16 Thursday, October 31, 2024 BATTLE CREEK SHOPPER NEWS http://www.thebattlecreekshopper.com
Obituaries
Penny
Alsager, 68,
of Rochester,
passed away
peacefully and
surrounded
by family on
September 29,
2024, at St.
Mary’s Hospital,
after a brief and
unexpected illness.
Penny was kind and loving, a devoted
wife and mother, and the proudest new
grandma. A lifelong feminist, she admi-
rably balanced her scholarly and profes-
sional pursuits with a rich and happy
family life, all the while exuding a sense
of calm and vision that was a source of
inspiration and comfort to many.
Penny Ann Alsager was born Oct.
29, 1955, in Omaha, Neb., to Perry
Alsager and JoAnn Hoban. Her family
moved to Battle Creek, Mich., dur-
ing her youth. There, she attended
Lakeview High School and recently her
50th class reunion (class of ’74). One
fun fact about Penny is that she flew
to Europe on an inaugural flight of the
Boeing 747 with her father and other
Kellogg executives. She then went on
to the University of Michigan to receive
a B.S. in Botany and two M.S. degrees,
one in Applied Economics and one in
Regional Planning. At Michigan, she
met her husband, Wilson Lee. They
moved to Rochester, Minn., in 1981 and
were married on Oct. 1, 1983. During
her time in Rochester, she was a real
estate developer and general contractor,
serving as the Vice President of Elcor
Enterprise from 1981 to 1983 and the
President of Elcor Development from
1983 to 2004 and managing multiple
rental properties over the following
decades. One of her proudest achieve-
ments was restoring 304 6th St. SW,
a Historic Southwest Rochester home
built in 1885. For the next chapter in
her life, she received her Teaching
License and Gifted Education Certificate
from Winona State University. From
2004 to 2015, she was the Gifted and
Talented Education (GATE) Coordinator
at Willow Creek Middle and Century
High Schools. During this time, she also
raised her two children, Catherine and
Christopher. She played an active part in
their school days, volunteering as a Girl
Scout Troop leader and serving terms as
both the Hoover and Kellogg PTA/PTSA
President.
During her retirement, she played ten-
nis several times a week and remained
active in her book club and attached
to her close-knit group of friends (the
“Gaggle”) in addition to volunteering for
the Rochester Women’s Shelter and the
League of Women Voters and talking on
the phone with her sisters nearly every
day. An avid gardener, she had the most
beautiful flowers and houseplants. She
had the most wonderful laugh, too.
Penny is survived by her husband,
Wilson; children Catherine (Tristan
Gagnon-Bartsch) Lee and Christoper
Lee; siblings Pam (Ron) Bloomberg
and Patty (Mike) McGeorge; and grand-
daughter Eleanor. She was preceded in
death by her parents.
A memorial service will
be held for Penny at 2 p.m.
Nov.r 2, 2024, at Ranfranz
and Vine Funeral Home in
Rochester, Minn., with a
visitation starting at noon
and a time for gathering
after. Ranfranz and Vine
Funeral Home is honored to
be serving the Alsager Lee
family; To share a special
memory or condolence,
please visit http://www.ranfran-
zandvinefh.com.Linda Ruth
Blowers, 79,
passed away
peacefully on
October 5, 2024,
at the Inn at
Chapel Grove
in Heath, Ohio.
Born in Laurel,
Mississippi, to
Lee and Mary
Cook, Linda lived a life marked by love,
family and faith.
She was preceded in death by her
beloved husband of 34 years, Glenn
Blowers; her dear son, Samuel Blowers;
her mother, Mary (Norwood) Spinosa;
father Lee Cook; and sister Mary Cook.
Linda is survived by her two daugh-
ters, Nancy (Terry) Fryer and Sherri
(Gary) Jorgensen; and her brother,
David Cook; and special friends, Melissa
Blowers-Battaglio and Tommy Vasquez,
who carry forward her legacy of
strength and compassion.
Linda was also a cherished Mawmaw
to Marcus (Danielle) Vasquez, Tyler
(Victoria) Jorgensen, Jarrod Blowers,
Tori (Dominick) Packham, and Geordan
(Karlie) Blowers; great-grandchildren
Sofiana,Ella and Claire Vasquez, Lorelei
and Lennox Jorgensen, Carter Coffin,
Vinny Packham and Xander Blowers will
always remember her as a source of
unconditional love and warmth.
Linda’s nurturing spirit, generosity and
wisdom will be deeply missed by her
family and friends. She will be remem-
bered not only for the many lives she
touched but for the kindness and grace
with which she lived each day.Linda cherished her family time from
her contributions of time and service
with the “brownies” and continued with
numerous art and crafts and sewing and
quilting projects. Her continued support
of her best friend and husband Glenn’s
shared love of music from the living
room piano to venues all over south-
west Michigan, including the balloon
festival with the Silver Eagle Band as
Glenn would play the keyboards to the
joys of her and many others.
But Linda would still find time to
get lost in a great novel of mystery
and adventure only to welcome her
grandkids and all visitors to there home
where there was always great home
made food offered with a smile.
Linda took great pride and honor in
her nearly 20 years of service at then
Leila Hospital through a transition
of departments from the emergency
room to specialist scheduling as Battle
Creek Health System was created with
the merger of Leila and Community
Hospitals, currently Bronson Battle
Creek.
Her grandkids made her a sports fan,
specifically the Detroit Tigers, as attend-
ing there youth and high school events
provided her great joy and many new
friends with whom she shared her posi-
tive attitude and the Southern hospitality
she was so proud of.
Her family extends their deepest grati-
tude for the love and support during this
difficult time. Linda will be forever in the
hearts of those that knew her. Private
family services will be held at a later
date.BATTLE
CREEK
— ELDER LAW —- Legal advice & counseling regarding long term care.
- Protecting your home and assets.
- Advice for your financial and/or medical condition.
- Benefits available to you including Medicaid & veterans.
— PROBATE & ESTATE PLANNING — - Wills and trusts
- Powers of Attorney for Health Care and Finances
- Pre and post nuptial agreements
Stacey Lott • Planning for blended and non-traditional families
Attorney at Law
269-963-8222 • http://www.staceylottlaw.com
130 East Columbia Ave., Battle Creek, MI 49015
Obituary Policy Change
The Battle Creek Shopper News will accept and publish obituaries only
from licensed funeral homes or crematories. We no longer accept
nor publish obituaries from family members or friends via email
or in person. We encourage family members and friends to seek
assistance from their funeral home/crematory to compose and
submit obituaries to this newspaper via email at shopperobits@j-
adgraphics.com.