http://www.thebattlecreekshopper.com BATTLE CREEK SHOPPER NEWS Thursday, August 29, 2024 19
Alyce
Egelkraut
passed away
peacefully on
August 21,
2024, at the
Legacy in
Battle Creek,
where she
had lived for
the past year.
Alyce Bernece (Walters) Egelkraut
was born March 26, 1936, in Ionia,
Michigan, to parents Elmer Walters
and Ruby (Buehler) Walters.
The family moved when Alyce was
2 months old because her dad had
gotten a job at the Ford Garage in
downtown Battle Creek. She grew
up in Verona, where she had many
memories of playing with friends.
She attended Verona Elementary,
W.K. Kellogg and was a 1954
graduate of Battle Creek Central.
At BCC, she danced in the Band
Follies Chorus Line, participated
in band and the a Cappella Choir.
After high school, she received her
LPN Nursing degree and worked at
Community Hospital. She cared for
premature babies and would often
recall how she loved her work.
On a trip to the school garden in
fourth grade, she noticed a young
lad in the back of the bus talking to
the older girls. She didn’t see him
again in person until she was in
junior high. During this time Alyce
had found a newspaper article that
included his picture. She saved it
until she met Elmer Egelkraut about
three years later. They began dat-
ing in junior high and their romance
flourished for a 68-year marriage.
They successfully raised three
active sons, all Eagle Scouts, a
teacher, a preacher and a mill-
wright. Elmer and Alyce enjoyed
traveling throughout the United
States, Canada and Europe. From
all of their far-reaching travels, their
favorite spot was the shores of Lake
Michigan in Ludington, Michigan.
Alyce will be remembered for
care and kindness for everyone
she knew. She was the ultimate
mother, helping with Cub Scouts,
Little League, PTA fundraisers
and whatever she was asked to
do. She also was Elmer’s swim-
ming support team and number
one fan. She would do whatever
she could to make him go a little
faster and longer in the pool. That
might be keeping times, prepar-
ing special diets, and cheering him
on at swimming meets all over the
country. She was always right by
his side. She served thousands of
meals for funeral dinners at Maple
Methodist Church, where she was
a member for over 70 years. Alyce
also loved working in retail set-
tings. She had worked at Sally’sLarry Dean
Liggett, 81, of
Battle Creek,
Michigan,
passed away
Tuesday,
August 20,- He was
born May 15,
1943, the son
of John Liggett
and Lillian (Weakley) Liggett.
Larry graduated from Olivet High
School with the Class of 1961 and
joined the United States Army, serv-
ing in Germany during the Cuban
Missile Crisis. He was hired by Post
Cereal as a Power House operator
and retired after 35 proud years of
service.
He enjoyed being a volunteer for
the Pennfield Cub Master Pack 382,
president of the Pennfield Band
Boosters, was a Pennfield Volunteer
Firefighter, chairman of Calhoun
County Walk of America, Battle
Creek March of Dimes, and served
on the 24-hour Hope Crisis Line.
In Larry’s marriage to Dolly, they
were blessed with six children,
Laura (David) Ford, Wendy Ford,
David (Jody) Liggett, Doug (Jamie)
Liggett, Kevin (Meghan) Liggett,
Julie (Andy) Lewis. He is also sur-
vived by 12 grandchildren; seven
great-grandchildren; sisters Carolyn
Campbell, Janis Anderson; many
nieces and nephews; and special
friend Judy Standish.
Visitation was held at Baxter
Funeral & Cremation Service on
Friday, August 23, 2024, from 4:30-
5 p.m., with the funeral service fol-
lowing at 5 p.m., with Pastor Travis
Davis of Family Altar Battle Creek
officiating.
Arrangements by Baxter Funeral &
Cremation Service. 269-788-9800/
http://www.baxterfuneral.comHallmark, Herp’s and Robinson’s.
She especially loved working on
displays for the stores. Alyce loved
to bake, especially cookies. She
was known for her Christmas Tea
gathering. She started with about
four of her friends coming together
for Christmas cookies and after 40
years, the group had risen to over
125 friends, neighbors and relatives
gathering before Christmas with
Alyce and Elmer. She loved to oil
paint, fish and spend time with her
family. All of her grandchildren have
fond memories of making cookies
with Grandma.
Alyce loved to write throughout
her life. This note, found on an index
card, reflects her perfectly: “The
greatest gift of all is the friendship
and love you receive from friends,
family, your children and grand-
children. I’m the most lucky person
alive to have had all of these plus
a big bonus of a loving, most won-
derful husband in the whole world.
Thank you, God, for all of these.
Trusting you, God, has been the
biggest reward anyone could have.’’
If you knew Alyce, you knew her
kindness and beautiful smile that
stayed with her until her last breath.
Alyce was preceded in death by
her husband, Elmer Egelkraut; her
parents, Elmer and Ruby Walters;
and nephews Alan Egelkraut and
Rick Teichman.
Alyce is survived by her three
sons, Bob (Susan), David (Karen),
and Paul (Debra); seven grandchil-
dren, Emily (Pat) Okar, Lisa (Jeff)
Vogt, Matthew (Kiley) Egelkraut,
Annie Egelkraut, Michael
Egelkraut, Molly (Jared) Jacques
and Gary Egelkraut. She also has
six great-grandchildren, Carter,
Aubrey, Jackson, Evelynn, Eleanor
and Finnegan, who was born a
week ago. She is also survived
by her sister, Donna (Walters)
Teichman.Alyce and her family would like to
thank the staff of the Legacy at the
Oaks of Battle Creek for their care
and love that was given during her
year-long stay. A special thanks to
Kelly Fisher-Satterfield and her team
that cared for our mother. Her pri-
mary care givers were Quan King,
Alicia Barney, Shelby O., Christen
Freeman, DoshAmeir Coleman and
Samantha Mayo. So many other
weekend workers, kitchen staff and
maintenance staff who made each
day special.
Funeral services were officiated
by Pastor Linda Stoddard at 10:
a.m. Wednesday, August 28, 2024,
at Farley Estes Dowdle Funeral
Cremation Preneed Care, The ser-
vice was live-streamed and may
be viewed by visiting https://vimeo.
com/event/4524028. Committal
and interment followed at Floral
Lawn Memorial Gardens.
In lieu of flowers, a contribution to
Maple Methodist Church or Centrica
Care Navigators (Hospice) would be
welcomed.
Personal messages for the fam-
ily and favorite memories of Alyce
mat be placed at http://www.farleyestes-
dowdle.comIn Loving Memory
Linda Jean (Staib) Medich
September 1, 1951
December 6, 2022When we get through all these
years together.
The houses we had.
The cars we drove.
The things we have possessed.
Won’t matter.
What will matter, is that...
I had you!
And you had me!
Happy Birthday
I’ll love you forever...
Dan