Belva H. (Robinson) Howe,  Grand Ledge, MI Age 86, passed away May 23, 2002 in Lansing, MI. She was born in Clinton County, MI, on October 13, 1915, the youngest child of Fred A. and Blanche (VanTassel) Robinson. Belva was a graduate of St. Johns High School and Clinton County Normal; attended Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant and graduated from Michigan State University, where she was elected into the Honor Societies of Kappa Delta Pi and Phi Kappa Phi. She taught for 21 years in the public schools of Clinton and Eaton Counties, retiring from the Grand Ledge Schools in 1976. On December 24, 1941, she was married to Russell Howe. For many years, they owned and operated the Howe Turkey Farms between Grand Ledge and Eagle. She was a member of the Delta Kappa Gamma Sorority, Eaton County Assoc. of Retired School Personnel, M.E.A. and N.E.A. She was also a member of the Grand Ledge First United Methodist Church and the United Methodist Women.

Funeral Services will be held Saturday, May 25th, 1 PM at the Peters & Murray Funeral Home, Grand Ledge, with Rev. W.J. "Bill" Amundsen of the Grand Ledge First United Methodist Church officiating; interment to follow at the North Eagle Cemetery, Eagle Twp., Clinton Co. The family will receive friends at the funeral home Friday 1-3 and 6-8 PM. For those desiring, contributions may be made to the Grand Ledge First United Methodist Church Memorial Fund in Memory of Mrs. Belva Howe.

Rev. Fr. Julius L. Hengesbach

Rev. Fr. Julius L. Hengesbach, Westphalia, MI Age 86, passed away May 22, 2002. He was born in Westphalia on January 29, 1916 the son of William and Margaret (Sontag) Hengesbach. Fr. Hengesbach attended elementary and high school at St. Mary's in Westphalia and college at St. Joseph Seminary in Grand Rapids. He received a B.A. Degree from Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit. Fr. Hengesbach was ordained on June 6, 1953 at St. Mary's Cathedral in Lansing and served at various parishes within the Kalamazoo Diocese retiring in 1989. During the years after his retirement from fulltime Parish responsibilities, Fr. Julius continued to assist wherever needed throughout the Diocese of Kalamazoo as much as his health and energy permitted.

He was preceded in death by his brothers, Lawrence (Theresa), Urban (Laura), Sylvester, Anthony (Marcella) Hengesbach. Surviving are sisters, Antoinette Koenigsknecht of Fowler and Loretta Rademacher of Westphalia; sister-in-law, Odelia Hengesbach of Westphalia; many nieces and nephews.

The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by The Most Rev. James A. Murray, Diocese of Kalamazoo at 10:30 AM, Saturday, May 25, 2002, at St. Mary's Catholic Church with Rite of Committal following at St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery. The family will receive friends at St. Mary's Catholic Church, 939 Charlotte Ave., Kalamazoo, MI 49048 from 1-6 PM on Thursday. The Rosaries will be prayed at 3 and 6 PM. The family will also receive friends at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Westphalia 9 AM-9 PM on Friday. The Rosaries will be prayed at 3-8 PM. For those desiring, memorial contributions may be made to the Fr. Al Miller Fund, 201 N. Westphalia St., Westphalia, MI 48894. Arrangements are entrusted to the Schrauben-Lehman Funeral Home, Portland.

Roxanne V. Cogswell-Ross

Roxanne V. Cogswell-Ross,  49, Whitehills and Tendercare West certified nurses' aide, died Sunday, May 19, 2002. Services noon Thursday, May 23, 2002 at Gorsline-Runciman DeWitt Chapel.

Virgil David Butler

Virgil David Butler, DeWitt, Age 89, died May 18, 2002. Born February 24, 1913 in Green County, Arkansas. Mr. Butler was a resident of Michigan since 1953 and retired from Oldsmobile in 1973, after 21 years of service. He was an avid outdoorsman, hunter and fisherman. He was preceded in death by his great-grandson, Austin.

Surviving are his wife of 70 years, Dorotha Brummett Butler; 6 children, Ronald D. (Rowena) of Ranger, TX, Lanny W. (Bobbye) of Louisville, KY, John G. (Peggy) of Paragould, AK, Jerald E. (Karen) of Grand Ledge, Barbara (Raymond) Auvenshine of Lansing and Jennifer (Joseph) Farhat of Williamston; 16 grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren; 1 brother, Rev. Erba (Lena) Butler of Memphis.

Funeral services will be held Tuesday, May 21, 10:00 AM at the First Baptist Church of DeWitt, 11068 DeWitt Road, DeWitt with the Rev. Dan Wilkinson, Pastor, officiating. Interment will follow in Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens, Lansing. The family will receive friends at the Gorsline-Runciman Co. DeWitt Chapel, 111 S. Franklin, DeWitt Monday from 2-4 and 6-8 PM. Those desiring may make contributions to the First Baptist Church of DeWitt in memory of Mr. Butler.

Rev. Fr. Raymond M. Rademacher

Rev. Fr. Raymond M. Rademacher, age 66, died Saturday, May 18, 2002. He was born in Westphalia, Michigan September 9, 1935 the son of Walter J. and Anna (Thelen) Rademacher.  He graduated from St. Joseph Seminary, Sacred Heart Seminary and  St. John Provincial Seminary and completed post graduate work at Western Michigan University with a Masters Degree in History.  Fr. Ray served as Parochial Vicar at St. Joseph in St. Joseph, MI, St. Augustine in Kalamazoo and St. Thomas Aquinas in East Lansing, and Pastor at St. Joseph in Owosso, St. Francis of Assisi in Ann Arbor, St. Casimir in Lansing and currently Most Holy Trinity in Fowler.  Fr. Ray was also a member of the Msgr. Esper Knights of Columbus Council, 4th Degree Fr. Godez Assembly and currently served as the KofC Lansing Diocese Chaplain and the Dallas Township Fire Department Chaplain. 

Fr. Ray is survived by his brothers and sisters, Esther (Urban) Thelen of Westphalia, Urban (Theresa) Rademacher of Lansing, Marie (Elon) Schneider-Goodman of Portland, William (Elida) Rademacher of New Mexico, Julia Spitzley of Fowler, Doris (Woody) Neumann of Flint and Louis (Gladys) Rademacher of Westphalia and several nieces/nephews.  He was preceded in death by his parents and four brothers-in-law, Ronald Spitzley, Harold Schneider, Ben Pero and Russ Linabery.