Mary Jean Church

Lansing, Michigan

Mary Jean Church was born in Lansing, Michigan, on March 22, 1924, daughter of the late Clyde and Irine (Mickle) Peters and was baptized into the Baptist Church at home on March 29, 1931.  She passed away on June 24, 2015, at the age of 91. Jean was the oldest of six children.  She graduated from Lansing Eastern High School in 1943, was a “Rosie the Riveter” during the war, and retired from Lansing General Hospital where she worked for years as a dietician.  Jean never learned to drive.  She would try and try but never quite got it, so she left it alone and either walked or would get a ride and said she never missed it.  Jean loved gardening in her flower garden, watching birds, working woodcrafts with her husband, going to the cottage in the summertime, and caring for her cats, of which she always had at least one.

Survivors include her four children, David (Middy) Church, Daniel (Charlene) Church, DeLoris “Dee” (Dennis) Dye, and Dona (Donald) Dewey; eight grandchildren, Donald (Dawn) Church, Richard Church, David Church, Douglas (Claudia) Church, Yvonne “Vonnie” (Jay) Worsham, Russell Miller, Jean Bernstein, and Dr. Marcia (Jim Turner) Dewey; thirteen great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren; along with a host of nieces, nephews, and other extended family members.  Jean was preceded in death by her husband, David Church; infant son, Donald; grandson, Daniel “Doobie” Church; and her five younger siblings, Max, Maxine, Margaret “Peg,” Laura, and Florence.

The funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 30, 2015, at the Estes-Leadley Greater Lansing Chapel.  Private burial will take place at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Lansing.  The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Tuesday, June 30^th, for one hour prior to the funeral.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Capital Area Humane Society in Jean’s memory.