Ronald F. Neff

Ronald F. Neff, age 77, of Dexter, MI, passed away on June 22, 2023 at his home.

He was born on December 25, 1945 in Ann Arbor, MI, the son of Floyd and Louise (Henning) Neff. On April 2, 1966, Ron married Sandra (Sexton) in Ann Arbor, MI, and she survives.

Ron was a Master Electrician and worked for over 58 years from the Local 252 IBEW Hall in Ann Arbor, MI.

He was an avid hunter and fisherman who loved the outdoors and camping. He loved his cabin up north and referred to it as his home away from home. He was known to "putz" in his workshop for hours.

Most of all he was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. In addition to his wife, Sandy, he is survived by his children, Scott (Athena Bell) Neff, and Shane (Patty Kieser) Neff; grandchildren, Daniel Neff, Cody (Kayla) Neff, Iain (Holleigh) Neff, Corbin Neff; great-grandchildren, Arleigh Neff, Aidan Neff, and Rylee Neff. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, Richard "Dick" Neff, and his grandson, Colton Neff.

A Memorial Service will be held Saturday, July 1, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. from the Dexter Church of Christ with Elder Brian Schad officiating.

Expressions of sympathy may be made to the Neff Great-Grandchildren Fund via PNC Dexter, Michigan Branch.

Georgia "Jean" Fletcher

Georgia “Jean” Fletcher, of Stockbridge, Michigan age 75, passed away at her home surrounded by her family on June 16, 2023.

She was born the daughter of George F. and Lillie M. (Salyer) Carr on January 20, 1948. On April 8, 1976 in Stockbridge, she married Donnie Fletcher, and he survives.

Jean loved to travel to Ft. Walton Beach, Florida. She enjoyed playing Bingo. She loved being outdoors and camping with friends and family. She loved her family gatherings and always had Pepsi, never Coke. She was known as tiny and mighty. Most of all she loved her family and her Marley dog.

In addition to her husband, Donnie, she is survived by her children, Arron (Amy) Higgins, Chris Higgins, and Donna (John) Fletcher-Daniels; eight grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her siblings, Dottie Stapleton, Larry (MaryLou) Carr, Bill Carr, and Richard Carr. She was preceded in death by her parents, brother, Guy Carr, sister, Joyce Ousley, grandson, Brandon Lee Higgins, and her brother-in-law, Keith Stapleton.

Funeral Services will be Wednesday, June 21, 2023 at the Caskey-Mitchell Funeral Home at 11:00 a.m. with Pastor Adam Summers officiating.

The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Tuesday, June 20, 2023 from 6-8 p.m.

Expressions of sympathy may be made to the Wounded Warriors Project.


George H. Menge

George H. Menge, age 63, of Waterloo, Michigan, passed away in Southfield, MI at Providence Hospital on June 14, 2023. He was born the son of Richard and Hildegarde (Balk) Menge on June 16, 1959.

On July 20, 1991, he married Denise M. (Petteys), and she survives. He worked in construction and owned his own business. George lived in Waterloo all his life. He loved to mushroom hunt, fish, and just be outdoors. He enjoyed being with friends in the barn and also enjoyed dancing.

In addition to his wife, Denise, he is survived by his children, Kate (William Morse) Menge, and R.J. Menge; grandchildren, Cooper and Cora; sister, Crystl (Robert Barwick) Underhile;  brother-in-law, William (Diane) Schumacher, and many nieces and nephews. George was preceded in death by his brother-in-law, Melvin Underhile.  

Memorial Service will take place at  Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home on Tuesday, June 20, 2023 at 11:00 a.m.

The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Monday, June 19, 2023 from 6-8 p.m. Expressions of sympathy may be made to Chelsea Faith in Action or to the Alzheimer's Association.

Arrangements by Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home.

Herbert C. Edridge

Herbert C. Edridge, age 96, passed away on June 11, 2023 at home surrounded by his family. Herbert was born on April 23, 1927 in Detroit, MI to Egbert and Beatrice (Whiting) Edridge.

Herbert proudly served in the United States Airforce during the Korean War. Herbert's life revolved around being on the water. He worked as a Marine Electrician for many years. He enjoyed boating and traveling, and he went on over 100 cruises. He also enjoyed fishing, both saltwater and freshwater, and he had his Captain's license.

On July 25, 1958, he married Barbara G. (Kennedy), and she survives him. Also surviving are a daughter, Judith (Mark) Westerberg and family of Pinckney, MI, and a sister-in-law, Mary Anne (Russell) Kraft and family of Bloomfield Hills. He was preceded in death by two sisters, Winifred and Anna Grace.

A private burial will take place at Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly, MI. Memorial contributions may be made to PBS.org.

Arrangements by Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home, Chelsea, MI.

Linda "Sue" Roe

Linda "Sue" Roe of Holt, MI, age 78, passed away on June 04, 2023 at home with her family by her side. Sue was born on February 04, 1945 in Stockbridge, MI and was the daughter to Troy Lee and Bessie "Opal" (Barker) Hamlin.

Sue graduated from Stockbridge High School in 1963, then attended Ross Medical Education Center as a Dental Assistant. She married the love her life, Edward "Ed" W. Roe Jr., on Dec 7, 1963. She wrote in her journal that she always wanted to get married and be a mother, “which is my greatest accomplishment." She loved to care for her family and enjoyed spending time with them all. Sue was also passionate about caring for her flower garden and home. She had a beautiful singing voice and loved to sing as she worked.

Sue is survived by her sons, David and Brian Roe, and daughter, Nissa Nicole (Roe) Holliday, all of Holt; grandchildren, Victoria Hicks, Brandon Roe, and their mother/former daughter-in-law, Nicole Murray, grandchildren, Vanessa and Dominic Holliday, great-grandson, Benecio Hicks; siblings, Judy (Reid) Hartsuff of Gregory, Robert (Susan) Hamlin of Aiken, SC, Connie Hamlin of Stockbridge, and Kevin (Kelly Wilson) Hamlin, of Stockbridge, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins, and dear friend, Kay Soderberg, and her children. She was preceded in death by her husband, Edward W. Roe Jr, father, Troy Hamlin, and mother, Opal Myer, and her husband's parents, Edward and Marjorie Roe Sr., sister, Karen Osborne, brothers, Jack and Tom Hamlin, and nephew, Jeff Hamlin.

A short graveside service will be held on Friday, June 16, 2023, 1:00 p.m., at Evergreen Cemetery on Mt. Hope Ave. in Lansing, MI.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to Sparrow Hospice.

Arrangements by Caskey-Mitchell Funeral Home, Stockbridge.

Brown C. Kinnard, Jr.

Brown was born June 13, 1933 near Franklin, Tennessee to Ida Beasley Kinnard and Brown C. Kinnard, Sr., both of families long established in the county. He had an older sister, Carolyn. He died May 11, 2023 in Dexter MI at age 89 of prostate cancer.

He grew up on a large, beautiful, four generation farm where his love of the outdoors was born. He grew up with great stability and the basics of belief in God, church, and right living. In his early 20’s he experienced the absolute reality of Jesus and the gift of unearned forgiveness and grew and deepened in Christian faith over his lifetime. The early social realities were the Great Depression, Bible Belt religion, racial segregation, WW II, and the Korean War.

After high school at Battle Ground Academy, he met Gisela Kelm at David Lipscomb College, a Church of Christ school in Nashville. She was a survivor of WW II from Frankfurt, Germany. Inspired by her faith, he changed from math to ministry, his true calling. They married in 1954 and had five beautiful children Cynthia, Mike, Steve, Katrina, and Rebecca. After 24 years the marriage ended in divorce.

In 1980 he married Evelyn Dawes Thoma of Ann Arbor, MI, originally from Anderson SC, a church musician, and later social worker and Bible storyteller. Brown became stepfather to Fran, Lynn, and Hans. He and “Ev” became best friends sharing their southern roots and humor, Christian faith, church music, family times, and outdoor adventures. In 1988 they moved near Dexter on the Huron River.

Brown had three careers in ministry over 50 years -church minister; hospital chaplain/chaplain educator, and seminary teacher. He completed seminary, was certified as a chaplain and chaplain educator, changed denominations to the Disciples of Christ, and took doctoral courses in Biblical Studies at University of Michigan. A job at U-M Hospitals brought him to Ann Arbor in 1975. His last job at Ecumenical Theological Seminary in Detroit, 1990-2005, brought together his varied teaching gifts-directing the ministry practicum, and teaching pastoral care, New Testament, and biblical languages.

Brown was active in and enriched by several area churches with different traditions such as social justice, evangelical, charismatic, and liturgical. He kept busy in retirement with family and friends, church volunteering, race dialogues, memoir writing, yard work, travel adventures, reading, and exercise.

Family was very dear. He loved keeping up with his 14 grandchildren--Doug Rinesmith; Brian Rumbaugh (Alissa Chartier); Eric Haengel (Dominique Homza); Kathryn Haengel-Grosso (Dominic Grosso); Marci Haengel (Tanner Davis); Amelia, Clayton, Vivian, Jillian, Spencer, and Muriel Kinnard; and Annamaria, Zsuzsa, and Maya Kinnard of Vienna, Austria, and one great-grandson Fenris Haengel-Grosso.

Brown is survived by beloved wife Evelyn and his children, stepchildren, grandchildren, one great-grandson with a second great-grandson on the way. Beloved daughter Katrina died in 2000. His first wife Gisela died in 2002. He is also survived by one sister Carolyn Kinnard Ziffer of Gainesville FL; daughter-in law Jodi Gaff Kinnard; stepson-in-law Rob Wakefield; former sons-in-law Gus Haengel, Jeff Rumbaugh, and John Flanagan; former brother-in-law Walter Ziffer (Gail Rosenthal), nieces and nephew, and many dear friends.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests gifts to Arbor Hospice, Dexter United Methodist Church, Dexter Faith in Action or the Humane Society of Huron Valley. The family is extremely grateful for the help and support from Teresa Steklac, Arbor Hospice Nurse and Michigan Medicine Oncologist, Dr. Megan Caram.

A private graveside service for family was held at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Dexter. The memorial service will be at Dexter United Methodist Church on June 13, 2023 at 11:00 a.m., preceded by a visitation at 10:00 a.m., and a luncheon at noon. If planning to attend, please RSVP using this survey link.

Arrangements by Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home, Chelsea.

Jacob M. Franklin

Jacob Michael Franklin, age 27, of Grass Lake, MI, ended his own life at a park near his home where he loved to hike on Monday, June 5, 2023 after a nearly ten-year battle with mental illness.

Jacob was born on January 31, 1996 in Ypsilanti, MI to Joseph and Catherine Franklin. In his true nature, Jacob enjoyed being outdoors hiking with his dogs, kayaking, fishing and boating. He was inventive, creative and liked to make things from an early age. Jacob had a wonderful sense of both curiosity and humor. He worked in the building trades with his father and uncles, could create or repair anything with resourcefulness, and was profoundly resilient, as witnessed only by those closest to him. Jacob’s illness made it difficult to maintain his friendships, and he had a lot of sadness around the loss of these relationships. He loved his family and friends beyond his ability to express. In addition to his parents and grandparents, he was closely held and supported by his aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Jacob is survived by his parents, Joseph Franklin of Grass Lake, MI and Catherine (Tidwell) Franklin of Ann Arbor, MI; grandparents, Thomas and Joy (Tomseth) Franklin of Chelsea, MI, and Toby and Barbara (Somers) Tidwell of Beverly Hills, FL; maternal great-grandparents, B. Maxine (Walker) Graham of Beverly Hills, FL, Betty (Hall) Ostin of Farmington, MI, and Harold Somers of Singer Island, FL; aunts and uncles, Peter Franklin of Jackson, MI, John Franklin of Chelsea, MI,  Amy (Michael) Franklin-Landando of Park Falls, WI, Sarah (Douglas) Poley of Grass Lake, MI, Patrick Franklin of Grand Rapids, MI, and Laura Tidwell of Ann Arbor, MI; cousins, Jaclynn Franklin, Jenelle Franklin, Paygh Franklin, Molly Franklin, Austin Poley, and Logann Poley. Jacob is also survived by a large extended family who loved him dearly.

Jacob was predeceased by his cousin, Jared Lee Franklin; uncle, Anthony Jerod (AJ) Franklin; aunts, Mary Rebecca Franklin, Ashley Franklin, and Jennifer Lynn Tidwell.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, June 12, 2023, 11:00 a.m., at St. Mary Catholic Church in Chelsea. The family will receive friends at the church on Monday from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Jacob’s name to NAMI or the Jackson County Animal Shelter.

 Arrangements by Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home, Chelsea.

Orson "Dean" Clark

Orson "Dean" Clark passed away at his home on June 2, 2023. He was the son of Orson D. and Helen (Hopkins) Clark and was born on May 2, 1935 in Ann Arbor, MI.

On August 7, 1976, he married Donna (Wages), and she preceded him in death. Dean was a farmer that enjoyed tractor pulling. He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather.  He is survived by his children, Danielle Clark and Frank (Sandra) DeVoy; grandchildren, Alexis, Megan, and Logan Clark.

In addition to his parents and wife, he was preceded in death by his son, Michael D. Clark, daughter, Deanna M. DeVoy, and his brother, Duane Clark.

A gathering of friends and family will take place at the Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home on Thursday, June 8, 2023 from 2-4 p.m.  A private burial will take place at a later date.

Expressions of sympathy may be made to the Chelsea Community Fair.

Janet Ann Aldrich

Janet Ann Aldrich, age 86, passed away on May 29, 2023 at her home in Dexter, MI with her family by her side. Janet was born on March 3, 1937 in Ann Arbor, MI to Louis and June (Mitchell) Koch. She married Ernest F. Aldrich on June 10, 1955 in Dexter, MI, and he survives.

Janet graduated from Dexter High School in 1954 and lived most of her life in the Chelsea and Dexter area. She attended Dexter Gospel Church all of her life. She was owner of Aldrich Electric, Inc. She enjoyed her grandchildren, being outdoors, camping, and caring for her property. Janet was a wonderful wife, mother, and grandmother.  

Janet is survived by her husband, Ernest; daughter, Pamela Gomberg of Dexter, and son, Tim Aldrich of Dexter; six grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren; a sister, Diane (Richard) Fowler of Dexter. She was preceded in death by her son-in-law, Robert Gomberg.

Per her wishes, a private service will be held at a later date.  In lieu of flowers the family asks that memorial contributions be made to the Arbor Hospice Foundation.

Arrangements by Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home, Chelsea. 

David B. Wolfgang

David Burtis Wolfgang, age 84, of Chelsea, MI, died peacefully on Saturday, May 27, 2023.

David was born February 8, 1939 in Chelsea, MI to Walter and Helen (Searfoss) Wolfgang. He was a life-long Chelsea resident, graduating from Chelsea High School in 1957. He went on to attend Michigan State Agricultural Short Course. On February 1, 1964, he married Barbara Jean (Marshall) at Bethlehem Church in Ann Arbor, MI, and she survives.

He had a deep love for farming, especially animals. He began 4-H at a young age was involved in FFA and many other farm related organizations. Along with farming he worked at Sheridan Books from 1985-2007.

Together Dave and Barb were able to enjoy many wonderful trips all across the U.S. with many groups of friends and family. They walked the “Mighty” Mackinac Bridge, 1993 until 2017. They were always ready for a good game of cards. He was a devoted member of First Congregational Church of Chelsea; his deep faith was very evident throughout his life.

He is also survived by his two daughters, Wendy (Douglas) Beaumont of Chelsea, MI, and Amy (Marvin) Nieman of Shaker Heights, OH. He was extremely proud of his grandchildren, Julie (Dave) DeVries of Holland, Alex Beaumont of Ann Arbor, MI; Eva and Aaron Nieman of Shaker Heights, OH; as well as his great-grandson, Lucas DeVries.

The family is grateful for the care from many doctors and nurses with the Heart Failure team at the U-M and Chelsea Hospital.

Memorial contributions may be made to the First Congregational Church or the Michigan 4-H Foundation.

Funeral Services will be held Thursday, June 1, 2023, 11:00 a.m., at the First Congregational Church of Chelsea. Burial will follow at Oak Grove Cemetery in Chelsea, MI.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, May 31, 2023, from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. at the Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home, as well as Thursday at the church from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service.

Arrangements by Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home.