Betty Sullivan

Betty Jane Sullivan, 85, formerly of St. Joseph, passed away Tuesday, July 25, 2006 in Freesoil, MI. Mass of Christian Burial will be held Saturday, July 29, at 9:30 A.M. at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 211 Church St., St. Joseph with the Msgr. Thomas Martin officiating. Burial will follow at Riverview Cemetery. Visitation with the family will be held on Friday evening between 5:00 and 8:00 at Kerley-Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home, 2650 Niles Road, St. Joseph. Those wishing to send the family a message of condolence may sign the guestbook online at www.starks-menchinger.com. Betty Jane Sullivan, (nee Myers) was born August 20, 1920. She passed away quietly on Tuesday at home in the presence of her two oldest children, daughters Sally Simkins and Elizabeth (Beth) Peplinski. Betty lived with her daughter, Beth, and her husband since January 2005 who Betty was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Betty married the loved of her live, John Francis Sullivan on October 31, 1942. Together they had five children, residing most of their marriage in the Detroit area. After John retired from the Detroit office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 1967, the family moved back to St. Joseph where Betty had been born and raised. She enjoyed gardening, caring for her birds and pets. She loved to travel. She always looked forward to her weekly visits to the library. Most of all Betty loved and cherished her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. A beloved mother and grandmother, Betty is survived by her children, their spouses and children, and finally several great-grandchildren. Betty’s children included Sally (Elliott) Simkins of New Baltimore, MI, Elizabeth (Kenneth) Peplinski of Freesoil, MI, John (Jean) Sullivan of Niles, James Sullivan of Berrien Springs, and Mary (Scott) Early of St. Joseph. She was affectionately known as “Gram” to her six grandchildren, Kristen (Kurt) Bergmanis of Toronto, Canada, Pamela (Steven) Schulman of Farmington, MI, Carrie (Brett) Pickett of East Lansing, MI, Christopher (Nicole) Peplinski of Ada, MI; Ryan Kelly of Niles, and Steven, Casey, and Ethan Fellows of St. Joseph. Betty was delighted to become a great-grandmother to Griffin Pickett in 2002, Dawson Kelley in 2003, Megan Bergmanis in 2005, and two more ‘greats’ who are due this fall. Betty was preceded in death by her husband, John Sullivan; her parents, Howard and Sarah Myers; her brother, Howard Myers, Jr.; and by her special grandmother, Anna Isadore Myers. Memorial donations may be made to Hospice of Michigan – Ludington Chapter or to Fernwood Botanical Garden.