Marjorie Helen Faist

Marjorie Helen Faist, of Chelsea, Michigan passed away at her home on October 25, 2022. She was born the daughter of Basil and Mabel (Walker) Dunlap on January 28, 1926 in Grass Lake, Michigan.

On July 25, 1945 in Grass Lake, Michigan, she married Theodore Faist, and he preceded her in death in 2005. She graduated from Grass Lake High School where she enjoyed women’s basketball and playing the glockenspiel in the school band. She was secretary for St. Paul United Church of Christ, as well as a director for the Children’s Choir. She enjoyed working with children and was a Brownie and Girl Scout Leader for her daughters as well as an active volunteer in her children’s activities.  She worked as a receptionist for the Chelsea Medical Clinic for 26 years. She then became co-owner of The Village Shoppe of Chelsea with her two daughters for the next 18 years. Marjorie was a member of the Chelsea Child Study Club and the Chelsea Sewing Club. She loved watching the Tigers and attending many of her grandchildren’s and great-grandchildren’s sporting events. She enjoyed camping up north in Tawas, Mackinac and Traverse City, Michigan before buying a cottage on Lake Michigan where she and Ted spent their summers.  She loved spending time with family and friends and her joyous laugh will be missed.

Marjorie is survived by her daughters, Jane (David) Faist-Diesing and Lynn Faist. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Jeff Diesing, James (Mitizi) Diesing, and Jennifer (Dave) Behm; along with six great-grandchildren, and her brother, Thomas (Jill) Dunlap. Marjorie was preceded in death by her sister and brother-in-law Genevieve (Duane) Sawdy.

Funeral services will be Friday, October 28, 2022 at St .Paul United Church of Christ in Chelsea starting at 11:00 a.m. Visitation will take place from the Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home on Thursday from 6:00-8:00 p.m. and again at church from 10:00 a.m. until the hour of service. Burial will take place at Oak Grove East Cemetery. Expressions of sympathy may be made to St. Paul United Church of Christ.

Glenn Russell Vliet, Sr.

Glenn Russell Vliet, Sr., age 80, of Dansville, MI, passed away at his home on October 25, 2022 surrounded by his family. He was born the son of Ira and Nellie (Smith) Vliet on October 28, 1941, in Dearborn, MI. On August 12, 1961, he married his love, Caroline Ann Cosgray.

Glenn enjoyed the outdoors, hunting, fishing, and just nature in general. In his younger years he hunted big game like elk, caribou, moose, bear, and whitetail deer, as well as flying into Canada fishing with the guys. As he got older, he found great joy and peace in just watching and feeding them more than hunting.

He traveled all over the United States building churches. He was a mason contractor, builder, and restaurateur. Driving around Michigan you can see many of his homes and buildings. He always was the visionary and delegated the details first to his wife, Caroline, then to the rest of the family. He ran a crew all his life, and in his later years his “crew” became his grandkids and great-grandkids, doing many projects with them. He loved his family and his dog, Luke, who is always included in the gatherings.

The Old Homestead Restaurant was the main gathering for 20+ years of his life. He flipped eggs with his trowel and enjoyed cooking for others. He organized and fed almost all his hunting and fishing trips with friends and family. He was so talented in campfire cooking and fed so many people. Family and adventures were his priorities in life. He was never afraid to do or start anything. We later learned he could only be that way because of the wife and family he had. We would always jump in and help, but he made everything happen.

He was kind, strong, funny, and wise. He has touched so many lives and arranged so many family gatherings that there are too many to mention, from sledding and ice-skating parties, birthdays, Thanksgivings, hunting and fishing trips, family reunions, and so much more. He was the leader of our pack, and he led us well. We will miss and love our memories forever.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by his children, Theresa (Isiah) Hickey, Glenn (Susan) Vliet Jr, Randy Vliet, Jennifer (Roger Sr.) Bouck, and Juli (Jeremiah) Crafton; 11 grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren.

Funeral Services will be held Saturday, October 29, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. from the Caskey-Mitchell Funeral Home in Stockbridge. Burial will follow at Fairview Cemetery in Dansville. Visitation will be from 10:00 a.m. until the hour of service.

Following the graveside service, there will be a luncheon at the Sts. James, Cornelius & Cyprian Church, 1320 Catholic Church Rd., Leslie, MI 49251.

EB Ivy, Jr.

EB Ivy Jr., age 52, of Stockbridge, formerly of Jackson, MI, passed away on October 17, 2022 at his home.

EB was born on March 3, 1970 in Jackson, MI to EB Sr. and Linda (Towne) Ivy. He graduated from Northwest High School in Jackson. He worked as a general contractor doing home repair.

He married Pamula L. (Pline) on October 21, 2010, and she survives. All services will be private. Memorial contributions may be made to the family. Arrangements by Caskey-Mitchell Funeral Home, Stockbridge, MI.

Gordon Whitaker

Gordon Whitaker, age 76, of Waterloo Twp., MI, passed away on Saturday, October 15, 2022 with his family by his side.

He was born on August 11, 1946 in Plainwell, MI to Cecil and Etoyla (Fitzpatrick) Whitaker. He moved from Kentucky to Michigan when he was five years old and graduated from Chelsea High School in 1964.

After high school, he began working for Dana Corporation, and he retired after 25 years of service. He was a farmer, and he enjoyed hunting and fishing. He loved his family, and he especially enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

On March 20, 1965, he married Esther L. (Klink), and she survives. Also surviving are two children, Tammy (David) Kies of Waterloo Twp. and Todd (Chrissy) Whitaker of Waterloo Twp.; six grandchildren: Devon (Ronni) Kies, Samantha (Corbin) Helmbrecht, Trevor Kies, Mikayla Kies, and Ethan Whitaker and Eric (Mikayla) Whitaker; and great-grandchildren: Harper, Briar, Brooks, and Emilia; also one brother, Danny Whitaker of Royalton, KY. He was preceded in death by two brothers, Jerry Whitaker and Shayne Whitaker.

Visitation will be held on Friday, October 21, 2022 from 2-6 p.m. at the Chelsea Fairgrounds.

If desired, memorial contributions may be made to the Herbert J. McKune American Legion, Post 31.

Arrangements by Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home.

Marcia L. (Keezer) Holmes

Marcia Lynn Holmes, age 55, went to be with her Lord Thursday, September 15, 2022 at her home in Mason, MI after a courageous battle with cancer. She was born to Edward and Christine (Adams) Keezer on March 23, 1967 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She grew up in Chelsea and graduated from Chelsea High School in 1985. She was born again on April 23, 1986 in East Lansing, Michigan.

She is survived by her husband, Bernard Holmes; two sons, Tyler (Ashley) Holmes and Vaughn (Katelyn) Holmes; three grandchildren, Joseph and Renton Hill and Juniper Holmes; her parents, Edward and Christine Keezer; two siblings, Susan Keezer and Stephen Keezer; her father- and mother-in-law, Leroy and Lois Holmes; three sisters-in-law, Julie (Steve) Deller, Penny (Ronald) Kitchen and Helen (John) Lauterbach; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Donald and Lillian Keezer.

Growing up on a farm, Marcia loved animals and the outdoors. She could always be found helping her grandpa and dad milking cows and tending to calves. She loved working in her yard, planting flowers, gardening, music, and traveling. She attended Michigan State University, where she met her loving husband of 32 years. After marriage, she moved to Mason, MI and later graduated from Lansing Community College, Summa Cum Laude. She most recently worked for the City of Mason’s Community Development Office. She attended and served at Trinity Church in Lansing.

Marcia was completely devoted to her family. She homeschooled her two sons through their graduation and participated in the Lansing Christian Home Education Support System (CHESS) organization. She was an avid swim mom and served as a board member for WaveRunners, a competitive swim club in Lansing. She was a convention coordinator for the Information Network for Christian Homeschoolers (INCH) for many years.

Marcia was a beloved wife, mother, and grandmother and will be deeply missed by her family until they are reunited in heaven. She will be remembered for her initiative, creativity, devotion, hard work, friendliness, and a smile that could melt hearts. She served the Lord as a care provider for several family members and friends. She loved the beauty and awe of God’s creation and visited nearly all the continental U.S. National Parks.

Visitation will be held at St. Paul United Church of Christ, 14600 E Old US 12, Chelsea, on Sunday, October 23, 2022 from 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

A celebration of Marcia’s life was held in Lansing on October 1, 2022. Memorial contributions in lieu of flowers may be made to St. Paul United Church of Christ, Chelsea.

Gerald Bozik

Gerald Bozik, age 77, of Manchester, Michigan, passed away on Friday, September 9, 2022 at the Chelsea Retirement Community in Chelsea, Michigan. He was the son of John Bozik.

On March 2, 1963, he married the love of his life, Paula Ann Bozik, in Ferndale, MI.

Gerald had lived in the area since 2005, coming from Shelby Township. He was the manager at Tractor Supply and loved his job. He enjoyed working around the farm and being a mechanic. He also loved traveling and watching his granddaughter skate and ride horses. He always did anything he could for everyone else, and he was the best Papa in the world.

He is survived by two children, Kimmy of Manchester and Jeffery M. (Margaret) Bozik of Australia, and three granddaughters: Isabella, Hannah, and Hayley.

Memorial Contributions may be made to Whispering Horsemanship Heart to Heart Therapeutic Riding Program.

Arrangements made by Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home, Chelsea.

Morton Dunlop

Morton Dunlop passed away on October 2, 2022 at his Chelsea home. Born December 8, 1938 to Mildred (Parker) and Adam Dunlop, Mort grew up in Detroit with older sister Joan and younger brother Greg. As a child, Mort developed a passion for magic, nurtured by his family, that stayed with him his whole life.

Following high school at Catholic Central High in Detroit, Mort joined the Coast Guard Reserves. Mort loved the structure, exercise, competition and rowing that the Coast Guard provided and said it was one of the best experiences of his life. Mort also began work as an electrician as a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 58, where he was an active member until his 2000 retirement.

Mort met his love Rita (Vella) in 1956 at a dance at Saint Gerards Youth Club in Detroit. During Mort’s time away with the Coast Guard, Rita wrote him a letter every day. Mort and Rita were married on September 26, 1959 and shortly after came the bounty of four daughters. Over the years, the family would expand to include eleven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren –the caring and close family dynamic of the Dunlop Clan was something Mort took great pride in.

Throughout his life, Mort excelled at taking the ordinary and transforming it into something extraordinary. Be it the created illusions for his magic shows, the elaborate centerpieces crafted for the Festival of Tables, or the friendly robot that now resides at the Chelsea Community Garden, Mort was always seeing potential in building something fantastic out of found objects.

This curious way of looking at the world inspired lifelong learning, especially through classes with the Adult Learners Institute. Mort’s other interests included fast cars, loud music, gardening, cooking, and reading.

Mort is survived by his wife Rita, brother Greg, daughters Laura Failer (Mark), Linda Meloche (Chris), Deborah Hubbard (Todd), and Jennifer Correia (Bill); grandchildren Chelsea Cockrell (Brian), Emily Murphy (Frank), Hannah Cavicchio, Carly Meloche, Clare McMillan (Adam), Jackie Meloche, Gwen Hubbard (Ben), Isabelle Correia, Marty Hubbard, Kirby Hubbard, and Dennis Bulger; and four great-grandchilden: Charlie, Shiloh, Alex, and Cal.

A memorial service is planned for Monday, November 7, 2022 at 11:30 a.m. at Silver Maples of Chelsea. Visitation will be Sunday, November 6, 2022 from 2-4 p.m. at Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home and on Monday, November 7 from 10:30-11:30 a.m. at Silver Maples of Chelsea.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Faith in Action, 603 S. Main St. Chelsea, MI 48118, or Doctors Without Borders USA , PO Box 5030, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5030.

Zyaire Amari Young

Zyaire Amari Young, age 2, passed away on September 10, 2022. Zyaire was born on August 11, 2020 in Lansing, MI.

Zyaire, our beautiful brown eyed boy, had a heart of gold. The amount of love he had was felt by all who encountered him. His favorite place to be was in nature, our little adventurer, whether he was riding on his toys cars or playing at the park. He loved to be the center of attention. He loved singing “Wheels on the Bus” and showing off his newly learned words and skills. He was always very proud of himself, and everything deserved a round of applause.

Zyaire was courageous, strong, and thoughtful. He loved to make others smile. Though his time on Earth was short, he gave us a lifetime of love.

He is survived by his mother, Haylee Young of DeWitt, his maternal grandparents, Tim (Jackie) Young of DeWitt, his aunt, Shelby Young, and cousins, Jayden, Atley, Charlette, Emma, all of Milford, and aunt, Lyndsey Young of Brighton.

A Memorial Service will be held on Wednesday, October 12, 2022, 1:00 p.m. at the Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home, Chelsea, with Pastor Eric Stricklin officiating. Memorial contributions may be made to the family.

Richard J. Schneider, Sr.

Richard J. Schneider, Sr., formerly of Stockbridge and Jackson, MI, passed away in the early morning hours of Sunday, October 2, 2022, at the age of 99. He was born on May 4, 1923, in Flatrock, MI, the oldest son of the late Joseph and Ruey (Spitler) Schneider.

Richard proudly served during World War II in the US Army, where he was lucky enough to celebrate V-J Day in Times Square in New York City. On March 30, 1946, he married W. Jeannette Osburn. They were married for 72 years prior to her death in August of 2018.

Richard grew up in and around the Ypsilanti, MI area, where he and his brothers shared many adventures typical of the time, including floating down the Huron River in homemade boats and building and rebuilding cars.

His career led him through a variety of life experiences including being a top salesman at J.L. Hudson, working for Boeing Air while living in CA, and as a machinist for Ford Motor Company where he retired in the late 70’s. 

In 1973, he and Jeannette moved from Ypsilanti to Stockbridge, MI, where they owned and operated Schneider’s Adult Foster Care Home. After his retirement from Ford Motor Co., he operated Dick’s Boat Rental on Four Mile Lake for 17 years, where his grandchildren fondly remember him always sneaking them candy bars.

Never one to sit idle, he worked into his early eighties for the Pierce Lake Golf Course in Chelsea.  He was very involved in the First Baptist Church of Stockbridge, where he faithfully served as a Deacon and later, Deacon Emeritus.  During retirement, you could also find him enjoying a game of golf, spending winters in Florida, and traveling around the country with Jeannette. He was a lifelong learner who loved to read and watch history on TV. He loved to stay busy, and you could often find him in his garage tinkering or mowing the lawn on his beloved John Deere mower.

He is survived by three of children, Patricia Estus of Melbourne, FL, Allison Gulledge of Durham, NC, and Andrew (Jeanne) Schneider of Jackson; nine grandchildren, Ty (Ashley) Estus, Lindsey (Aaron) Hines, Katrina Cooley, Zechariah Schneider, Noah (Lauren) Schneider and Michele Svetkovich; and six great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Jeannette, son and daughter-in-law, Richard, Jr. (Robin) Schneider, son-in-law, Donn Estus; a granddaughter, Destiny Schneider; and his siblings, Hilda Smith, Verna Wright, Marion “Bud” Schneider, and Lowell Schneider.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, October 8, 2022 at 12:00 p.m. from the Caskey-Mitchell Funeral Home, Stockbridge. Burial will follow at Brookside Cemetery in Tecumseh, MI. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Memorial Contributions may be made to Crossroads Community Church, 950 S. Clinton St., Stockbridge, MI 49285.

The family would like to express appreciation to the Mebane Ridge Assisted Living Community and their staff (Mebane, NC) for their loving care and support during the last year.

Mark R. Stapish

Mark R. Stapish, age 66, of Tecumseh, MI, formerly of Dexter and Chelsea, passed away on September 30, 2022 at his home. Mark was born on September 28, 1956 in Ann Arbor, MI the son of Charles and Jeanne (Myers) Stapish.

He was a graduate of Chelsea High School, class of 1974. He worked as a fertilizer plant manager for over twenty-five years located in the Ann Arbor and Tecumseh area. His hobbies included quilting, adult coloring, and gardening. He had a love for the State of Michigan and its beauty and history, and he was a huge movie connoisseur.

Mark is survived by two children, Melissa Stapish (Patrick Keene) of Saline, and Ben Stapish (Jennifer Ferensic) of Grass Lake; one sister, Eileen Ball of Tecumseh; three nieces and two nephews; and extended family, Patricia Hill of Jackson, MI. He was preceded in death by his parents, his partner, Ronald Williams, two brothers, Matthew Stapish and Michael Stapish; and brother-in-law, Robert Ball, Jr.

A Memorial Service will be held on Friday, October 7, 2022, 11:00 a.m., at the Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home in Chelsea, where the family will receive friends from 10-11 a.m. Memorial contributions may be made to the hospice organization of your choice. Arrangements by Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home.