Page 6 — Thursday, August 12, 2021 — The Hastings Banner
Area Obituaries
1699 W. M43 Highway,
Hastings, MI 49058.945-1351 North M-43 Hwy.
Hastings
945-1301 W. Green St.
Hastings
945-This information on worship service is provided by The Hastings Banner, the churches
and these local businesses:HASTINGS FREE
METHODIST CHURCH
"We Exist To Be An
Expression Of Who Jesus Is
To The World Around Us".
2635 N. M-43 Hwy., P.O. Box
8, Hastings. Telephone 269-
945-9121. Email hastfmc@
gmail.com. Website: http://www.
hastingsfreemethodist.com.
Pastor Brian Teed, Assistant
Pastor Emma Miller, Worship
Director, Martha Stoetzel.
Sunday Morning Worship:
9:45 a.m. Kids Church and
Nursery are available. Our
worship center is set up for
social distancing. Aftermath
Student Ministries: Sunday 6
p.m.SOLID ROCK BIBLE
CHURCH OF DELTON
7025 Milo Rd., P.O. Box 765,
(corner of Milo Rd. & S. M-
43), Delton, MI 49046. Pastor
Roger Claypool, (517) 204-- Sunday Worship Service
10:30 to 11:30am, Nursery and
Children’s Ministry. Wednesday
night Bible study and prayer
time 6:30 to 7:30 pm.
ST. ROSE OF LIMA
CATHOLIC CHURCH
805 S. Jefferson. 269-945-
4246 Pastor Father Stephan
Philip. Mass 4:30 p.m.
Saturday. Mass 8 and 11 a.m.
Sunday.HASTINGS
BAPTIST CHURCH
309 E. Woodlawn, Hastings.
Matt Moser, Lead Pastor.
Sunday Services: 9:15 a.m.
Sunday School for all ages;
10:30 a.m. Worship Service;
Senior High Youth Group 6-
p.m.; Young Adults 6-9 p.m.
Wednesday, Family Night
6:30-8 p.m., Kids 4 Truth
(Children Kindergarten-5th
Grade), 6:30-8 p.m. Middle
School Youth Group; 6:
p.m. Bible Study and Prayer.
Call Church Office 948-
for information.CHRIST THE KING
PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH (PCA)
328 N. Jefferson Street.
Worship 10 a.m. Nursery
provided. Pastor Peter Adams,
contact 616-690-8609.WOODGROVE
BRETHREN
CHRISTIAN PARISH
4887 Coats Grove Rd. Pastor
Randall Bertrand. Wheel-
chair accessible and elevator.
Sunday School 9:30 a.m.
Worship Time 10:30 a.m.
Youth activities: call for
information.LIFEGATE
COMMUNITY CHURCH
301 E. State Rd., P.O. Box 273,
Hastings, MI 49058. Pastor
Scott Price. Phone: 269-948-- Website: http://www.lifegatecc.
com. Sunday Worship 10 a.m.
Wednesday Life Group 6:
p.m.
PLEASANTVIEW
FAMILY CHURCH
2601 Lacey Road, Dowling,
MI 49050. Pastor, Steve
Olmstead. (269) 758-
church phone. Sunday
Service: 10 a.m.WELCOME CORNERS
UNITED METHODIST
CHURCH
3185 N. Broadway, Hastings,
MI 49058. Phone 945-2654.
Worship Services: Sunday,
9:45 a.m.Worship
Together
...at the church of your choice ~
Weekly schedules of Hastings area churches
available for your convenience...
Fiberglass
ProductsJeffrey A. Keessen
AIF®Karen Hayward
Administrative AssistantTaking care of what's important to you
so that you can focus on what matters most to youJeffrey A. Keessen, AIF®
(269) 948-
525 W. Apple St. Hastings, MI 49058
http://www.watersedgefinancial.comSecurities offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPCASHEVILLE, NC - Shirley Jean Walton
Wietnik passed away August 3, 2021, in
Asheville, NC, with her daughters, Marcia
Johnson and Diane LaBin, by her side.
She was 92 years old, born February 20,
1929, in Pulaski, IA.
She was preceded in death by her husband,
Edwin S. Wietnik; her parents, LR and
Florence King Walton; step-mother, Helen
Walton; and brothers, Richard and Steven
Walton.
Besides Marcia and Diane, she is survived
by beloved granddaughters, Margaret
Natasha Johnson Sainsbury (Stephen) of
Asheville, NC and Abigail Brooke LaBin
Black (John) of Berea, KY; and eight great-
grandchildren, Rory Johnson, Zoe Black,
Willa Black, and Kaia, David, Simone,
Ursula and Chloe Sainsbury; a brother, Dr.
Robert Walton (Berta); very special sister-in-
law, Sharon Walton (Richard); and sister-in-
law, Laura Marasco. She also loved her
many nieces and nephews.
Shirley was raised in Pulaski, IA and
Elkhart, IN, where she went to high school.
She then attended Western Michigan
University and majored in Education and
Spanish and met Edwin. They married in
1950 and in 1951 they moved to Hastings,
where she spent the majority of her lifetime.
Shirley taught in Barry County public
schools including Gregory School, one of the
last one room schoolhouses in the area. For
many years she taught Spanish and English
at Hastings High School. In 1977, she joined
the Peace Corps and was sent to Colombia,
South America. After serving two years in
Colombia, she lived in Ecuador and taught at
the Colegio Americano in Quito for two
years.
She loved traveling all over the world and
immersing herself in the culture of the
countries she visited. She had numerous
friends across the country and world that she
visited when possible. She also had many
good friends and neighbors in Hastings that
she enjoyed spending time with doing yoga,
hiking, birdwatching and volunteering. She
adored her many grand-dogs and enjoyed
dog sitting and walking them on her regular
walks around town. Shirley’s love of her
students at HHS kept her substitute teaching
well into her 80s. She was proud of the fact
she also mowed her own lawn in her 80s.
She loved gardening and was a member of
the Thornapple Garden Club for years. She
worked tirelessly for the Hastings Public
Library with Friends of the Library. In
addition, she served as a CASA with the
Barry County Courts for several years.
Shirley loved her family and over the
years spent a lot of time in Kentucky as well
as Richmond, VA, Asheville, NC, and south
Florida. She instilled a love of books and
travel in her family and touched the lives of
many people. We would like to thank her
special friends who were faithful at writing
her cards and calling her as Alzheimer’s
started to shrink her world: Pat Kisinger,
Carol Shanahan, Reina Romero and Jean
Syswerda- who was kind enough to host her
on her last visit to Hastings a few years ago.
Your kindness will stay with us forever.
There will be a Celebration of Life
ceremony in Hastings at a later date this Fall.
If desired, memorial contributions may be
made to the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund at http://www.
curealz.org, Hastings High School
(Language Arts), 232 W. Grand St, Hastings,
or the Barry County Humane Society at
Barrycountyhumane.org
For those who desire, condolences may be
offered to the family under Mrs. Weitnik’s
obituary at http://www.
WestFamilyFuneralServices.com.Shirley Jean Walton WietnikRobert Lester Baines, age 86, of Hastings,
passed away on August 5, 2021. He was
born on February 16, 1935, in Urbandale,
the son of Harry Lester and Elsa Waunita
(Martin/Hoppus) Baines.
He attended the Urbandale Public
Schools, Ann J. Kellogg, and Battle Creek
Central High School. He worked a short
time for DeNooyer Chevrolet in Battle
Creek and was employed by the Barry
County Road Commission from May 1956
through September 30, 1997, completing 41
years of service. Robert and Marlene Joan
Slocum were married October 22, 1954, in
Hastings and have lived in the community
ever since.
Robert enjoyed family and friends and
was an avid motorcycle rider.
He is survived by his daughter, Mrs.
Ronald E. (Ann M.) Martin of Hastings and
son, Robert Eric (Lora A.) Baines of Grand
Rapids; grandchildren, Stacey Martin,
Joseph and Karen Martin, Alexandra and
Elijah Cooley; great-grandchildren,
Madeline, Nathan, Natalie, Matthew, Eloise,
Ethan, and in-laws Joyce Baines, Robert
(Katie) Slocum, Gina (Bernie) Blough,
nieces and nephews.
Robert was preceded in death by his
parents, Harry L. and Elsa W. Baines; one
sister, Mrs. James (Virginia R.) Holt of
Battle Creek and two brothers, Joseph E. and
W. Bruce, both of Battle Creek.
Memorial gathering at a later date.
Arrangements by Girrbach Funeral Home.
To leave an online condolence visit http://www.
girrbachfuneralhome.net.Robert Lester BainesMichael Stifler - ( May 08, 1949 - August
06, 2021 )
The characteristics that we, his family,
will most remember Michael for are his
integrity, humor, forbearance, environmental
stewardship, and commitment to God and
his family.
Michael Edward Stifler was born on May
8, 1949, in Dearborn, to his mother, Winola
Marie Stifler (Auiler), his father, Edward
Reese Stifler, and two older brothers, twins
Gerald and Donald. His father and brothers
inspired his love for the Detroit Tigers and
golf, and he inherited his wit and self-
possession from his mother Winnie. He
graduated from Dearborn High School in
1967, and attended the University of
Michigan, graduating with undergraduate
and master’s degrees in civil and
environmental engineering in 1972.
He started his career in environmental
protection in 1973, and soon after, met and
fell in love with Linnea Peterson. They got
married in October 1974, and lived first in
Mason and then in Cadillac. To their three
children, Luke, Daniel, and Britta, Michael
was an active, present, and loving father who
coached soccer, played catch, attended
orchestra concerts, read books, listened and
taught, encouraged his children’s interests,
and modeled a life of faith and tolerance.
Michael’s work for the Michigan
Department of Natural Resources and
Department of Environmental Quality
focused on watershed protection, compliance
efforts, and spill response. He retired in 2010
after a 35-year career with the DNR/DEQ.
Michael loved to spend free time in nature
too—gardening, biking, playing golf,
camping, and hiking along Michigan’s rivers
and lakes. He also enjoyed visiting his kids
and grandkids, woodworking, listening to
music, and brewing and drinking beer.
After retirement, he and Linnea left
Cadillac for Linnea to pursue her calling as
an Episcopal priest at St. Martin of Tours
(Kalamazoo) and then Emmanuel Episcopal
Church (Hastings). Michael was a beloved
and involved part of his church
communities. He volunteered with several
organizations to feed and house his
neighbors, and he served on the board of the
Barry County Conservation District.
In 2020, Michael was diagnosed with
pancreatic cancer and died after a year of
treatment and illness that he endured with
characteristic grace and courage.
He was preceded in death by his father,
Reese Stifler; mother, Winola Stifler; and
brother, Don Stifler, and is survived by his
wife, Linnea Stifler, of Hastings; son, Luke
Stifler (Kate, grandsons Sam and Louie) of
Utica, IN; son, Dan Stifler (Tomo,
grandchildren Kota and Ann) of Tsukuba,
Japan; daughter, Britta Ossim (David), of
Seattle, WA, and brother, Jerry Stifler
(Janice) of Portage.
Memorial contributions can be made to
the Solar Array project at Emmanuel
Episcopal Church (checks may be sent to
315 W. Center St, Hastings, MI 49058) or to
the Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay.
https://www.gtbay.org/giving-opportunities/
memorials-and-tributes/.
Michael’s memorial service will be held
at Emmanuel Episcopal Church on Saturday,
Aug.t 14, 2021 at 11 a.m.
Services provided by Girrbach Funeral
Home. To leave online condolences visit
http://www.girrbachfuneralhome.net.Michael StiflerDavid “Dave” Coppess, age 83, of Custer,
SD, passed away August 8, 2021, at his
residence in Custer.
Dave was born July 10, 1938, in Sunfield,
to George and Margaret (Sherwood)
Coppess. Dave proudly served in the U.S.
Army during the Korean War and after his
honorable discharge he married Kay
LaVonne Darby in 1958. Obtaining a BS
degree in Parks and Recreation led him to
jobs with the U.S. Government where he
moved to South Dakota and could enjoy
hunting.
Dave and Kay lived many places in the
Black Hills but moved to Custer where Dave
retired in 2000. In Custer they purchased an
old house which required much more work
than they anticipated. Dave stripped it down
and found an original log cabin inside it.
Dave was always ready to help others and
his passions were hunting, camping and
restoring old cars.
Dave is survived by his wife, Kay
Coppess of Custer, SD; son, Chad (Lisa
Lynn) Coppess of Pierre, SD; daughter, Lisa
Marie Coppess Peters (Willy) of Faribault,
MN; sister, Kathleen Coppess Rush of Ionia;
four grandchildren, and two great
grandchildren.
Memorial services will be held 2 p.m.,
Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021, at United Methodist
Church in Pringle, SD.
Arrangements have been placed in the
care of Chamberlain McColley’s Funeral
Home in Custer.David CoppessCatherine L. (Katy) Colvin, age 90, of
Hastings, passed away peacefully at home
on Saturday, August 7, 2021.
She was born April 9, 1931 in Irving
Township, the daughter of Thomas and Zora
(Dorman) Loftus. Katy was united in
marriage to Floyd W. Colvin in 1951 and
they were married for over 45 years until his
death in 1997.
She worked for Hastings Manufacturing
Co. as a machine operator in the IBM Dept.,
processing the factory payroll. The position
she was most proud of was that of mom and
homemaker, caring deeply for her family.
Katy was a faithful lifelong member of St.
Rose of Lima Church in Hastings. She
served with the Altar Society, St. Ann’s
Guild and Dusting Angels. She was a
member of Pennock Hospital Guild #1 for
many years. She was an active member of
the Hastings Athletic Boosters when her
children were involved in high school sports.
She and Floyd enjoyed bowling and
golfing together and Katy also played on the
Riverbend women’s golf league for many
years. She shot a hole-in-one at age 78 and
remained an avid golfer all through her
eighties. She loved cooking, baking, sewing
quilts and crocheting afghans for her
children and grandchildren.
She and Floyd traveled to Hawaii and
Switzerland and she celebrated her 80th
birthday by touring Ireland with her
daughters and sons-in-law. Annual trips to
the family cabin in the Upper Peninsula and
to Colorado Springs to see her daughter and
family were her favorite destinations.
She was preceded in death by her husband
Floyd; sons, Bradley and Bruce; two sisters,
Rosella Mary Davis and Helen Thomas;
three brothers, Tommy, Alfred and Leo
Loftus and many sisters and brothers-in-law.
She is survived by her three daughters,
Brenda and Kirstan Vandersluis of Colorado
Springs, CO, Bonnie and David Wade of
Milford, and Barbara Colvin of Novi;
daughter-in-law, Diane (Colvin) Nearnberg
of Albion; seven grandchildren, Brandi
Colvin, Courtney (Bill) Miller, Mindy
(Justin) Freeman, Alicia (Ivan Fan)
Vandersluis, Kollin (Stephanie) Vandersluis,
Kaeli Vandersluis and Schuyler Vandersluis;
10 great-grandchildren, Quinn, Zoe and
Malachi Miller, David, Barnabas, Michaiah,
Benaiah and Rebekah Freeman, and Brynlee
and Breklynn Vandersluis. She is also
survived by sisters-in-law, Mert (Richard)
Clark and Verna Lancaster, many nieces,
nephews, cousins and dear friends.
Catherine’s family will receive friends on
Thursday Aug. 12, 2021 at Lauer Family
Funeral Home 1401 N. Broadway in
Hastings from 4 – 8 p.m. with a Rosary at 7
p.m. and at St. Rose of Lima Church on
Friday August 13, 2021 from 10 – 11 a.m. A
Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 11
a.m. with Fr. Stephan Philip celebrating the
Mass. Interment will follow in Mt. Calvary
Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family would
appreciate memorials to St. Rose of Lima
Catholic Church or to the Hastings High
School Athletic Boosters.Catherine L. ColvinCall 269-945-
for Hastings
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