Rex Eugene Newcomer

Rex E. Newcomer
August 10, 1917 - December 20, 2012

Rex E. Newcomer, 95, of Waldron, Michigan passed away, Thursday, December 20, 2012, at Hospice of Lenawee County in Adrian, Michigan. He was born August 10, 1917, in Waldron, Michigan the son of Guy and Sarah (Gray) Newcomer. He married Mildred M. Bavin on March 20, 1943, in Waldron, Michigan and she preceded him in death on December 5, 2012.

Rex graduated from Waldron High School, Class of 1935, was a lifelong farmer and retired from Daisy Parts in Hillsdale in 1982, with many years of service, was the Wright Township Treasurer for 6 years, Wright Township Supervisor for 10 years and a member of Waldron Church of Christ. He and Mildred wintered in Arizona for many years and his hobbies included golfing and woodworking.

Surviving Rex is one daughter, Carol M. Newcomer and her husband, Michael Cox of Morenci, Michigan; two sons, John M. (Carol D.) Newcomer of Chantilly, Virginia and James W. "Bill" (Nancy) Newcomer of Ada, Michigan; eight grandchildren, twelve great-grandchildren and several step-grandchildren and step-great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, one daughter, Joy Anne Newcomer, four sisters, Martha Merrifield, Gladys McCully, Florence Ruffer and June Newcomer.

Funeral services for Rex Newcomer will be Sunday, December 23, 2012 at 3:00 p.m. at the Waldron Church of Christ with Minister Don Crain officiating. Interment will follow in the Waldron Cemetery. Visitation will be at the Waldron Church of Christ on Saturday from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m.

Those planning an expression of sympathy may make memorial contributions to the Waldron District Library or the Waldron Church of Christ. Arrangements were entrusted to Eagle Funeral Home in Waldron.

(Eagle Funeral Homes)

Mildred Marie (Bavin) Newcomer

Mildred M. Newcomer
January 29, 1920 - December 5, 2012

Mildred M. Newcomer, 92, of Waldron, Michigan passed away, Wednesday, December 5, 2012, at her home. She was born January 29, 1920, in Ransom Township, Michigan the daughter of Cecil and Dollie (Britton) Bavin. She married Rex E. Newcomer on March 20, 1943, in Waldron, Michigan and he survives.

Mildred graduated from Pittsford High School in 1937, attended Wayne State University for three years and graduated from Hillsdale College with a Teaching Certificate. Mildred taught school for 31 years, 29 in the Waldron Area Schools.. Mildred attended the Waldron Church of Christ and her hobbies included painting, gardening, and reading.

Surviving Mildred besides her husband, Rex of Waldron, Michigan is one daughter, Carol M. Newcomer and her husband, Michael Cox of Morenci, Michigan; two sons, John M. (Carol D.) Newcomer of Chantillly, Virginia and James W. "Bill" (Nancy) Newcomer of Ada, Michigan; one sister, Gela Vreeland of Somerset Center, Michigan; one brother, George (Doris) Bavin of Pittsford, Michigan; eight grandchildren, twelve great grandchildren and several step grandchildren and step great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, one daughter, Joy Anne Newcomer, one sister, Joyce Stubli and one brother, Robert Bavin.

Funeral services for Mildred Newcomer will be Saturday, December 8, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. at Waldron Church of Christ with Minister Don Crane officiating. Interment will follow in Waldron Cemetery. Visitation will be at the Waldron Church of Christ on Friday from 4 p.m until 7 p.m.

Those planning an expression of sympathy may make memorial contributions to Waldron District Library or Waldron Church of Christ. Arrangements were entrusted to Eagle Funeral Home in Waldron.

Eagle Funeral Homes

The Last Ride

A little ritual had kind of developed between Dad and I over the last several years before his passing. We would go down to visit Mom and Dad. Sometime during the visit, I would take Dad for a ride. Usually those rides were around the more immediate rural area of the Michigan-Ohio border where they lived. The trips were of varying length, but served several purposes. It was a chance for Dad to get out of the house. It was a chance for us to talk about things; to have a father-son time. It was also an opportunity for me to see what was going on around the stomping grounds of my youth; to see how so many things had changed and how a few things had stayed the same; a way of reconnecting with my roots.

Those rides became more important as Mom's health and mind began to fail. On those rides Dad would tell me how Mom was doing. I could get first hand from him what was going on as the two of them aged and that aging slowly sapped their strength and vitality. We would discuss what some of their options were. It was a chance for me to reinforce some of the concerns and issues my sister had discussed with me regarding Mom and Dad's health and care. Dad needed the time out of and away from the house. He needed the respite from the care and worry over his now invalid wife.

It was this past November (2012) and the Thanksgiving Holiday was coming up. It had been more then a few months since our last visit to Mom and Dad, and I knew we really needed to make that two and half hour trip down to see them. The Friday after Thanksgiving would be the best time to go, and so it was the plans were made. That Friday morning my wife and I made the trip down to see Mom and Dad.

Mom was laying in the hospital bed set up in the living room. She was not able to stand at all. She was at the point where an aid was coming in just about every day , and Hospice was checking in a couple of times a week. She was not fully "there" in her mind though able to carry on limited conversation. She was still at the point where someone would move her to a wheelchair and bring her into the dining room to eat at the table with the rest of us. As it was, we would have to help her eat.

At some point in the afternoon, Dad and I went for our drive. As usual, I would drive and dad would sit there in the front passenger seat. We went to town and drove around the village. Dad had me drive around by the grain elevator so he could see the new office and scales, and the new grain silo bin that had recently been erected. We went through the cemetery by the stone marking my oldest sister's grave, and the stone with Mom and Dad's names on it, but at that time with only the years of birth.

We drove out north of town, swung east a mile then north again to the other near by village in the area that was also part of the local school district. In that small village we passed by the old school building where I had gone to kindergarten. The decrepit condition of that abandoned school building was an indicative statement of how the whole area of that broader rural community had changed. We turned west at the main corner and wandered through the country side until we found ourselves back at Mom and Dad's house.

I played the memory game with Momma. "Do you remember when we would go to the Britton reunions at the old Grange hall?" "Do you remember when we would go up north to the lake for vacation?" Yes, she remembered, and she remembered those things happened a long time ago.

My last meal with my mother was that evening's supper. I sat there and was spoon feeding her, much like she had done to me so many years ago when I was the baby. After supper my wife and I left for the two and half hour trip back to our home. A week and a half later we got the phone call. Momma had died at the age of 92. That Thanksgiving Friday had been my last visit with her.

Two weeks and one day after Momma died, Daddy died at the age of 95. I got to see him two days before he died and that was good. But then he was invalid and there was no thought of going for our ritual ride together. It dawned on me today, some few weeks later, that the Thanksgiving Friday was not only the last time I saw Momma alive, but it was also when Daddy and I went on our last ride together.

RIP Mom and Dad...

(Cross posted to The Billy Goat Blog.)

Earnest Lavoy. Ladd (1925 - 2011)

Earnest L. Ladd


October 22, 1925 - September 30, 2011

Location: Eagle Funeral Home in Hudson
Visitation: Sunday, October 2, 2011, from 3-8 p.m.
Service: Monday, October 3, 2011, at 11:00 a.m. at the Prattville Community Church
Cemetery: Tedrow Cemetery near Wauseon, Ohio
Contributions: Gideon’s Bibles or the Prattville Community Church

Earnest Lavoy Ladd, 85, of Waldron, passed away Friday, September 30, 2011, at the McGuire Skilled Nursing Facility in Hillsdale. He was born October 22, 1925 and raised in Toledo, Ohio until age 11. He moved with his parents, Earnest and Ida (Clark) Ladd Sr., and his brothers and sisters to rural Lenawee County and helped carve a life there, hunting, catching and growing most of their food. He finished school after the 8thgrade to help farm full time. He learned many life lessons from these years that he passed on to his children and grandchildren. After returning from his service in the U.S. Army during WWII, he met and married his hearts love, Elizabeth Wiederkehr. They moved to their own farm and started their family of three boys, Steve, Mark and John. Sadly, John passed away at age 2.

Ernie worked at Fayette Manufacturing, Morenci Rubber, farmed and raised Collies and later Limousin beef cattle. Their home was always open to friends and family and their swimming pool was always full of fun times and laughter. He was “Grandpa” to many, giving all he met a smile, a listening ear and usually a joke of some sort.

He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Elizabeth (Wiederkehr) Ladd of Waldron; sons, Stephen (Dixie) Ladd of Waldron and Mark (Janet) Ladd of Camden; grandchildren, Matthew (Tina) Ladd of Manitau Beach, Joseph (Erin) Ladd of Waldron, Amanda (Donald) Achenbach of Newcastle, Wyoming and Nicholas (Shari) Ladd of Hudson; 12 great-grandchildren; sister, Helen Bennett of Adrian; and brothers, Richard Ladd of Tennessee and Daniel Ladd of Edmore, Michigan, all of who rejoice in knowing they will meet up with him one day in his new home in heaven.

He was preceded in death by his parents, a son John Ladd, and his grandson, Michael Ladd.
Funeral services for Ernie Ladd will be Monday, October 3, 2011, at 11:00 a.m., at the Prattville Community Church with Rev. Martin Bacalia officiating. Interment will follow at the Tedrow Cemetery in Fulton Co., Ohio. The family will receive friends for visitation Sunday from 3-8 p.m., at the Eagle Funeral Home in Hudson.

Memorial contributions are suggested to Gideon’s Bibles or the Prattville Community Church.

Earnest Ladd is my 3rd cousin through the Lee - Borton - Clark - Ladd family connection of which I have posted before.

Connection from our common 2nd Great-Grandfather is:

Josiah Lee>Mary Ann Lee>Ella Mae Borton>Ida Jane Clark>Earnest Ladd

Josiah Lee>Martha Jane Lee> Sarah Elizabeth Grey> Rex Newcomer>Bill Newcomer

Sharron L. (Floyd) Eggebroten (1943 - 2012)

Service:

Friday, March 02, 2012 at 3:00 PM
Newcomer Funeral Home - West Metro Chapel
901 South Sheridan Blvd
Lakewood, CO 80226

IN LOVING MEMORY

Sharron Lorraine Eggebroten

Born February 11, 1943, Denver, Colorado of loving parents Oland and Lorraine Floyd. Passed into the hands of the Lord, February 26, 2012, Lakewood, Colorado.

Sharron’s first love has always been the Lord. Loving wife of 47 years to Albert LeGale Eggebroten. Mother of Buddy, Robby, Duane and Floyd and the women that she prayed for who became her daughters-in-law, Jen, Charlotte and Sarah. Grandmother of Irwin, Morgyn, Paul, Shauna, Tyrel, Jorgen, Robert, Lucas, Rachel and Arlen. Great-grandmother of Matthew and Ryan. Sister of Bob Floyd and Erma Steck. Aunt to many nieces and nephews. She will be greatly missed by all.

Sharron graduated from Colorado Teacher’s College (U.N.C.) in Greeley, Colorado. She taught Early Childhood Education and the Primary grades in Washington, Alaska and Minnesota. While in Alaska she set up her basement so that she could home school all of the children on Middleton Island.

Sharron spent the last two years of her life in Lakewood, Colorado with her loving husband at her side as she battled ovarian cancer.

Sharron had many friends and loved the outdoors which included snow machining, camping, beachcombing, river boating, ice cream and fall color tours.

Sharron Eggebroten is my daughter Sarah's mother in-law. Her son Duane is my son in-law. Shauna, Tyrel, and Jorgen are our shared grandchildren. We will miss her.

On a side note: I am not aware of any family connection to the Newcomer family that operates the Newcomer Funeral Home in Lakewood, Colorado.

Hilda Pauline (Raymond) Erbes (1913 - 2006)

Mrs. Hilda P. Erbes, age 92 of Grant, died Thursday, March 23, 2006 at the Fountainview Retirement Village in Grant. She was born Hilda Pauline Raymond in Pittsford, Michigan the daughter of Ivah Leota (Britton) and William Henry Raymond on September 19, 1913. She married Elmer Earl Erbes on June 10, 1936 in Bailey and he preceded her in death on May 13, 1995. She was a Homemaker all her life. She was a member of North Casnovia Baptist Church.

She is survived by her sons Paul & Norma Erbes of Grant, Stephen Erbes of Santa Anna, CA, Daniel Erbes of New Mexico, 12 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren, several great-great-grandchildren . She was also preceded in death by son Thomas Erbes, daughter Pauline Erbes, and granddaughter Cynthia Erbes.

Memorial services will be held at 3:00 P. M. from the North Casnovia Baptist Church, Bailey on Sunday, March 26, 2006 with Pastor Kelly Carlson officiating. Visitation will be held one hour prior to service. For Memorials please consider Hospice of Michigan-Newaygo County, North Casnovia Baptist Church Building Fund, and/or Alzheimer's Disease Association. Please sign the online guest book at www.mckinleyfuneral.com.

McKinley Funeral Home, Grant, 231-834-5613. http:\\mckinleyfuneral.com

Hilda was my mother's 1st cousin. Hilda's mother Ivah (Britton) Raymond was sister to my Grandmother Dolly (Britton) Bavin.

Neukomment News Update

After about six years, during which my only computer access was a company issued laptop from my place of employment, I now have my very own personal Toshiba laptop PC.

This means I can now load and use software that I could not load and use on the company laptop.

I have downloaded and installed Brother's Keeper. Fortunatly I found my former back up files from BK and was able to reload the database. Over the last few days I have been updating that data as I have time.

I am hopefull that sometime in the next few months I will be able to update the files I have on my Rootsweb site. Stay tuned...