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| Thomas (Tom) H. Rasmussen | Stephen A. (Steve) Smith |
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Stephen A. (Steve) Smith, Pewamo, MI Age 53, passed away on Tuesday, September 9, 2003 after a courageous battle with cancer. He was born on February 15, 1950 in St. Johns, MI, the son of Albert and Mary Ann (Thelen) Smith. Mr. Smith was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Pewamo and the Hubbardston American Legion Post 182. He was an avid hunter and fisherman. He was preceded in death by his brother, Thomas Albert Smith. Surviving are his daughters, Andrea Smith of Ypsilanti and Jackie Smith of Rochester, MI; parents, Albert and Mary Ann Smith; brothers, Daniel Smith of Pewamo, Larry (Mary) Smith of Westphalia, and Mike (Jodi) Smith of Montana; sister, Karen (Mike) Pung of Westphalia; 7 nephews; 2 nieces; several great-nieces and nephews. A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at 1 PM Friday, September 12, 2003 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Pewamo. The family will receive friends at the St. Mary's Funeral Chapel, 210 N. Westphalia Street, Westphalia from 2-4 and 7-9 PM Thursday. Rosaries will be prayed at 3 and 8 PM Thursday. Schrauben-Lehman Funeral Home
Tom is survived by his daughter, Leah and her fiancee, Jerry Williams, and four-footed furry friend, Anna Mae of Marquette, his mother, Ione, sister, Mrs. Gayla (Louis) Vassilakos, brother, Randy (Marilyn) Rasmussen, nieces, Malia and Tia Vassilakos, nephews, Trevor and Nicholas Rasmussen, great uncle, Lawrence Binger, uncle, Clyde Christmas, all of Owosso, MI, aunts, Mary (Rasmussen) Weismiller and Elsie (Rasmussen) Remus, friends Barb Peacock and Kathleen Baker, numerous cousins and friends. Tom was preceded in death by his wife, father, grandparents and several aunts and uncles. Funeral Services will be 1:00 P.M. Wednesday, September 10, 2003 at the United Church of Ovid with interment at Mt. Rest Cemetery, St. Johns. Visitation will be 2-4 and 6-8 Tuesday at the United Church of Ovid, 131 W. Front St., Ovid, MI 48866 and one hour prior to the service on Wednesday. Memorials may be made to the ALS Association or MDA for ALS research. The family is being served by the Houghton Chapel of Osgood Funeral Homes, Ovid.
Memorial services will be held at Carland Zion Brethren in Christ Church, 6001 West
Juddville Road in Elsie, Michigan on Tuesday, September 9, 2003 at 11:00 A.M. Pastor Eric
Stanton will officiate. Graveside services will be held at Riverside Cemetery on
Wednesday, September 10, 2003 at 10:00 A.M. He is survived by 2 daughters, Rosemary Borst of Ovid, MI, Laura & Dennis
Reppenhagen of Elsie, MI, 3 sons, Edward & Christine Borst of Elsie, MI, Eric Borst of
Omaha, NE, and Henry & Naomi Borst of Leigh, NE, 7 grandchildren, Maggie, Darrell II,
Anna, Leslie, Emily, Mickayla, and Allison, 1 sister, Sarah Erickson of Bancroft, MI, and
1 brother, Jack Fairbanks of Owosso, MI. He was predeceased by his wife, 1 daughter Carol
Ann, and 1 son Darrell J.
Sandy was born at Carson City, Michigan on November 18, 1957 the son of LeRoy & Beverly (Kerr) Nelson. He graduated from Ashley High School with the class of 1976. On September 3, 1995 he married Shaunna Rae Mead in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. Sandy worked for Clinton Machine in Ovid, Michigan. He enjoyed his children very much and Hunting, Nascar Racing and riding his quads. Survivors include, his wife, Shaunna Rae Nelson of Ovid, MI, 2 daughters Carie Ann Nelson of Newberry, MI, Stephanie Mead of Ashley, MI, 3 sons Jonathan LeRoy Welter of Elsie, MI, A.J. Mead of Ovid, MI, Randy Nelson of Ovid, MI, his father LeRoy Nelson of Barryton, MI, 2 sisters Trudy & Joe Palus of Elsie, MI, Vicky & Scott Moore of Grand Rapids, MI, 1 brother Marty & Kelly Nelson of Mt. Pleasant, MI, Many Nieces, Nephews, Aunts and Uncles, 1 brother-in law Steve & Toni Mead of Ovid, MI. He was predeceased by his mother Beverly, 1 brother Randy. Memorials can be made to the
family for a fund for his children’s education .
He first became known to the people of the Lansing Diocese through his column in The Catholic Weekly which began a Lansing Diocese edition in 1954. That year, Father Povish began writing "The Question Box." He continued his weekly column until 1970. As Bishop of Lansing, he wrote a column in The Catholic Weekly entitled "Grace and Peace." Later, in The Catholic Times, his column was entitled "the way, truth, and life." His last column appeared a week before his death. On October 15, 1967, Father Povish was appointed a prelate of honor with the title of monsignor. On July 28, 1970, the announcement was made that Msgr. Povish had been chosen by Pope Paul VI to become the 5th Bishop of Crookston, Minnesota. Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Crookston was the site of the September 29th episcopal ordination of Bishop-elect Povish. On October 8, 1975, Pope Paul VI appointed Bishop Povish to fill the See of Lansing left vacant by the death of Bishop Alexander M. Zaleski in May, 1975. Truly from the moment of his ordination, Bishop Povish sought to live up to his episcopal motto, "To Accomplish His Work," (John 4:34). A draining battle with colon cancer in 1994 led to Bishop Povish's retirement in November of 1995. He served as apostolic administrator of the diocese until Bishop Carl F. Mengeling was installed in January 1996. Those who mourn his loss are his family, the faithful and the clergy of the Diocese of Lansing. He is survived by his sisters, Barbara (Robert) Calhoun of Sarasota, Florida and Ione (Andrew) Fernung of Kokomo, Indiana, and several nieces and a nephew. Bishop Povish was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Janet (Harold) Wakeford. With living faith in the Resurrection, the Catholic faithful invite you to join them in prayer. The Funeral Mass will be celebrated Thursday, September 11,2003 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Mary Cathedral, 219 Seymour, Lansing with Bishop Carl F. Mengeling presiding and Bishop James A. Murray preaching. Rite of committal will follow in St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery, Lansing. Visitation will begin on Sunday from 7-9 p.m. at the Palmer Bush & Jensen Family Funeral Homes Lansing Chapel, 520 E. Mt. Hope Ave. Where the Rosary will be prayed at 8:00 p.m. On Monday the body will be transferred to St. Mary Cathedral. The Reception of the Body will be celebrated by Bishop Mengeling at 1:30 p.m. Bishop Povish will lie in state at St. Mary Cathedral Monday through Wednesday where prayer services will be held each day at 1:30, 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. Visitation will end each day at 9:00 p.m. Prior to the Funeral Liturgy, visitation will be from 9-10 p.m. In lieu of flowers Bishop Povish requested that donations be made to Catholic Relief Services. For a full obituary go to www.palmerbush.com
She graduated from Harrison High School with the Class of 1953, and attended Ferris Institute in Big Rapids. She was a homemaker and had been a paraplegic, being confined to a wheelchair since 1962. Kathy enjoyed classical music, religion, reading, travel and her family. She was also an excellent cook and an avid bird watcher. She was a member of St. Cyril's Catholic Church in Bannister. She was married to Eugene Rensberry Aug. 5, 1955 in Harrison, and he survives her. Also surviving are one daughter, Diane (David) Johns of Harrison; two sons, Mike (Lucy) Rensberry of Lansing and Victor (Roberta) Rensberry of Ladson, S.C.; nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren; seven siblings, Margie Henry, Waiva (Charles) Goodenow, Lena (Ron) Krocker, Ralph (Linda) DeBarr, all of Harrison, Helen (Paul) Peacock of Gaylord, Elsie Claggett of Lansing, Ernie (Mary Jane) DeBarr of Reed City; special friends, Midge and Dale Beavers of Harrison. She was preceded in death by her parents, two brothers and one sister. The Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m., Sept. 8, at St. Cyril's Catholic Church with the Rev. Fr. Wolfgang Streichardt officiating. Burial will be at Ford Cemetery, Gratiot County. Visitation is from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 7, at Smith Family Funeral Homes, St. Johns Chapel, with a Rosary prayed at 7 p.m. Memorials may be made to Clinton County Home Healthcare or Gratiot Community Hospital. Harold V. Sheffer was born in 1921 to George and Theressa Sheffer in Nicleville, Penn. He spent his early years in Clarion, Penn., and was living in Clarion when he joined the United States Navy in World War II. After his discharge he enrolled in Alleghany College from which he graduated and subsequently enrolled in Drew Theological Seminary. He later completed all the course work for his Ph. D. After serving, in succession, the Methodist and Episcopal churches, he left to enter the private sector. At the time he left he was Canon to the Ordinary in the Episcopal Diocese of California. In 1970 he was selected President of Glen Oaks Community College in Centreville. He served as President until 1973 when he was chosen as President of Jackson Community College. He served as President until his retirement from that post in 1981. During his tenure at Jackson Community College the school underwent substantial growth in both enrollment and facilities. He and his wife, Jocelyn, moved to Florida in 1981 and, deciding he was not ready for a quiet retirement, Harold became director of the Central Florida March of Dimes. He held that position until 1989. Harold died July 15, 2003 of natural causes at the age of 82. He is survived by his wife, Joycelyn; a sister Eleanor; three children, Eric C. Sheffer, Suzanne Curnutte, and Linda Buechner; three step-children, Robert J. Fitzke, Johanna Workman, and David M. Fitzke. He is also survived by numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Services will be held at 10 a.m., Sept. 10, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in St. Johns.
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Thomas (Tom) H. Rasmussen, formerly
of Grand Ledge, MI, a resident of Marquette since 1991 died Sunday, September 7, 2003
after a battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). Tom was born December 4, 1947
in Owosso, Michigan to Ernest J. and Ione M. (Christmas) Rasmussen. He married the
former Kathryn A. Jackson on March 23, 1968 at the United Church of Ovid, Michigan;
Kathryn preceded him in death October 24, 1985. Their daughter Leah L. was born
February 23, 1978 in Lansing, MI. Tom attended Ovid High School (1966), Lansing
Community College (Associate Degree 1971), Northern Michigan University (BS 1993), and
Western Michigan University (MA 2000). He worked at auto dealerships as a wholesale
parts salesman and manager, later as a cross country tractor-trailer driver, and lastly as
a safety supervisor for a trucking company. The last years of his life centered on
providing a home for his daughter and advancing his education. Tom was a member of
the First United Methodist Church of Marquette, Gamma Theta Upsilon (a Geographic Honor
Society) and Phi Kappa Phi Chapters (a National Scholastic Honor Society) at NMU and WMU.
Irwin W. Borst, age 78 of Elsie, Michigan passed away Friday,
September 5, 2003 at Ovid Healthcare Center in Ovid, Michigan. He was retired from
Oldsmobile Lansing Plant & Former Deputy Sheriff in Shiawassee County. 
Sandy Roy Nelson age 45 of Ovid, Michigan died Saturday,
September 6, 2003 at St. Mary’s Hospital in Saginaw, Michigan. Funeral services will
be held at Smith Family Funeral Homes, Elsie Chapel on Wednesday, September 10, 2003 at
11:00 A.M. Pastor David Blair will officiate and burial will take place at North Star
Cemetery, North Star, Michigan. Visitation will be Monday 6-8 and Tuesday 2-8 with family
present 2-4 & 6-8 P.M.
Bishop Kenneth J. Povish, Lansing, MI Born into
eternal life Friday, September 5, 2003. The Alpena native was born April 19, 1924, the
eldest child and only son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Yachaik) Povish. He was the grandson of
Polish immigrants. He attended St. Anne elementary School and graduated from Alpena High
School in 1942. After graduation he left Alpena, but his love for the Alpena area always
remained strong. He entered St. Joseph Seminary in Grand Rapids and finished his
bachelor's degree at Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit in 1946. His parochial
assignments as an assistant were at St. Ignatius (1950-1952), in Rogers City and at St.
Hyacinth (1952-1956) in Bay City. His three pastorates were at St. Mary in Port Sanilac
(1956-1957), St. Norbert in Munger (1957-1960), and at St. Stanislaus in Bay City
(1966-1970). 
Katherine "Kathy" E. Rensberry,
69, of St. Johns died Sept. 4, 2003 at Gratiot Community Hospital, Alma. She was born Feb.
22, 1934 in Harrison, the daughter of Howard E. and Rena B. (Prielip) DeBarr. She lived in
Clinton County since 1957.