16 Thursday, June 27, 2024 BATTLE CREEK SHOPPER NEWS http://www.thebattlecreekshopper.com
Gary Lynn
McMillon, 69,
of Battle Creek,
passed away
while receiving
care at Laurels
of Bedford on
Friday, June
21, 2024, after
being diagnosed
with dementia in
March 2024.
He was born
in Battle Creek,
Michigan, to John David and Nellie
(Etherton) McMillon. Gary was born on
his mother’s 34th birthday, April 6, 1955.
He lived in Battle Creek his entire life and
graduated from Harper Creek High School
in 1973.
Gary first worked for his father’s con-
struction business, but eventually he
would start his own business, Gary
McMillon Construction, on June 1, 1973,
and it served the Battle Creek area for
almost 51 years. Gary loved what he did,
running equipment, moving dirt, and build-
ing things. He bulldozed and added to the
original track for Battle Creek Motorcycle
Club in the 1980s and helped build up the
original courses for Excalibur Paintball,
including giving a few of his pieces of
equipment and trucks that still make up
the course today. Gary also helped build
Parks Canoe Livery, which was originally
at the corner of G Drive North and 9-Mile
Road.
Gary was an avid composter. He loved
improving his compost that he would use
at job sites, and he loved chopping wood
for his fireplace in the wintertime. His true
passions, however, were hunting with
his friend and former brother-in-law, Rick
Ehrhardt, and he loved riding motorcycles
and spending time with his childhood and
lifelong friend, John Shafer.
Gary married his wife, Dawn (Nelson),
on May 1, 1976, after dancing with her at
Yancy’s bar and meeting for the first time.
They went on to have five children togeth-
er, four grandchildren and one great-
grandchild. They raised their kids in Gary’s
childhood home built by his father until
2006, and then they moved to the house
Gary helped build his with his dad in 1967.
He loved that property more than anything
and he was a steward to the land until he
could not anymore. For Gary it was very
important to him that his kids and grand-
kids grew up there, too, and know the
freedom of being able to ride around on
the trails and hunt whenever you wanted
to without having to ask anyone.
After four girls, Dawn and Gary finally
had a boy in 1989 named Shane, who
worked alongside Gary as his most
trusted cohort from his childhood until
the end. Shane and Gary together ran
Gary McMillon Construction and together
they built dozens of buildings, wrecked
dozens of houses, installed countless
septic tanks, poured thousands of yards of
concrete and moved thousands of yards
of dirt together and that was Gary’s proud-
est achievement and made up his favorite
memories with his son.
Gary is survived by his wife, Dawn, of
Battle Creek; daughter Heather (Patrick) of
Lansing; daughter Jennifer of Battle Creek;
and son Shane of Battle Creek. Gary and
Dawn have a very special relationship with
their youngest grandkids, Avayiah and
Isaiah, whom they took guardianship of
after their mother’s passing in 2022. They
are both like children and grandchildren,
and Gary was like both a father and Papa
Gary, all in one. Gary is also survived by
his brother Lowell (Joan) of Nashville,
Michigan; his sister Sandra (Johnny)
Letson of Guntown, Mississippi; and his
brother Clarence of Knob Noster, Missouri.
He is also survived by two other grand-
children, Desiree Allred and Elizabeth
Perkins, and his great grandson, Liam
Allred, all of Battle Creek.
Preceding Gary in death are two daugh-
ters, Summer, who passed away in 2024,
and Taylor, who passed away in 2022; his
brother Hoyt McMillon in 2023; his nephew
Darby McMillon, as well as his niece
Desany McMillon, both in 2022; his sister
Carolyn Cornelius in 2007; and his mother
and father, who passed in 2005 and 2006,
respectively. He is also preceded in death
by his sister Bernice McMillon. For many
years, Gary had to live without his former
brother-in-law and best friend, Richard A.
Ehrhardt, who passed away in 1993, and
it brings his family great happiness and
peace that they are together once again.
Also surviving Gary is his lifelong
friend, John Shafer of Battle Creek, who
remained Gary’s steadfast friend from
elementary school to the end of his life,
also known as Uncle John to Gary’s kids
and grandkids.
Funeral services for Gary will be held
Friday, June 28, 2024, at 2 p.m. at the
Richard A. Henry Funeral Home, with
visitation from 1 p.m. until the time of the
service. Interment to follow at Floral Lawn
Gardens. There will be a small gathering
at the Moonraker Restaurant and Lounge
following the interment and the family is
welcoming friends and family together to
celebrate in Gary’s honor.
http://www.henryfuneralhome.orgHelen
Marguerite
(Lambkie)
Crofoot, 103,
passed away
peacefully at
home on January
29, 2024, with
her family sur-
rounding her with
love.
Helen was
born on March
31, 1920, the
daughter of Ethel (Stumph) and Harry
Lambkie. Helen graduated from Bellevue
High School in 1938 and later attended
Argubright Business School. During the
war years, Helen volunteered as a Grey
Lady at Percy Jones Hospital and tended
to many wounded soldiers. She took this
volunteer position very seriously. After the
war, Helen began her career in banking at
Michigan National Bank. Soon afterwards,
Helen met Amby Crofoot, and they mar-
ried in 1948 in Battle Creek. Together they
had two daughters, Patricia and Janice.
Throughout her life, Helen served as
a volunteer with many organizations,
including Pennfield Willing Workers, room
mother with her children’s elementary
schools, Charitable Union, Needle Work
Guild, Mercy Pavilion and Leila Auxiliary
(Bronson Battle Creek). Helen often saidthat one of the most important lessons
she has learned in life is the importance
of helping others. Helen lived her life help-
ing others, her family, and was the beloved
matriarch of her family.
Helen is survived by her daughters,
Trish (Bob) Thompson of Battle Creek,
and Janice (Jeffrey) Swanson of Beverly,
Massachusetts; seven grandchildren,
Kevin (Mary) Thompson, Scott (Kristy)
Thompson, Shawn (Dana) Thompson,
Brennen (Nate) Swanson, Jordana
(Joshua Hauser) Swanson, Kara (Fabiano)
Oliveira, Kendra (Nelson) Fernandez; and
11 great-grandchildren, Keegan, Logan,
Riley, Jack, Sam, Dylan, Mason, Aubrey,
Christian, Julian and Amby.
She was preceded in death by her hus-
band, Amby Crofoot, her parents, and her
brother, Harold.
A service to celebrate Helen’s life will be
held 11:30 a.m. Monday, July 1, 2024, at
Baseline Church. Inurnment will be held at
Floral Lawn Memorial Gardens.
Memorial contributions in Helen’s memo-
ry may be made to Baseline Church, 9617
E. Baseline Rd., Battle Creek, MI 49017
or Compassus Hospice, 5220 Lovers Ln.,
#140, Portage, MI 49002.
Arrangements by Farley Estes Dowdle
Funeral Cremation Preneed Care.
Personal messages for Helen’s family may
be shared at http://www.farleyestesdowdle.com.Frank Dale
Davison, 75,
a lifelong Battle
Creek, Michigan,
resident, died
peacefully at
Bickford Assisted
Living, with his
family at his side,
on Thursday, June
20, 2024.
Frank was born
August 7, 1948,
in Battle Creek,
Michigan, to Ernest Richard and Virginia M.
(Hamacher) Davison. He attended Battle Creek
Central High School and was employed for
Meijer Thrifty Acres for nearly 40 years, retiring
in 2012.
Surviving are his sister Christine Gilkison of
Battle Creek; his brother, Paul (Pat) Davison of
Battle Creek; a brother-in-law, Buzz Tenney of
Battle Creek; a daughter, Laura (Larry) Franks
of Mendon; and several nieces, nephews, cous-
ins and their families.
Frank was preceded in death by his parents;
a son, Aric Davison; and a sister, Sharon
Tenney. His sister Sharon and her husband,
Buzz, were very special to Frank. They tookcare of him during his illness for two years,
Frank loved being outdoors and did lawn
care and snowplowing for many people. His
favorite pastime was fishing. Frank bowled in
the area leagues for years. He loved cereal, ice
cream and cookies. Frank will be remembered
as hardworking, kind, funny and having a good
outlook on life.
Friends will be received 3-5 p.m. Sunday,
June 30, 2024, at Farley Estes Dowdle Funeral
Cremation Preneed Care. A service to celebrate
Frank’s life will be held at noon, Monday, July
1, 2024, in the chapel at Floral Lawn Memorial
Gardens, 1490 E. Michigan Ave., Battle Creek,
MI 49014.
Memorial contributions may be made to the
Alzheimer’s Association.
Personal messages for the family may be
placed at http://www.farleyestesdowdle.com.Thank You
The family ofJerry Bridges
would like to thank everyone who
payed respect and gave sympathy.
Whether via card, phone call or
flowers/plants.Thank you for your support
during this time of grieving.
We greatly appreciate it.A Celebration of Life for
Link H Selbee
AKA Master Link or Linkin Log
will be held
June 29, from 1-4pm
at the residence of
David Clough
13305 E on Ave, Climax, MISadly Link passed away
6-12-2024 from lung cancer.
Call 269-443-
for any questions.