Obituaries

ADRIAN— Debra Gautz, age 57, of Adrian, passed away Sunday, December 9, 2012, at the Lynwood Manor under the care of Promedica Hospice Erie West. Born August 11, 1955, in Adrian, she was the daughter of Mina H. (Rodesiler) and Richard J. Dunbar. On November 14, 1982, she married Conrad “CJ” Gautz at Trinity Lutheran Church, Riga. They all survive. Debra graduated from Blissfield High School in 1973 and then attended Siena Heights College where she earned her B.S. degree. She worked as a lab technician at a Toledo medical lab. She later drove bus for Sand Creek Schools. She was a member at Trinity Lutheran Church in Riga; she had many interests including raising goats, crafts and gardening. She will be greatly missed by her family and friends. In addition to her husband and parents, Debra is survived by her children Kellie Gautz of Adrian and Kurtis (Melanie Burke) Gautz, of Kalamazoo; and her brother Dave (Peggy) Dunbar of Palmyra. Her father-in-law, John C. Gautz, preceded her in death. Cremation has taken place. A memorial service for Debra will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church, Riga on Saturday, December 15, 2012 at 2 pm. with Rev. Angela Zimmann officiating. Visitation will take place from 1 pm until the time of the service. Burial will take place at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church, Riga, or Erie West Hospice. Envelopes will be available at the church. Arrangements were handled by Tagsold Chapel, Wagley Funeral Home in Blissfield where on line condolences may be made to the family at www.WagleyFuneralHome.com

ADRIAN – Jean E. Isley, 88, of Palmyra, peacefully went home to be with the Lord, Tuesday, December 4, 2012, surrounded by the family she loved.

Born May 22, 1924, in Elyria, Ohio, she was the oldest daughter of Charles and Mary (Humphrey) Bartholomew.  Jean graduated from Adrian High School with the Class of 1941.

Jean was married to John Dowling in 1950, and he preceded her in death in 1968.  On November 25, 1971, she married Jay Isley.  Jean and Jay celebrated 37 years of marriage prior to his death in 2007.

Jean worked as an administrative assistant for Dr. William Hewes and Dr. Robert Birmingham.  She was a member of the Woodland United Methodist Church in Michigamme.  She was also a life member of the Palmyra Order of the Eastern Star.  For many years, Jean served as the Palmyra Township Treasurer.

Jean loved her life on the farm.  She was an avid Detroit Tiger fan.  Most importantly, she treasured her family.

She is survived by her children: Dee (Mark) Crane, Darlene (Lynn) Southward, and James (Laurie) Isley, all of Palmyra; Karen (Tom) Ruesink of South Haven; Judy (Alan) Schmidt of Deerfield; and Joanne (Michael) Roy of Skandia, MI; 12 grandchildren; 10 great grandchildren; and her sister, Maxine Eastman, of Blissfield.

In addition to her husbands, she was preceded in death by two brothers, Robert and Lawrence.

Funeral services were held Saturday, December 8, 2012, at Wagley Funeral Home, Tagsold Chapel in Blissfield.

Contributions in memory of Jean may be made to Hospice of Lenawee for their residence, or Lenawee County Mission.  Condolences are welcome at www.WagleyFuneralHome.com.

Richard Lee Baker, age 94, of Howard City , passed away November 11, 2012, at Fountain View Retirement Village in Grant.

He was born in Clayton, the son of A. Samuel and Nina ( Donaldson) Baker. Lee was a WW II naval veteran. He graduated from Blissfield High School in 1937.

He enjoyed family time, traveling and old cars.

He was preceded in death by his wife Hazel ( Powell ). They had been married for 67 years.

Surviving are one son Ron ( Jackie ) Baker of Howard City; one daughter Jennifer ( Paul ) Kroncke of Coral Springs , Fla., six grandchildren Dawn, Brian, Nicole, Cheryl, Teresa and Brittany; eight great grandchildren Brandon, Jack, Josh, Ben, Adam, Ally, Parker and Lillian; one brother William Baker and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by parents, four sisters , Martha Jayne, Betty,  June McKown and Irene Carr.

Funeral services were Nov. 15 at The Heckman Funeral Home with Pastor Brad Brillhart officiating and burial in the Reynolds Cemetery. Friends greeted the family Nov. 14 and prior to services. In lieu of flowers,  memorial contributions to Tri County Athletics may be left at the funeral home.

DEERFIELD – Scott Anthony Rau, 45, of Deerfield passed away suddenly on Sunday, November 25, 2012, at his home.  He was born on May 11, 1967 in Flint, Michigan to Al and Elva (Blackburn) Rau. 

Scott graduated from Deerfield High School in 1985.  He attended college at Monroe County Community College and Siena Heights.  On September 3, 1988, he was united in marriage to Nilda Torres in Lorain, Ohio.  Scott was employed with Tecumseh Products for many years and most recently worked in Commercial Sales for Lowe’s in Perrysburg, Ohio.  He was a member of the Light of Christ Catholic Parish, St. Alphonsus campus in Deerfield, the Deerfield Fire Department for ten years and a member of the Sons of the American Legion for about six years.  Scott was an avid Ohio State Buckeye fan.  He was not only a fixture and mentor known amongst the Dundee Wrestling Community, but was very involved with any activities his children were a part of. 

 Surviving is his wife, Nilda Rau of Deerfield; his parents, Al (Elva) Rau of Deerfield; two sons, Matthew and Christopher Rau, both of Deerfield; his sister, Stacey (Carl) Ulrich of Deerfield and his niece, Chelsea Zay of Adrian, MI; also surviving are numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins.  He was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Frederick (Katherine) Rau and his maternal grandparents, Robert (Pearl) Blackburn.

A funeral mass to celebrate the life of Scott Rau will be held on Friday, November 30, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in Deerfield with Fr. Jack Loughran as celebrant.  Burial will follow in Deerfield Cemetery.  Visitation will be held on Thursday from 2 to 8 p.m. at the Anderson Funeral Home in Adrian and also on Friday from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service at the church in Deerfield.  A prayer service will be held on Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m. at the funeral home.  Those wishing to make memorial contributions may do so to the family of Scott Rau.  Envelopes will be available at the funeral home and church. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.andersonfuneralservices.com.

Goldie M. Knapp, 101, of Blissfield, went to be in the loving arms of God Friday, November 23, 2012, at Swanton Health Care.

She was born April 18, 1911, in Limestone Cove, Tennessee, the daughter of George and Mildred (Buchanan) Cochran, Sr.

On June 23, 1939, Goldie was married to Earl L. Knapp.  They celebrated over 32 years of marriage prior to his death in 1972.

Goldie was a faithful member of the Element Church in Blissfield.

She is survived by her children, Deanna Fashbaugh of Swanton and David (Brenda) Knapp of Blissfield; grandchildren, Heidi Fashbaugh of Swanton and Laura (Matt) Bell of Adrian; great grandchildren, Morgan and Parker Bell; a brother, George Cochran, Jr. of Adrian; and many nieces and nephews.

In addition to her husband, she is preceded in death by five sisters: Alta Ford, Jeannette Quigley, Norma Rothfuss, Gladys Gruel, and Betty Simpson; and four brothers: Earl, Fletcher, Fred and Edward Cochran.

The funeral service for Goldie is planned for Tuesday, November 27, 2012, at Wagley Funeral Home, Tagsold Chapel in Blissfield.

Contributions in memory of Goldie may be made to the Element Church or Hospice of Lenawee.  Condolences are welcome at www.WagleyFuneralHome.com.

PERRYSBURG, Ohio — Jann Lyn Leverenz, age 54, died Monday, November 5, 2012, at the Ohio Northwestern Hospice Center. She is survived by her husband, John Leverenz of Toledo, her father, Norman (Bud) Peacock, step mother, Edna Peacock of Blissfield; a son Richard of Toledo; her brother, Jeffery, his wife, Tracy and their sons Cody, CJ Peacock of Elyria, Ohio; and John’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jack Leverenz. Both Jann and her brother, Jeffery, were adopted from the Methodist Children’s Home. The first 20 years of their life was parented by Joann Russell (1931-1981) of Kalamazoo, and Norman Peacock. Both the Russell and the Peacock families were ecstatic over the addition and the children brought the utmost love to their families. One of Jann’s favorite pastimes when she was young was fishing, always outdoing her father and brother and she loved talking about it. One of Jann’s greatest gifts was making hundreds of original, specialized and intricate cards for the holidays, birthdays or just for fun to her loved ones. Her work of handmade drawings of both formal and imaginary scenery is highly revered by her family and close friends. Jann’s family wishes to acknowledge the excellent care provided by the Toledo Hospital as well as Hospice of Northwest Ohio. Upon Jann’s request, cremation has taken place. Due to the age of her family and the distances involved, the immediate family felt graveside services would be appropriate at a later date. Arrangements were handled by Wagley Funeral Home, Tagsold Chapel. Condolences are welcomed at www.WagleyFuneralHome.com

John  Ralph  Harrwaldt, age 56, of Blissfield, passed away, November 6, 2012, at Hospice of Lenawee with his loving family by his side. He was  born January 13, 1956, in Toledo, Ohio, the son of Ralph & Jeanette (Moore) Harrwaldt. On April 16, 2000, he married Tammie Mitchell.  She preceded him in death in December 13, 2000. John was a lifelong resident of Blissfield. He graduated from Blissfield High School in 1974. John owned and operated Harrwaldt Construction for over 30 years. He spent his career as an exceptionally talented carpenter. He pleased many people in and around Blissfield remodeling their homes with his in-depth knowledge and perfection skills. He was especially proud of his last job for his sister, Carolyn.     He is survived by his children, Ralph Harrwaldt, Nicole Harrwaldt and Shonda (Steve) Mitchell-Garcia, his grandchildren, Kamron, Kevin, Emily, Raylyn and K’le, three sisters, Vicki (Rick) Trabbic, Bev (Loren) Staup and Carolyn (Terry Yancer) Burgermeister, several nieces and nephews and several very special friends and his beloved dog, Zephyr. In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by his parents, Ralph and Jeanette (Moore) Harrwaldt, his sister, Cheryl Yeager and nephew, Trevor Mitchell. Cremation has taken place.  A visitation and memorial service will take place on Saturday, November 10, 2012, at J. Gilbert Purse Funeral Home, 2959 N. Adrian Hwy (M-52), Adrian, Michigan. Visitation is from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. with the memorial service at 11:30 a.m. officiated by Rev. John Kottke. A luncheon will be served immediately following the service at Coach Light Estates Mobile Home Park Community Room, 650 West Adrian Street (US 223) Blissfield, Michigan. www.PurseFuneralHome.com

ADRIAN — Michael G. Hudson, age 60 , of Adrian, passed away unexpectedly Thursday, November 15, 2012, in Genesee County, Michigan. He was born October 8, 1952 to Georgia (Mosher) and Paul Hudson in Toledo, Ohio. He attended Bedford School. On June 8, 1991, he married Virginia “Ginny” Goetz in Blissfield, MI. Michael served his country in the Army from 1975 -76. He was employed as a truck driver for CTI trucking; he had worked for Sharon Manufacturing, a family owned business that his grandfather created. He also worked in the agriculture industry at Royster Clark. Michael loved life whether when he was wrestling with his grandchildren, fishing on Lake Erie or at family get togethers. He especially loved the casinos and the exciting atmosphere. He was a member of the American Legion of Blissfield and a Lambertville volunteer fireman from 1969 to 1986. Michael is survived by his beloved wife, Ginny, his loving children, Michelle (Randy) Lange of Madison, Alabama; Jinny Lynn (James “Jim”) Lesniewski of Lambertville, MI; Michael Paul Hudson and Mark Steven Hudson, both of Las Vegas, Nevada; grandchildren, Corey Lange, Alexia Lange and James Ryan Lesniewski; siblings, Paul “Skip” Hudson of the British West Indies; Vicky (Raymond) McMillan of Dundee and Judi Hudson, of Vancouver, Washington. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother, Thomas A. Hudson, son, Michael George Hudson Jr. and infant brother, Steven Hudson. Funeral services for Michael will be at 11 a.m. on Monday, November 19, 2012, at the Tagsold Chapel, Wagley Funeral Home, Blissfield, with Rev. John Paschen officiating. Burial will be in Riga Cemetery. Visitation will be on Sunday, November 18, from 2 -4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to the Lenawee Humane Society or the Blissfield American Legion. On line condolences to the family will be welcomed at www.WagleyFuneralHome.com

KINGMAN, Ariz. — Robert W. “Bob” Napier, 64, passed away November 7, 2012, at the Kingman Regional Medical Center. He was born November 13, 1947, in Adrian, to Dallas and Dorothea Napier. Bob was a donut-maker at a family donut shop — Hinkles Donuts — in Toledo, Ohio, prior to moving his family to Lake Havasu City in 1974. He worked for McCulloch Corporation as well as the Lake Havasu Unified School District where he retired in 2009 as a ground maintenance worker. Bob had a love of the desert and horticulture. He enjoyed studying and cultivating outdoor plants and small gardens and was very knowledgeable of desert wildlife. He also had a flair for antiques “picking,” always appreciating the stories and history behind the rare pieces he would find at yard sales. Bob, a quiet and reserved man, will be remembered by his family as having a quick wit and a heart of gold. His sense of humor was appreciated by family, friends, and strangers alike, and he was always giving from his heart to the best of his means. He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him. Bob is survived by his mother, Dorothea Napier, of Deerfield; daughter, Kimberly (John) Alexander, of Kingman, Ariz.; son, Charles (Bianca) Napier, of Lake Havasu City, Ariz.; brother Ron (Kaye) Napier, of Temperance; sister Sue (Benny) Rapp, of Deerfield; grandchildren. Valerie Zettel, Marc (Melissa) Zettel, and Alicia Napier; and two great-grandchildren. A private burial has taken place at Deerfield Village Cemetery. Those wishing to make a contribution in memory of Bob should consider the American Lung Association or the American Cancer Society, envelopes are available at Wagley Funeral Home, Tagsold Chapel. You may send a condolence to the family at www.WagleyFuneralHome.com.

Julie M. Briggs, 22, of Blissfield, passed away unexpectedly Sunday, November 18, 2012, at her home. She was born July 18, 1990, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the daughter of Paul and Joan (Webb) Briggs. Julie graduated from Britton High School in 2009. Julie attended the Hope Center and competed in bowling at the Special Olympics. She loved to go camping with her family and was a great babysitter for her nieces and nephews. She was a fan of Elvis and Patsy Cline. In addition to her parents, Julie is survived by her grandmothers, Rita Webb of Adrian and Joyce Briggs of Oscoda, Mich.; her siblings: Kristina Betz of Blissfield; Jason (Abby) Briggs of Grass Lake; and Allison Briggs of Blissfield; nieces and nephews: Kalli, Landen, Micajah, and Giavonnie; and many close aunts, uncles, cousins and dear friends. She was preceded in death by her grandfathers, Carl Webb and John Briggs. The funeral Mass for Julie will be at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 24, 2012, at Light of Christ Catholic Parish St. Alphonsus Church with Father Paul Schwermer presiding. Visitation will take place on Friday from 1 to 8 p.m. at Wagley Funeral Home, Tagsold Chapel in Blissfield. Contributions in memory of Julie may be made to her family. Condolences are welcome at www.WagleyFuneralHome.com.