Home Cemetery, Otsego.

Contributions in memory of Tootie may be made to Wings Home.

Messages of condolence may be posted at www.WinkelFuneralHome.com

Geraldine C. ‘Geri’ Layman of Plainwell, Michigan, passed away Sunday, May 6, 2012 in Kalamazoo. Mrs. Layman was born August 23, 1933 in Homestead, PA to Andrew and Helen (Brecosky) Lusnak. For many years she was employed as a secretary.

Family was the most important part of Geri’s life. She loved animals, especially her cat. Geri was a member of St. Margaret Catholic Church of Otsego.

Surviving are two sons and a daughter, Leonard Benyak of Baltimore, MD, Lynne (Jim) Lawson of North Carolina and Wayne (Lori) Layman of Plainwell; four grandchildren, Erick and Jillian Benyak, Lauren and Alexis Layman; four sisters, Barb Collins, Mary Ellen Kozak, Susan O’Connor and Cindy Wilson; several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents and a son, Gary Benyak.

In keeping with her wishes cremation has taken place. A Memorial Mass at St. Margaret Catholic Church, 766 S. Farmer St., Otsego, Michigan, will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, June 2, 2012, with Rev. Fr. Gordon Greene celebrant. Burial of ashes will be at Mountain Home Cemetery, Otsego.

Contributions in memory of Geraldine may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Messages of condolence for her family may be posted at www.WinkelFuneralHome.com

Kathryn C. Hayden of Kalamazoo, Michigan, passed away Saturday, May 5, 2012 at her home. Kathryn Hayden was born November 6, 1921 in Kalamazoo to Albert and Elizabeth (Vermeulen) Nuyen. Kathryn loved her family and was a devoted wife, mother and homemaker. In her leisure time she enjoyed painting, knitting, puzzles and cooking.

On August 31, 1940 in Glendora, MI she married Stanley Hayden. For 40 years of their married life they lived in Jackson, MI, before returning to the Kalamazoo area in 1990. Stanley died in 1999. Also preceding her in death were two brothers, Albert and William; two sisters, Minnie and Bertha; and a grandson, Bobby Hayden.

Surviving are a son and two daughters, Ronald S. Hayden of Kalamazoo, Marcia K. (Stephen) Headley of Rockledge, FL and Janet L. Turner of Potterville, MI; five grandchildren, Wendy Hayden, Bradley (Anna) Hayden, Scott Turner, Beth (Kevin) Musson and Stacey Headley; six great-grandchildren, Leandra, Alexandra, Alayna, Noah, Isaiah and Emma; a sister, Irene Ciesielski of Plainwell; a sister-in-law, Betty Halsey of Horton, MI; several nieces, nephews and cousins; special friends, Don Gurk, Will and Barb Bradley and family.

Friends may meet with her family from 12 -2 pm Wednesday at the First Baptist Church of Plainwell where funeral services will be held at 2:00 P.M., Rev. John Nichols officiating. Burial will follow at Hillside Cemetery, Plainwell.

 Contributions in memory of Kathryn may be made to the Muscular Dystrophy Association or the Make-a-Wish Foundation. 

Kathryn’s family would like to thank Great Lakes Caring Home Care and Hospice for their wonderful assistance in caring for her.

Messages of condolence for her family may be posted at www.WinkelFuneralHome.com

Sandra L. ‘Sandy’ Wolf of Plainwell, Michigan, passed away Saturday, May 5, 2012 at Wings Home in Allegan. Sandy was born April 13, 1950 in Kalamazoo to Charles and Jacqueline (Barnes) Austin and was a lifelong resident of the area. She was a graduate of Gull Lake High School.

For 19 years she was employed as a cook with the Otsego Public Schools and then worked 10 years at Meijer. In her leisure time she enjoyed working Sudoku puzzles, trips to the casino and trips up north to the U.P. She had a love of butterflies and met regularly with co-workers as they had formed a ‘dessert group’. Sandy loved spending time with her grandson.

On May 3, 1969 in Richland she married Fred Wolf, who died in 2008. Also preceding her in death were her father, Charles Austin, and her brother, Stanley Austin.

Surviving are a daughter, Becky (Jake Hammond) Wolf of Otsego; a grandson, Chase Leonard of Otsego; her mother, Jacqueline Austin of Plainwell; a brother, Charlie (Mary Lou) Austin of Hickory Corners; three sisters-in-law, Carol (Larry) Wiessner of Delton, Sue McGowan of Lawrence and Sally (Leon) Thompson of Florala, Alabama; several nieces and nephews.

In keeping with her wishes cremation has taken place. Friends may visit with Sandy’s family from 6 to 8 P.M. Wednesday at the Winkel Funeral Home, Otsego, where Memorial Services will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Thursday, funeral celebrant Bill Rose officiating. Burial of ashes will follow at Mountain Home Cemetery, Otsego.

Contributions in memory of Sandy may be made to Wings Home.

Messages of condolence for her family may be posted at www.WinkelFuneralHome.com

Jacqueline J. ‘Jackie’ Dunlop of Pine Lake passed away Tuesday, May 1, 2012 in Kalamazoo, on her 67th wedding anniversary. Mrs. Dunlop was born May 14, 1925 in Plainwell to Albert and Cleo (Hill) Johnson and grew up the daughter of a blacksmith. While in high school, both of Jackie’s parents died, and her senior year she worked a full shift from 3pm to 11 pm at Plainwell Paper Co.

On Tuesday May 1, 1945 at the Plainwell Baptist Church she married Phillip Dunlop and they enjoyed 67 years of marriage. Together they owned and operated Pine Lake Orchards and Dunlop Orchard Mobile Home Park. After their retirement they enjoyed traveling in their motorhome. Until she was well over 80 years old, Jackie canned 100 quarts of peaches every year and enjoyed giving away many of those peaches. In her leisure time she enjoyed casting and painting plaster of Paris figurines, reupholstering, gardening and cooking. For many years she was a faithful blood donor. Jackie loved her family and was a wonderful, nursing, nurturing mother and grandmother and hard worker, sewing clothing for her daughters. She was a great picnic host and made wonderful apple strudel. Jackie attended the Northeastern Baptist Church in Kalamazoo.

Surviving in addition to her husband, Phillip, are three daughters, Patricia Flanders of Grand Rapids, Phyllis (Gary) Rogers of Otsego and Rose (Jerry) Robart of Plainwell; seven grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren with twin great-grandchildren due soon; a sister, Charlene Bailey of Plainwell; a sister-in-law, Marjorie Dunlop of Florida; many extended family members and close friends.

She was preceded in death by two sons-in-law, Steven Spencer and Verl Flanders; three sisters, Barbara Ramseyer, Betty Morefield and Charlotte Johnson; and her mother-in-law and father-in-law, Earle and Rosa Dunlop, whom she regarded as her own parents.

Jackie’s family will receive friends on Friday from 10 to 11 AM at the Northeastern Baptist Church, 6536 East G Ave., Kalamazoo, where funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M., Pastor Bishop officiating. Private family burial will be held later at Prairieville Cemetery.

Contributions in memory of Jackie may be made to the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission or the Otsego Christian Academy.

Messages of condolence for her family may be posted at www.WinkelFuneralHome.com

Eleanor M. ‘Ellie’ Sadler passed away Friday, April 27, 2012 at her home. Mrs. Sadler was born August 17, 1925 in Cleveland to Harold and Anna (Kasel) Peplow.

On November 15, 1947 in Cleveland, she married Robert Sadler who survives. Also surviving are her children, Clifford (Marge) Sadler, Mary Ann (Jack) Emery, Robert (Sherri) Sadler and Thomas (Shellie) Sadler; seven grandchildren; 7 great-grandchildren and one on the way.

Ellie enjoyed golfing and being with her family and her friends. She was a member of St. Ambrose and St. Margaret Churches.

Preceding her in death were her parents, a sister, Rita Mould and a brother, Bob Peplow.

In keeping with her wishes, cremation has taken place. Friends may visit with her family from 9:30 to 10:30 A.M. on Saturday, May 5, 2012 at St. Margaret’s Catholic Church, Otsego where a Memorial Mass will be held at 10:30 A.M. with Rev. Fr. Gordon Greene officiating. Memorial donations may be made to Hospice Care of Southwest Michigan.

Messages of condolence may be left at www.WinkelFuneralHome.com