All Obituaries

Donald Lee Hammersley, age 69 of Bitely, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, May 2, 2024 at the Corewell Health Butterworth Campus in Grand Rapids.  Don was born on July 30, 1954 in St. Joseph to Alvin and Ednamay (Karn) Hammersley and graduated from Eau Claire High School in 1973.  Don met and married Cleta Rae Wolgamott on October 5, 1974 in Bitely and Don has been a resident of the Bitely area since.  Don co-owned and operated Wolgamott & Hammersley Tree Service in...

Virginia “Ginger” Mae Sutton, age 83 of Twin Lake/Lakewood Club, passed away Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at the SKLD Nursing Center in Whitehall.  Ginger was born on May 10, 1940, in Reed City to James Henry and Thelma Mae (Leonard) Gilland and later married James Silas Sutton on September 12, 1958, in Bristol, Michigan.  James preceded her in death on December 31, 2015.  Ginger has been a resident of the Twin Lake area for the past 60 years where she had been a...

Bernona J. Fry passed away April 23, 2024, after a full life blessed with family and friends. Bernona was born October 12, 1928, in Muskegon Michigan to Carmello and Viola (Murphy) DeCicco. She moved around often during her childhood and teenage years, spending time with her grandparents (Samuel and Mercie Murphy) in Holton, Mich. as a young child; uncle and aunt (R. Austin and Neva Murphy with Joyce) in Holton, Mich. during junior high; and cousins (Dorothea and Howard Sanders with Gerald...

Charles Wayne Wimmer, age 77 of White Cloud, passed away Sunday, April 28, 2024 at the Samaritas Senior Living Center in Cadillac.  Chuck was born on November 26, 1946 in Muskegon to Franklin Carl and Carrie Ethel (Ackerman) Wimmer and graduated from Muskegon High School.  Chuck later met and married Carolyn Ann Wimmer on April 9, 1966 in Muskegon and Carolyn preceded him in death on March 2, 2023.  Chuck has been a longtime resident of the area where he worked at Gerber...

Sharon Louise Duell (Caughey), age 76 of Holton, Michigan died unexpectedly on April 26th, 2024, in Muskegon, MI.  She was born in Toledo, Ohio on November 20th, 1947, to Robert Fultz and Bertha VanSickle (Louis Vasicek).  Sharon married David Caughey in 1974 and raised her family in the Whitehall area where she retired from bus driving for Whitehall Public Schools.  After David’s passing, Sharon met and married Ronald Duell, with whom she happily lived out the rest of...

Bonnie LaVay Heinzman, 81, of Newaygo, MI, passed away on Wednesday, April 24th, 2024. She was born on August 19th, 1942 in Volga, South Dakota to Albert and Marcella Blachford. Bonnie is survived by her loving children Whitney (Rodney) Smith, Morgan (Sonja) Heinzman, and Shay (Tom) Frisbie. She is also survived by her grandchildren Petra, Chance, Isaac, Reo, Molly, Cooper, and Sophia, as well as her brother Richard (Kathleen) Blachford and sister-in-law Vera Blachford. Bonnie was preceded...

Linda Ann Hile, age 89 of Fremont, passed away Wednesday, April 24, 2024, at Corewell Gerber Memorial Hospital in Fremont.  Linda was born on May 27, 1934, in Fremont to Harvey and Rachel (Knight) Matthews and graduated from Fremont High School in 1951 after moving from the farm to town where she rented a room to attend school her senior year.  Linda met and later married Les Hile on June 20, 1953 in Fremont and Les preceded her in death on October 12, 2010.  Linda has been a...

Karin Jane VanderLaan, age 87 of Fremont, passed away Thursday, August 10, 2023 at the Newaygo Medical Care Facility in Fremont. Karin was born on May 28, 1936 in Grandville, Michigan to William and Beulah Marie (Rupert) VanderLaan and graduated from Ravenna High School. Karin later attended and graduated from Hackley School of Nursing and became a Registered Nurse. Karin had worked at several nursing homes in the area, at correctional institutions and at Gerber Memorial Hospital until her...

Darline B. Short, age 77 of Holton, passed away Monday, April 22, 2024 at the Trinity Health Mercy Campus in Muskegon.  Darline was born on April 8, 1947 in Traverse City to Alva John and Edna May (Sikorski) Rinard and later married Theodore Short on December 7, 1963.  Ted preceded her in death on November 29, 1994.  Darline has been a longtime resident of the Holton area where she had been a homemaker.  Darline was an Elder in the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians and...

Norma Jean Petz, age 96, of Newaygo, went home to be with her Lord on April 21, 2024.  Norma Jean was born on the family farm in North Garfield Township to Charles and Laura Louise (Purcell) VanNess, and she married Joe Petz on May 17, 1947, in Fremont.  Norma Jean worked at Gerber Products as a secretary in her younger years and then as a bookkeeper at Reber's Mens' Wear in Fremont.  She was a horse 4-H leader and spent a lifetime owning cocker spaniel...