Esther Amelia Atkinson (Fero)

Esther Atkinson, 89 years old, Lansing, Michigan, beloved wife, mother and grandmother, entered her eternal heavenly home on December 18, 2017, after a courageous 2 1/2 year battle with cancer. Esther was born on Nov. 29, 1928 to Harold and Eva (Cope) Fero in Lansing, MI, one of six children. She was a graduate of Central High School in Lansing in 1946.

Esther resided in Dimondale, Michigan and Nashville, Indiana. She worked for Michigan Bell Telephone Co. in Lansing for 29 years in several capacities including telephone operator to supervisor of building, supplies and motor vehicles until her retirement in 1980, at which time she co-owned, with her husband Bob, their business, Atkinson-Avery’s Auto Parts Stores in Lansing, MI for the next 19 years. She and Bob officially retired in 2000 and moved to beautiful Brown County in Nashville, Indiana.

During Esther’s earlier years, she enjoyed golfing, hunting, bowling and cooking/baking. In later years she loved her gardening club activities, cooking and baking, reading and listening to country gospel music. She had a penchant for all things “lighthouse” and visited many Michigan lighthouses, including a lighthouse tour along Lake Michigan in her mid 80’s. She met her husband, Bob, while they were both attending flight school in Lansing and they were married in May 1979. She always wanted to parachute from a plane, but never did. However, during the summer of 2009, just prior to her 80^th birthday, she went parasailing over Grand Traverse Bay in Traverse City, Michigan and thoroughly enjoyed that “pretty close to parachuting” experience.

Esther’s passions in life were church and bible study and spending time with her family. Some of her community service activities while residing in Nashville, Indiana included involvement with Operation Christmas Child (Operation Shoe Box) through her church, volunteering at the Pregnancy Care Center, visiting nursing homes and the Brown County Freedom Group.

Esther was preceded in death by her parents, Harold and Eva Fero, brothers Clifton, Floyd and Harold Fero and her sister, Carol Jean (Fero) Carpenter. Esther is survived by her husband, Bob Atkinson of Lansing, MI, one brother, Richard (Bessie) Fero of Perry, MI, three children, Susan (Roger) Dixon of Charlotte, MI, Cheryl (Ron) Lundeen of Manton, MI and Gary Summers of Charlotte, MI and her step-daughter Veronica (Steve) Waldman of Miami, FL. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Lyndsay Ingraham of Eaton Rapids, MI, Tera (Mike) Rudkosky of Lincoln, CA, Jessica Sweet of Fowlerville, MI, Matthew (Melissa) Shelton of Grand Ledge, MI, Mark Lundeen of Douglas, MI and Courtney Lundeen of Holland, MI; eight adoring great-grandchildren, Tyler and Kallie Belle Shelton, Nicholas and Kayleigh Ingraham, Dalton and Gavin Sweet, Isabelle Phipps and Lucy Lundeen; and several loving nieces and nephews and their families.

Services will be held at Estes-Leadley Greater Lansing Chapel on Saturday, December 23, 2017 at 12:00 noon. Visitation is Friday, Dec. 22, 2017 from 2:00 – 4:00 and 6:00 – 8:00 pm and Saturday, Dec, 23, 2017 from 11:00 am -12:00 noon. Interment at Deepdale Memorial Gardens, Lansing, MI, following the service. Pastor Ray L. Duck of First Church of the Nazarene in Lansing will be officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to First Church of the Nazarene in Lansing, Disabled Veterans Association (DAV) or Hospice House of Mid-Michigan.

A special thank you to all of the doctors, nurses and staff in Nashville/Columbus, IN and in Lansing, MI who treated Esther with such compassion during her battle with this disease and who, during these last several weeks, tenderly cared for her, allowing her peaceful passage from this life to the next. And a heartfelt thank you to everyone for keeping Esther in your thoughts and prayers. They mean the world and are so appreciated.