Minna L. Cunningham

Minna Lee Cunningham, age 78, passed away on April 6, 2022 at her home in Stockbridge, Michigan. Minna was born on October 28, 1943 in Lansing, Michigan to Alvin and Alvina (Swick) Hackert.

Minna had lived in the Stockbridge/Jackson area for the past 27 years, moving from Evart, Michigan. She had many hats over the course of her professional career. She was a nurse for nearly 50 years. She most loved working in OB, caring for mothers and babies.

She was the matriarch of her family, the eldest of nine children who looked up to her as a second mother. Her world was her family. She was an amazing cook and baker who curated a family cookbook which we will treasure forever. She was a hard worker and excelled at everything she tried. She loved to travel with her husband, Bob, and enjoyed simple things in life like quilting and cards.

Minna is survived by her loving husband, Bob Cunningham, her children: (JoAnn) Adair, Colleen (Tim) Sonnenberg, Marsha Fowler, (Margie) Adair, Lani (Terry) Patrick, Mark (Kristina) Case, Chris (Brian) Burt, Michelle (Sean Bush) Gibler, Dawn (Krey) Gordon; Bob’s children: Anne Swartz, and Bethany (Brian) Maxwell; her siblings: Mary-Lou (Jim, deceased) Hudson, Allan (Jackie) Hackert, Jack (Karen) Hackert, Art (Rose) Hackert, Dan (Connie) Hackert, Don (Susan) Hackert, Robin (Richard) French, and Rose (Jeff) Rudd; 34 grandchildren and many, many great-grandchildren; also her pups, Benny and Bella. She was preceded in death by her parents, Alvin and Alvina Hackert, previous husband, William M. Adair, and children, Thomas Adair, William D. Adair, and Lonnie Adair.

Cremation has taken place, and a private celebration of life will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Arrangements by Caskey-Mitchell Funeral Home.

John W. Ransom

John W. Ransom, age 84, of Stockbridge, Michigan, passed away at his home on Tuesday, April 5, 2022. John was born on July 16, 1937 in Charlotte, MI to Kenneth and Clara (Willis) Ransom.

John had lived in the Stockbridge area since the early 1970's, where he and Leona owned and operated Ransom's Food Center in Stockbridge. He enjoyed hunting, and MSU and Stockbridge School sports. He liked telling jokes. He loved traveling, watching his horses race, and going to the casinos. He also enjoyed taking his flying lessons.

He married Leona M. (Johnson) on July 27, 1957, and she survives. Also surviving are his children, Peggie Ransom of Munith, and Pattie (Lee) Salyer of Stockbridge, Kenneth (Marcia) Ransom of Pinckney, Pennie (Don) Ward of Gregory, and Kyle (Ruth) Ransom of Pinckney; 18 grandchildren, and 20 great-grandchildren with one on the way; his siblings, Janet (Jeff) Rowe of Tennessee, and Mick (Nancy) Ransom of Holt. He was preceded in death by his sisters, Darlene Ransom and Joyce Steele.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, April 11, 2022, 11:00 a.m. at Caskey-Mitchell Funeral Home, Stockbridge, with Pastor Jeff Howard officiating. Burial will follow at Pleasant Grove Cemetery in Henrietta Township.

Visitation will be held at the funeral home on Sunday, April 10, 2022, from 2-6 p.m. and on Monday from 10-11 a.m.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation.

Donald F. Pierce

Donald F. Pierce, age 85, of Chelsea, Michigan, died Friday, April 1, 2022 at his Chelsea home after a brief, courageous battle with cancer.

Don was born December 29, 1936, in Chelsea, Michigan to Elmer W. and Hilda (Wenk) Pierce. He and his sister, Joan E. Kipfmiller, enjoyed growing up in Chelsea, where they have both been lifelong residents.

Don married the love of his life, Donna M. Steeb, on July 7, 1956. They were blessed with three adoring daughters, Kathryn D. Pierce, Cynthia K. Dunlevy, and Karyn S. Zaitonia, who are certain they had the best dad ever!

Don worked as a letter carrier for the U.S. Post Office in Ann Arbor, Michigan for 31 years. He enjoyed being outside while walking his route, and many of his customers became good friends.

Don enjoyed traveling with his wife and daughters. They had several cross country adventures, visiting National Parks, hiking the Grand Canyon, and swimming in the ocean. They also enjoyed their cottage at Houghton Lake, riding snowmobiles in the winter and boating in the summer.

After retiring, Don and his wife spent many winters in Florida. They loved going to the ocean and beachcombing for sand dollars and shells. They also enjoyed spending time with family.

Don is survived by his wife, Donna; children, Kathy, Cindy, and Karyn, grandchildren, Jeff and Jenny, Ali and Pierce, and Kailey; great-granddaughter, Willow; sister, Joan, sister-in-law, Nancy; nieces, Sheryl, Jill, and Kelley; nephews, Dennis, Mark, Kevin, and Chris; and lifelong friend, Ed GreenLeaf. Don was preceded in death by his parents.

Don took excellent care of his family, could fix anything, and never hesitated to reach out and help someone. He will be remembered as a kind, caring, good man and will be greatly missed.

Per Don’s wishes, a small family gathering celebrating his life will be held at a later date.

Thomas Barjaktarovich

Thomas Barjaktarovich, of Gregory, Michigan, age 83, passed away on March 12, 2022 at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Tom was born on August 27, 1938 in Hamtramck, Michigan, the son of Alexander and Juli (Silacki) Barjaktarovich.

Tom grew up in the southeast part of Michigan. He was a hard worker and owned his own business. When he wasn’t working, he enjoyed sitting in the sun smoking his black and mild cigars. Tom also loved to watch old movies and always loved a good party.

Tom is survived by his children, Thomas Jr., Maria (Thomas) Bilot, David (Dennise) Mons and Joseph. He was a loving grandfather of Randall, Ashley, Dollie, Jacob, Joshua, Justin, Nickole, and his three great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother, Alex, and sister, Anna.

Eric J. Van Riper

Eric J. Van Riper, age 46, of Ann Arbor, MI, passed away on March 31, 2022 at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, MI with his family by his side. Eric was born on February 17, 1976 in Kewanee, Illinois to Jay G. and Sharon K. (Berg) Van Riper.

Soon after his mom’s death, he moved to Ann Arbor from Illinois. Beginning at the age of seven, he came to live with Steve and Becky (Van Riper) Schultz as one of their own. On their farm is where his love of the outdoors was cultivated. He attended both Salem Lutheran School and Dexter Community Schools. His love of NASCAR took him on a journey working on a pit crew when he was younger while also working construction. He loved his current job and fellow employees working security at Costco. His days were filled with hunting, fishing, snowmobiling and anything else outdoors. He loved to fly, and he learned how to be a glider pilot. He also enjoyed spending time with family and friends, whether it was on the farm, traveling or on the boat with the McTaggart Family.

Eric is survived by his father, Steve Schultz of Ann Arbor, sisters, Nicole (George) Bollinger of South Lyon and Michele McGinnis of Illinois, multiple nieces and nephews, including Jessica (James) Lewandowski and Christopher Quillen, great-nephew, Max Lewandowski, his large extended family and former spouse, Laura Van Riper. He was preceded in death by his biological parents, as well as his mom who raised him, Becky Schultz.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Southeast Michigan Bird Dog Rescue in Flat Rock, Michigan.

Visitation will be held on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 from 5-7 p.m. at the Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home, Chelsea.

Mary A. Erskine

Mary A. Erskine, age 73, of Grass Lake, MI, passed away on March 30, 2022 at her home.

She was born on August 23, 1948 in Ann Arbor, MI the daughter of Walter and Velma (Edick) French. Mary had lived in the Chelsea area her entire life. She graduated from Chelsea High School in 1966.

Mary was instrumental in getting the CATS bus started, now known as the WAVE, allowing people without the ability to drive, a way to get around the Chelsea area. Whether it was the grocery store or the pharmacy, Mary was there to greet them or answer the phone at the call center. She faithfully worked for 40 years for Meals on Wheels, organizing meals and delivering to shut-ins around town, working closely with Faith in Action and eventually the Senior Center of Chelsea. She retired in 2021. Mary was avid about her Christianity, and attended the Assembly of God as well as the Waterloo Village Church.

Mary is survived by her daughter, Shari Burns of Michigan City, Indiana and son, John Erskine of Grass Lake; four grandchildren: Valerie Erskine-Bowers (Chris Bowers) of Bay City, Misty (Nick) Welch of Stockbridge, Brittany Erskine of Kentucky, and Melody Erskine of Grand Rapids; four great-grandchildren: Harmony Collin Erskine, Ava and Allie Welch, and Logan Price. She was preceded in death by her husband of 39 years, John G. “Gary” Erskine, in 2005, her eldest son, David Erskine, in 2016, and son-in-law, David Burns, in 2020.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, May 8, 2022 from 12-2 p.m. at the Chelsea Senior Center, 512 Washington Street (WESC), Chelsea, MI. Memorial contributions may be made to the Chelsea Senior Center.

Arrangements by Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home.

Mary A. Cornils

Mary A. Cornils, age 85, of Dexter, MI, passed away on March 29, 2022 at St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea Hospital. Mary was born on August 18, 1936 in Carroll, IA, the daughter of Walter and Anna Mae (Knott) Reiff. She grew up in Manilla, IA, where in high school she was a state competitor in basketball, coming in 2nd place in Iowa for free throws and earning a college basketball scholarship.

Mary married James M. Cornils on July 6, 1956 in Manilla, IA. They moved to the Dexter area in 1967 where she joined the parish of St. Joseph Catholic Church and became active as a life-long member. As a member of the parish, she was active in many ministries, including the Faith Sharing Group, eucharistic ministry, hospitality ministry, Folk Music group, parishioner marriage preparation, the Scholarship Committee, the Finance Committee, and the St. Leo's soup kitchen (Detroit). She also volunteered for the church in very many other aspects.

Her education after high school began with nursing school in Sioux City, IA. She later changed direction to study Special Education and become a teacher. She received her Bachelor's degree and Master's degree from Eastern Michigan University, graduating Summa Cum Laude.

Mary especially loved young children and spent her career at Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor, MI. At the hospital she helped children with long term stays and meeting their educational needs. She retired from the University of Michigan MedRehab in 1996.

Mary was an accomplished bridge player, an avid reader, extensive traveler, and dedicated Jeopardy fan. She supported many cultural organizations in the Dexter and Ann Arbor communities. Her kindness and selflessness were remarkable, always putting others first and taking care of others' needs before her own. Her love and support for her family and friends was immeasurable.

She is survived by her husband, James, five children, James, Jr. of Dexter, Allison Edwards of Ann Arbor, Peter (Pauline) Cornils of Battle Creek, MI, Patrick (Leslie Robles) of Rancho Palos Verde, CA, and Steven (Rebecca Biederman) of Portland OR; five grandchildren, Alex Edwards (Adrian Griffin) of Lakewood, OH, Tristan Edwards of Las Vegas, NV, Camille Cornils of Chicago, IL, Miles Cornils of Battle Creek, MI and Daniel Cornils of Portland, OR; her siblings: William (Judy) Reiff of Omaha, NE, and Peg (Ernie) Shelton of Des Moines, IA, and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Carol F. Cornils, two brothers, James Reiff and Robert Reiff, and her son-in-law, Terry Edwards.

Visitation will be held Sunday, April 3, 2022 from 4-7 p.m. at the St. Joseph Catholic (country) Church, 6805 Mast Road, Dexter, with a scripture service at 7:00 p.m.

Mass of Christian Burial will be prayed on Monday, April 4, 2022, 11:00 a.m. at the St. Joseph (village) Church, 3430 Dover Street, Dexter, with Fr. Brendan Walsh presiding. The family will receive friends at the church on Monday from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service. A luncheon will follow. A private burial will occur at a later date.

Memorial contributions may be made to either St. Joseph Catholic Church, Faith in Action, or the Encore Musical Theater in Dexter.

Arrangements by Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home.

Robert G. Losey

Robert G. Losey, age 73, of Jackson, MI, passed away on March 28, 2022 at his home.

Robert was born on April 21, 1948 in Jackson, MI and was the son of Donald and Helen (Allen) Losey.

Bob was very proud to be a part of the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam Era. He also rode with the Jackson County Sheriff Mounted Division for security for events like parades or MIS. He worked as a truck driver for all of his life, most recently for Lawson’s Logging, a job he was good at and truly loved. Bob loved being outdoors, whether it was mowing the lawn or driving a team of horses. Bob loved animals and will be greatly missed by his dog and riding buddy, Remi.

On March 9, 1995, he married Sharon Dee (Martin), and she survives. Also surviving are his children, Jody (Matt) Barber, Tammy (Jim) Lewis, and Jessica (Jason) Wonderly; his step-daughter, Nicole Marie Allen; grandchildren: Sarah Groomes, Paul Barber, Bryce Lewis, Jack and Davis Wonderly, Kajin, Jailyn, and Perry Helms; great-grandchildren, Jaycee, Julian, Josiah, and Lexie; siblings: Janet Rons, Richard Losey, Jerry (Chris) Losey, and Linda (Ray) Dull; also many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his step-daughter, Danyel Lyn Allen.

Visitation will be held on Friday, April 1, 2022 from 2-4 & 6-8 p.m. at Caskey-Mitchell Funeral Home, Stockbridge.

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, April 2, 2022, 11:00 a.m., at Caskey-Mitchell Funeral Home with Pastor Eric Stricklin officiating. Burial will follow at Pleasant Grove Cemetery in Henrietta Township.

Memorial contributions may be made to the family.

Dorothy H. Tabachki

Dorothy H. Tabachki, age 100, passed away on March 28, 2022 in Byron, MI.

Dorothy was born on August 23, 1921 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the daughter of Ralph and Julia (Katich) Putnick. She married Daniel Tabachki on July 14, 1943 who preceded her in death on November 15, 2014.

Dorothy had lived in White Oak Twp. for many years, where she served on the White Oak Twp. Election Board for many years. She was a member of the Millville United Methodist Women and Menders, and she enjoyed knitting baby hats and mittens, which she would donate along with the other Menders to a couple hospital newborn units and Youth Haven. She had worked for Kresge and K-Mart. She enjoyed reading, playing bingo, doing word searches and jigsaw puzzles.

Her maiden name, Putnick, means travel, and travel she did. She and her husband, Daniel, visited her daughter, Julia, in Hawaii, Germany, and San Francisco, while Julia and her husband, Pete, were in the army. Other travels include several European tours, tours to the British Isles, and Nova Scotia. Dorothy and her daughter, Donna, traveled to Perth, Australia to visit a friend that Dorothy and Daniel had met on one of their many tours.

Dorothy is survived by four children, Helen (Robert) Norris, Julia (Pete) Provencio, Donna Feikert and Stephen (Cheryl) Tabachki; six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her son, Nickolas Tabachki, her parents, and siblings.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, March 31, 2022, 12:00 noon, at Caskey-Mitchell Funeral Home in Stockbridge, MI, with Pastor Rhonda Osterman officiating. A private burial will take place at North Stockbridge Cemetery.

The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Thursday from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.

Memorial contributions may be made to Millville United Methodist Women.

Arrangements by Caskey-Mitchell Funeral Home.

Mary Ellen Mynning

Please click here to view her service

On March 26, 2022, Mary Ellen Mynning passed away at the age of 74. She was born October 21, 1947 in Ann Arbor, MI, the daughter of Donald M. Mynning, Jr. and Margaret (Merkel) Mynning. Mary Ellen is survived by her cherished son, Matthew Harwood of Ypsilanti, sisters, Beverly (Dennis) Schumann of Chelsea, Gloria (Steven) Feldkamp of Chelsea; nephews, Nick (Jen) Schumann and Brian (Emily) Feldkamp; nieces, Missy (Garth) Baize and Dana (Steve) Strobel; her extended family, Laine (Jeannie) Lu and Mary’s precious granddaughters, Emmalina, Karalena, and Angelina of Oregon. Mary Ellen was preceded in death by her parents, Don Jr. and Margaret Mynning, her oldest son, Johnny Harwood, and brother, Edward Mynning.

In her early years, Mary and her boys took a two-month vacation and camped across the country. Enjoying their many adventures from Banff, Canada, across the Pacific Northwest panning for gold and climbing mountains, cave hunting and looking for waterfalls, and back across to the east coast and eating lobster in Bar Harbor.

Once back home, she studied liberal arts at Washtenaw Community College, from there she pursued her bachelor’s degree in English language and literature at Eastern Michigan University. She was an instructor at Washtenaw Community College for seven years. Mary was a prolific writer and won numerous awards for her poems.

In 1991, she embarked on a new adventure of her lifetime. She journeyed over to China and was a foreign expert at Tianjin University and a foreign expert at University of Science and Technology Beijing, teaching English to the students, for four years. Mary would submit articles of her life in China to the Dexter Leader, Ann Arbor News and Chelsea Standard. She met her best friend, Gang Lu (aka) Laine, who came to the United States where Mary Ellen mentored him.

Once back in the States, she worked at the University of Michigan, retiring in the year 2000. She lived in Cranbrook apartments in Ann Arbor and loved her friends Barb, Betsy, Diane and Carol.

Her life-long friend since 3rd grade at St. Joseph Catholic School in Dexter, MI, Marianne Scott Kessel shared many good times, sad times, and they always continued their loyalty to each other. Karen Briggs was another dear friend to Mary. They both experienced many highs and lows throughout their friendship.

Mary Ellen loved her nieces, nephews, and cousins and appreciated all their prayers, love, and support during her years of poor health. We will miss her many stories that brought us to laughing tears.

Mass of Christian Burial will be prayed on Tuesday, April 5, 2022, 11:00 a.m., at St. Joseph Village Church, 3430 Dover Street, Dexter, with Fr. Brendan J. Walsh presiding. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Dexter, Michigan.

Visitation will be held on Monday, April 4, 2022 from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. at Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home, Chelsea, also on Tuesday at the church from 10-11 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the Franciscan Project, Sr. Ann Mahaney and Sr. Patty Hackett of St. Mary Catholic Church, Chelsea, MI.