Obituaries

Aug 21, 2021

A devoted husband, father, son and brother, Keith Oxley was a hardworking man that enjoyed life and having fun. Born in South Bend, Indiana, and raised in Lawton, Keith lived his life to the fullest. He graduated from Lawton High School in 1991.  Keith was involved in sports from a young boy.  He played varsity football throughout high school...

Aug 20, 2021

Rebecca Lynne Rushing, 66, of Paw Paw, passed away Friday August 20, 2021 at Bronson Commons in Mattawan.

She was born October 21, 1954 in Lake City, Michigan, the daughter of the late Leonard Jay Yarlott and Irene (Parent) Yarlott.

Rebecca is survived by her two sons, Kenneth Jay (Meghan) Rushing of Bardonia, NY and...

Aug 13, 2021

Patricia L. Strand, 81, of Lawton, passed away Friday, August 13, 2021 at her home.

She was born October 20, 1939 in Grand Rapids, the daughter of Glen Adsit and Hildegard (Delacher) Adsit.

Pat was an avid animal lover and adored her cats. She enjoyed reading, watching movies and spending time with her family.

Aug 9, 2021

James Peter DeGroff, Jr., 97, of Paw Paw, passed away Monday, August 9, 2021 at White Oaks Assisted Living in Lawton.

He was born March 14, 1924 in Watervliet, Michigan, the son of the late James P. DeGroff, Sr., and Maude (Hathaway) DeGroff.

Jim proudly served in the Army during WWII in the 167th Combat...

Aug 5, 2021

Dennis (Denny) (Pickleman) Lee Harrison, 80, of Republic, MI passed away August 5, 2021 in Mattawan, at his daughters home surrounded by his family, and the love of his life, Sally Harrison. Denny was the first baby born in Kalamazoo on January 1, 1941 to Ralph and Marian Harrison. Denny was preceded in death by his mother and father....

Aug 2, 2021

Devoted to his family and bringing happiness to others is how Kevin Lee Deming lived his life. His family and friends would say he was very determined and a bit stubborn at times, but had a heart of gold and a goofy personality. He would sacrifice everything to make sure his family was taken care of.  Kevin was a...

Aug 1, 2021

Dale "D.J." Lee Stewart Jr., 41, of Paw Paw, passed away Sunday August 1, 2021.

D.J. was born September 7, 1979 in Kalamazoo, the son of Dale Lee Stewart Sr.and Betty Bragg-Stewart.

D.J. was very outgoing and was always willing to lend a hand. He and his father had a strong bond with each other....

Aug 1, 2021

Leo Leonard Lanphear, 78 of Paw Paw, passed away Sunday August 1, 2021 at his home in Paw Paw.

He was born  August 14, 1942 in Lawrence and was united in marriage on October 29, 1966 to Joyce Lanhpear who preceded him in death May 10, 2020.

Having accumulated over 40 tractors, Leo had a...

Jul 30, 2021

Donald Lee Smith, 84, of South Haven, MI, passed away Friday, July 30, 2021.

Don was born May 16, 1937 in Muskogee, Oklahoma, the son of Aron James Smith and Ruby Alice (Morrison) Smith.

Don was an all around basketball enthusiast, he enjoyed both playing basketball and coaching. Another passion Don had were cars. He...

Jul 29, 2021

George Lindy Darling, 93, of Lawton, passed away Friday, July 29, 2021 at his home.

George was born January 22, 1928 in Lawton, the son of Edward Albert Darling and Irene Hester (Smith) Darling.

George joined the United States Army and served faithfully during the Korean War from 1952 to 1954 as a Sergeant. He...

Jul 28, 2021

Michael Jordan Babcock, 38, of Decatur, passed away Wednesday July 28, 2021.

He was born November 28, 1982 in Kalamazoo, the son of Viola (Babcock) Ellison and the late Mark Ellison.

Michael is survived by his mother and step-father, Viola (Gerry Burns) Ellison, his four children, Lilly, Matthew, Madison and Christian, four siblings, Marcus Ellison,...

Jul 27, 2021

David William Russ, 79, of Paw Paw,  passed away Tuesday July 27, 2021 at his home.

David was born July 20, 1942 in Lawton, Michigan, the son of William Roudolph Russ and Grace Marian (Wersba) Russ.

David had a longtime interest and passion for flying model airplanes, working model trains and model boats. Years ago...

Jul 26, 2021

Jacqueline Faye Ploof, 86, of Paw Paw, passed away Monday, July 26, 2021 at her home.

She was born September 6, 1934 in Plainwell, Michigan, the daughter of Herman Montague and Alice (Cole) Montague.

On October 18, 1952, she married Richard Claud Ploof who preceded her in death September 3, 2010.

She is...

Jul 24, 2021

Dwight Lee Fleming, 68, of Paw Paw, MI passed away peacefully on Saturday, July 24, 2021 at his home after a courageous battle with cancer.

Dwight proudly served in the United States Army and was an avid volunteer at the Battle Creek VA Cancer Center.  He lived his life to the fullest and was very active throughout...

Jul 21, 2021

Having dedication and strong values is how Jeffrey Bardin led his life. He always kept his word and taught his children to do the same. He was hardworking and had a heart of gold. Jeff's grandchildren were the light of his life, he loved spending time with them. Jeff also enjoyed listening to blues music and cooking, he was...

Jul 21, 2021

Theodore Frank Felcyn Jr., 83, of Paw Paw, passed away peacefully Wednesday July 21, 2021 at his home.

He was born August 9, 1937 in Lawton, the son of Theodore Frank Felcyn Sr. and Gertrude (Drzycimski) Felcyn.

On May 11, 1957 at Holy Family Catholic Church in Decatur, he married Anna Marie Oreskovich. Ted and...

Jul 21, 2021

Jan was an amazingly strong and dynamic woman who was a force to be reckoned with. She was blessed with gifts and talents that she put to good use in her many roles in life. She was like a fireball, though small in stature, her personality was the largest in the room. Always smiling, she was the kind of...

Jul 17, 2021

David Ward Pease, 75, of Paw Paw,  passed away Saturday, July 17, 2021 at Bronson Hospital in Kalamazoo.

He was born May 17, 1946 in Kalamazoo, the son of  the late Homer R. Pease and Leola P.(Dulyea) Pease.

David enjoyed the outdoors, including fishing and camping trips with the family, he also like tubing and...

Jul 17, 2021

Julie Renae Daniels, 54, of Kalamazoo Passed away suddenly on July 17, 2021.

Julie was born on November 20, 1966, in Kalamazoo. She was preceded in death by her mother, Oriene Pleyte, her sister Gayle Mitzel, and nephew Joshua Eaton.  She is survived by her son Thomas Ramsdell, her sisters Georgia (Brad) Romanak, Jae Cunningham and Brenda...

Jul 15, 2021

Evelyn Lucille Overacker, 93, of Paw Paw, passed away Thursday, July 15, 2021 at Maple Lake Assisted Living in Paw Paw.

She was born March 26, 1928 in Cadillac, Michigan, the daughter of Carl  Denzel and Esther (Johnson) Denzel.

Evelyn was a 1946 graduate of Manton High School. She married her husband Charles "Chuck" Overacker...