22 Thursday, September 12, 2024 BATTLE CREEK SHOPPER NEWS http://www.thebattlecreekshopper.com
Michael
“Mike” C.
Page, 58,
of Battle
Creek, sadly
passed away
Thursday, Aug.
29, 2024, at
home, with his
family by his
side.
Mike was born April 7, 1966,
in Hillsdale, Mich., to Diana
(Robertson) and Dennis Page.
Both preceded him in death.
Mike graduated from Hillsdale
High School in 1984. He moved
to Battle Creek in 1992 with his
family and began his career as a
self-employed carpenter for almost
20 years. Along the way, he made
many friends whom he considered
to be his extended family. Mike was
an incredibly hard worker, whether
on the clock or just helping some-
one out. “That’s why God put us
here. to help each other out.”
Mike enjoyed life. He also enjoyed
hunting, fishing, camping and run-
ning his little beagle dogs. He loved
watching his beagles run and work
bunnies. His sanctuary was being
outside.
Mike was the stage manager
and assistant sound manager at
the Milan Bluegrass Festival for
eight years. That was his vacation.
He was fondly known as “the best
stage guy ever” by some of the big-
gest names in bluegrass. He donat-
ed half of his weekly earnings forthis event to the Crohn’s and Colitis
Foundation of Southeast Michigan.
That was Mike. It’s how he lived,
how he was, how he should be
remembered: hard working and
charitable.
Mike was also extremely humor-
ous, quick-witted, compassionate
and humble. He was always good
for a joke and a laugh. He was a
great man, a wonderful person and
a beautiful soul, who will be sadly
missed, but never forgotten.
Mike married Annette (Pietruszka)
Page on Saturday, Dec. 17, 1988.
They were married for 36 years,
which Mike said “were 30 of the
best years of his life.”
Mike is survived by his wife,
Annette; sons Alex (Megan Lawver)
Page and Jonathan Page, and two
beautiful grandchildren, Wyatt and
Olivia Page, all of Battle Creek.
Also surviving are his brother,
Terry Page (Susan Manning); sister
Denise Page of Hillsdale, Mich.;
and sister-in-law and brother-in-law
Bernadette (Pietruszka) and Joseph
Papke of Kalamazoo, Mich; as well
as several nieces and nephews.
Mike always said that his best
accomplishment in life was his fami-
ly, and that his greatest accomplish-
ment in life were his grandchildren,
Wyatt and Olivia, and being their
Papa.
In accordance with his wishes,
cremation has taken place, and no
service is scheduled at this time.
Memorials in Mike’s name can be
made to the charity of one’s choice.Dale “Irene”
McPherson,
98, of East
Leroy, went
home to be
with Jesus and
her beloved
husband
Thursday
morning, Sept.
5, 2024, at
Reflections Memory Care of Battle
Creek. She was born in Battle
Creek on Aug. 28, 1926, the daugh-
ter of Clifton and Carrie (Thompson)
Horton.
Irene married the “Love of Her
Life,” Philip D. “Phil” McPherson, in
Bellevue, Mich., on Oct. 26, 1945;
he sadly preceded her in death after
more than 75 years of marriage on
June 13, 2021.
She is survived by her son, Philip
Dale (Brenda) McPherson of Battle
Creek; her sister Joan Miller; her
grandchildren, Melissa McPherson,
Jill (Scott) Wise, Melanie (John)
DeKruyter, Jennifer (Chad) Porter,
Scott (Mandy) Baird, Jon (Melanie)
Baird, Christina Cushard, Sarah
Monarca, Elizabeth Bell; and sev-
eral great-grandchildren, nieces and
nephews.
Irene was also preceded in death
by two children, Kathleen E. Baird
and David Russell McPherson; her
parents; two brothers and four sis-
ters.
Irene was an active and dedicated
member of Trinity United Methodist
Church at the old 5-way light for
many years, where she sang in the
choir, taught Sunday School for
more than 60 years and provided
the altar flowers for church services.
She also served as a Cub Scout
Den Mother and hosted the after-
school Bible Club at her home.
Irene loved tending the flowers and
vegetables in her garden and trav-
eling by car with Phil. She helped
her husband, Phil, collect and lay
the stones as they built their home
in East Leroy, where they lived for
more than 45 years.
The family would like to thank the
staffs at Lakeview Assisted Living,
Reflections Memory Care and
Gentiva Hospice for the many years
of love and care they provided to
Irene and her family.
The family will receive friends 5-7
p.m., Friday, Sept. 20, at Farley
Estes Dowdle Funeral Home &
Cremation Care, Battle Creek,
where services to celebrate her life
will be held 10 a.m., Saturday, Sept.
21, with Pastor John DeKruyter
officiating. The service will be live-
streamed and may be viewed at
https://vimeo.com/event/4559896.
Interment will be held privately at
Fort Custer National Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, please consider
making donations to Alongside of
Richland, P.O. Box 587, Richland,
MI 49083 (www.alongsidecares.
net).
Personal messages for the family
may be placed at http://www.farleyestes-
dowdle.com.Gary
Shafer, 83,
of Bradenton,
Fla., passed
away June 12,- He was
born to William
G. Shafer
and Mildred
L. (Scudder)
Shafer on Aug.
16, 1940, in Battle Creek, Mich. He
graduated from Battle Creek Central
in 1959.
He worked for Canteen Service,
Michigan Carton, Calhoun Aviation.
He started working for Ralston
Purina in 1961 and retired in 1996
after 35 years. He was married to
Pat Bissonette and they had four
children. The marriage ended in
divorce. He then met and married
the love of his life, Phyllis Harville,
while working at Purina.
They had a home on Crooked
Lake in Delton, Mich., where they
spent summer vacations and week-
ends, and made wonderful memo-
ries with their children, grandchil-
dren and family. They then bought
a fifth wheel and camped in South
Haven, Mich., where Gary fished
Lake Michigan for 13 years. They
vacationed on Anna Maria Island for
years, and in 2002, bought a home
in Trailer Estates in Bradenton, Fla.,
and were snowbirds until 2013. They
sold their home in Battle Creek,
Mich., and moved to Bradenton full
time.
Gary hunted and fished all his life.
He had a wonderful sense of humor
and loved meeting people and never
met a stranger. He loved being agrandpa and great-grandpa.
Gary was a fireman for the Trailer
Estates Volunteer Fire Department,
Commodore of the TE Yacht Club
2009-2010, a past member of the
Elks #131, where he was Grand
Exalted Ruler from 2005-2006. He
then transferred to Manasota Elks
#2734 and was a member of the
Moose of Anna Maria Island #2188.
He was a member of Lady Queen
of Martyrs Church in Bradenton.
Gary is survived by his wife,
Phyllis; and children Shawn Shafer
of Grand Rapids, Mich., Amy
Haggie (Matt), Mollie (Ken) Howard
of Battle Creek, Mich.; stepchildren
Chris Klingler (Bev) of Holt, Mich.,
Kim Noel and Joe Harville of Battle
Creek. He and Phyllis had 13 grand-
children and 11 greatgrandchildren.
He was predeceased by his par-ents; his son, Chris Shafer; brother
Norman Shafer; and great-grand-
daughter Tara Kisarika.
A visitation will be held 3-6
p.m. Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, and
Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, at 1 p.m.,
with the funeral service to follow at
2 p.m. at Baxter Funeral Home &
Cremation Service, 375 W. Dickman
Road, Battle Creek, MI.
In lieu of flowers, the family sug-
gests donations may be made in his
name to a hospice house of your
choice.
Brown & Sons Funeral Homes
& Crematory, 26th Chapel, 5624
26th St. West, Bradenton, FL 34207
is in charge of arrangements.
Condolences may be made to http://www.
brownandsonsfuneral.com.