http://www.thebattlecreekshopper.com BATTLE CREEK SHOPPER NEWS Thursday, September 19, 2024 17
Michele
Tameris Cook
Leatherberry,
74, succumbed
to acute idio-
pathic pulmo-
nary fibrosis
on Aug. 16,
2024, at
Easley Baptist
Hospital in
Easley, S.C.
Michele was born June 17, 1950,
in Battle Creek to Henry G. Tameris
and Saloma Beukelman Tameris.
Beginning in her early childhood,
Glen E. Cook became her stepfa-
ther and provided the love and sup-
port of a godly father. Later in her
life, Michele took his name.
Michele attended Battle Creek
Public Schools from kindergarten
through high school. Following
graduation, Michele earned a BA
and MSW in social work from WMU.
During her final year in the pro-
gram, she was tasked with finding
community placements for children
displaced due to the closing of
Coldwater State Hospital. Mary Ann
LeQuier was fortunate to be one of
the children assigned to Michele.
Michele and her family adopted
Mary Ann into their lives and treated
her as family until her death in
2023.
Michele spent her entire career
as a special education school
social worker in the Lakeview
School District. It wasn’t long before
Michele’s exceptional reputation
led to her providing internships as
a field instructor and mentoring
new hires for the county. During
her 30-plus-year career, she advo-
cated for and supported elementary
students and their families. She
derived great satisfaction from run-
ning parenting groups. In the early
1990s, Michele was chosen as
Region B School Social Worker of
the Year (11 counties in Southwest
Michigan). Of the 12 regional can-
didates, she was selected Michigan
School Social Worker of the Year
and represented Michigan at the
Midwest Conference.
International travel was a passion
for Michele pre- and post-retire-
ment. She had travelled to Lebanon,
Japan, China, the Amazon and,
most recently, Africa. Michele was
enamored with Africa -- its culture,
safaris and wildlife.
After retiring, Michele chose to
move to South Carolina to be closer
to her only sibling, Renee Lambert.
Michele and her high school sweet-
heart reconnected in 2021, and
married in 2023, and were able
to enjoy 16 months of marriage.
Michele told friends and family that
he was the “love of her life.”
Michele is survived by her hus-
band, Scott Leatherberry; sister
Renee (Jerry) Lambert (Jerry)
of Central, S.C.; cousins Bonnie
Watson (Greg) of Marietta, Ga., and
Becky Whitcomb (Curt) of Boise,
Idaho.
Funeral services were held Aug.
22, 2024, in South Carolina.
In lieu of flowers, honorary
donations are suggested to the
Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation
(https://www.pulmonaryfibrosis.
org); Lawrence Chapel Children’s
Ministries (https://tinyurl.
com/4kc3zzfe); any Humane
Society; or other charity of your
choice.Ruby N.
Lovelace, 93,
of Battle Creek
passed away
August 2,
2024.
Ruby
was born
September 23,
1930, in West
Frankfort, IL
to Russel Carl and Ruby Esther
(Aken) Stewart. She was very active
with her husband, Roy Lovelace,
in Pennfield Little League Football.
She also enjoyed quilting. Ruby
especially loved her grandchildren
and spending time with her family.
Ruby is survived by her children,
Al (Tammy) Lovelace, Ray (Sandy)
Henley, Donna Deemer, Patti Quick,Mary (Dave) Dingledine and Rex
(Nancy) Lovelace; as well as 15
grandchildren; 14 great-grandchil-
dren; and two great-great-greanchil-
dren.
She was preceded in death by her
parents; a brother; a sister; a step-
son, Jeff Lovelace; son-in-law Terry
Deemer; and her husband, Roy.
A celebration of Ruby’s life will be
held Tuesday, September 24, 2024,
at Farley Estes Dowdle Funeral
Home & Cremation Care at 11 a.m.,
with family receiving friends at 10
a.m. Following the service, Ruby
and Roy will be interred at Fort
Custer National Cemetery.
Personal messages for her family
may be shared at http://www.farleyestes-
dowdle.com.Robert D.
Parsons of
Battle Creek
passed away
peacefully at
at Bronson
Hospital in
Kalamazoo on
Sept. 7, 2024.
He was born
July 20, 1943.
Bob was a licensed plumber for
many years. He enjoyed bowling,
pool, dancing and boating on Gun
Lake, as well as spending picnics
and holidays with family.He is survived by his son, Brian
Parsons; daughter Kimberly Ward;
several grandkids and great-grand-
kids; brother Tom Parsons; and
stepchildren Vickie (Randy) Yother,
Ron Ellington, Judy (Rick) LeClear,
Lori (William) VanderJagt and
Connie (Dana) McCarn.
He was preceded in death by
his wife of 30 years, Elaine, who
passed away in 2003; parents
Forrest and Connie Parsons; broth-
ers Ron Parsons and Jerry Parsons;
and daughter Kathy Baker.
Cremation has taken place, and
no services are planned at this time.Nancy
Joyce Pratt
(Cox), 90, of
Battle Creek,
Mich., passed
away at home
on Saturday,
Sept. 14, 2024,
surrounded by
her children.
Nancy was
born in a small town near Dayton,
Tenn., and moved with her family
to Battle Creek, where she gradu-
ated from Battle Creek Central High
School in 1952. Later in life she
took courses at Kellogg Community
College.
Nancy had a love for adventure,
and she traveled the world after her
retirement from Post Cereal, visiting
Egypt, Greece, Italy, Turkey, Israel
and many more destinations. Nancy
was known for her focus on her
health and was drinking wheatgrass
smoothies, taking probiotics, and
partaking in veganism long before
it was trendy. After a midlife cancer
diagnosis, she began following a
holistic way of life and became a
vegetarian, a licensed massage
therapist and a hypnotherapist.
She loved cardio exercise, prac-
ticed yoga, and spent most early
mornings at the YMCA weightlifting.
She enjoyed watching old mov-ies, going to the beach at Lake
Michigan, and reading books of all
kinds. When she was not travel-
ing, she was going to Toastmasters’
events, visiting friends, and hang-
ing out with her beloved pet cats
through the years. (Rest in peace
Cat Pratt and Kassie)
Nancy is survived by her chil-
dren, Randy Warner (Cheryl) of
Oklahoma City, Okla., Sharon
Joyce Warner of Tampa, Fla., Stacy
Smurthwaite (Scott) of Mansfield,
Ohio, Renee Calvin of Tampa,
Fla., and Rick Warner (Alicia) of
Manistee, Mich.; 11 grandchildren;
and 15 great-grandchildren.
Nancy was preceded in death by
her siblings, Margaret Goff, William
E. Cox and Virginia Card; and her
mother and stepfather, Iona and
James R. Rice; and her father,
Ralph D. Cox.
Memorial services for immediate
family will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks
that you donate to the Michigan
Humane Society, an organiza-
tion that was near and dear to
Nancy’s heart: https://www.michi-
ganhumane.org/support-michigan-
humane.
Arrangements by Bachman
Hebble Funeral Service, (269) 965-
5145/www.bachmanhebble.com.