Of Jackson, Michigan, passed away at Vista Grande Villa Health Center on Tuesday, July 2, 2013 at age 101 years. This daughter of Bessie Kate Hawkins Dearing and David Matthew Dearing was born in the Dearing home at 1227 North Dearing Road, Sandstone Township, Parma, Michigan, on June 15, 1912. In 1929 she was in the first class to graduate from the then new Jackson High School building. She received a life Certificate in teaching for K-12 grades in 1932, followed by a Bachelor of Arts degree from Michigan State Normal College at Ypsilanti, Michigan (now Eastern Michigan University), and a Masters of Arts in Education from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
In 1933, she married William Eugene Atkinson of Ypsilanti. The couple had one son, David Eugene Atkinson, born in 1937. After the couple divorced in 1942, she and her son returned to live with her widowed mother in the Dearing home.
Alberta's hobbies during her working years were related to gardening, canning and freezing produce, and maintaining and modernizing the one hundred year old farmhouse. She also enjoyed seeing the country in her Airstream trailer. Retiring in 1976 after teaching for 39 1/2 years in the Michigan Public Schools (the majority of those in Jackson), she began spending winters in Mesa, Arizona. There she enjoyed painting with oils and watercolors and china painting. She also did lapidary and silver craft and spent time playing a variety of card games with friends and neighbors. After the years in the homestead and 24 winters in Arizona, Alberta moved into Vista Grand Villa in Jackson in 2004.
Alberta was preceded in death by her parents; her brother Van Perrine Dearing; her sister Aba LaRue Dearing Holtgren; her sister Mildred McChesney Dearing Farrell; her brother LeRoy Matthew Dearing; her ex-husband; and by her nieces Lois Holtgren Groblicki, and Kathleen and Margaret Farrell.
She is survived by her son David (Joyce) Eugene Atkinson and their children Cheryl Baca and her son Andre; Karen (Jeremy) Amos and their daughters Katherine and Elizabeth; and John (Alison) Atkinson and their daughter Haleigh - all of California. Alberta is also survived by nieces Nancy Dearing and Vanita Dearing Bradley (Chuck) Wilcox of Parma, Ann Holtgren (Don) Pellegreno of Texas; and Mary Ellen Dearing (Scott Toro) of California, and by her nephew Matt Dearing of California.
Grand nieces and nephews include Brenton and Wendy SueBradley, Gale (Ed) Oosterhart and Linda Groblicki, and River (Katie) Blough and Meadow Blough (Dr. Courtney) Scott, and several great-great nephews and nieces (and cousins) of California, Michigan, and elsewhere.
Alberta wishes to thank her family for making her last years enjoyable by visiting and helping keep her independent as long as possible. Also, thanks go to the many people at Vista Grand Villa, Allegiance Health, and the J.L. Watson Funeral Chapel. Her wish is to be cremated. A memorial service will be held at the Dearing Cemetery, just north of Michigan Avenue on Dearing Road on Friday, July 19, 2013 at 11:00 A.M.; Michael D. Mason from the Cornerstone Christian Church will officiate.
In lieu of flowers, Alberta wishes contributions to be made to a charity of your choice.
In 1933, she married William Eugene Atkinson of Ypsilanti. The couple had one son, David Eugene Atkinson, born in 1937. After the couple divorced in 1942, she and her son returned to live with her widowed mother in the Dearing home.
Alberta's hobbies during her working years were related to gardening, canning and freezing produce, and maintaining and modernizing the one hundred year old farmhouse. She also enjoyed seeing the country in her Airstream trailer. Retiring in 1976 after teaching for 39 1/2 years in the Michigan Public Schools (the majority of those in Jackson), she began spending winters in Mesa, Arizona. There she enjoyed painting with oils and watercolors and china painting. She also did lapidary and silver craft and spent time playing a variety of card games with friends and neighbors. After the years in the homestead and 24 winters in Arizona, Alberta moved into Vista Grand Villa in Jackson in 2004.
Alberta was preceded in death by her parents; her brother Van Perrine Dearing; her sister Aba LaRue Dearing Holtgren; her sister Mildred McChesney Dearing Farrell; her brother LeRoy Matthew Dearing; her ex-husband; and by her nieces Lois Holtgren Groblicki, and Kathleen and Margaret Farrell.
She is survived by her son David (Joyce) Eugene Atkinson and their children Cheryl Baca and her son Andre; Karen (Jeremy) Amos and their daughters Katherine and Elizabeth; and John (Alison) Atkinson and their daughter Haleigh - all of California. Alberta is also survived by nieces Nancy Dearing and Vanita Dearing Bradley (Chuck) Wilcox of Parma, Ann Holtgren (Don) Pellegreno of Texas; and Mary Ellen Dearing (Scott Toro) of California, and by her nephew Matt Dearing of California.
Grand nieces and nephews include Brenton and Wendy SueBradley, Gale (Ed) Oosterhart and Linda Groblicki, and River (Katie) Blough and Meadow Blough (Dr. Courtney) Scott, and several great-great nephews and nieces (and cousins) of California, Michigan, and elsewhere.
Alberta wishes to thank her family for making her last years enjoyable by visiting and helping keep her independent as long as possible. Also, thanks go to the many people at Vista Grand Villa, Allegiance Health, and the J.L. Watson Funeral Chapel. Her wish is to be cremated. A memorial service will be held at the Dearing Cemetery, just north of Michigan Avenue on Dearing Road on Friday, July 19, 2013 at 11:00 A.M.; Michael D. Mason from the Cornerstone Christian Church will officiate.
In lieu of flowers, Alberta wishes contributions to be made to a charity of your choice.
Of Jackson, Michigan, passed away at Vista Grande Villa Health Center on Tuesday, July 2, 2013 at age 101 years. This daughter of Bessie Kate Hawkins Dearing and David Matthew Dearing was born in the Dearing home at 1227 North Dearing Road, Sandstone Township, Parma, Michigan, on June 15, 1912. In 1929 she was in the first class to graduate from the then new Jackson High School building. She received a life Certificate in teaching for K-12 grades in 1932, followed by a Bachelor of Arts degree from Michigan State Normal College at Ypsilanti, Michigan (now Eastern Michigan University), and a Masters of Arts in Education from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
In 1933, she married William Eugene Atkinson of Ypsilanti. The couple had one son, David Eugene Atkinson, born in 1937. After the couple divorced in 1942, she and her son returned to live with her widowed mother in the Dearing home.
Alberta's hobbies during her working years were related to gardening, canning and freezing produce, and maintaining and modernizing the one hundred year old farmhouse. She also enjoyed seeing the country in her Airstream trailer. Retiring in 1976 after teaching for 39 1/2 years in the Michigan Public Schools (the majority of those in Jackson), she began spending winters in Mesa, Arizona. There she enjoyed painting with oils and watercolors and china painting. She also did lapidary and silver craft and spent time playing a variety of card games with friends and neighbors. After the years in the homestead and 24 winters in Arizona, Alberta moved into Vista Grand Villa in Jackson in 2004.
Alberta was preceded in death by her parents; her brother Van Perrine Dearing; her sister Aba LaRue Dearing Holtgren; her sister Mildred McChesney Dearing Farrell; her brother LeRoy Matthew Dearing; her ex-husband; and by her nieces Lois Holtgren Groblicki, and Kathleen and Margaret Farrell.
She is survived by her son David (Joyce) Eugene Atkinson and their children Cheryl Baca and her son Andre; Karen (Jeremy) Amos and their daughters Katherine and Elizabeth; and John (Alison) Atkinson and their daughter Haleigh - all of California. Alberta is also survived by nieces Nancy Dearing and Vanita Dearing Bradley (Chuck) Wilcox of Parma, Ann Holtgren (Don) Pellegreno of Texas; and Mary Ellen Dearing (Scott Toro) of California, and by her nephew Matt Dearing of California.
Grand nieces and nephews include Brenton and Wendy SueBradley, Gale (Ed) Oosterhart and Linda Groblicki, and River (Katie) Blough and Meadow Blough (Dr. Courtney) Scott, and several great-great nephews and nieces (and cousins) of California, Michigan, and elsewhere.
Alberta wishes to thank her family for making her last years enjoyable by visiting and helping keep her independent as long as possible. Also, thanks go to the many people at Vista Grand Villa, Allegiance Health, and the J.L. Watson Funeral Chapel. Her wish is to be cremated. A memorial service will be held at the Dearing Cemetery, just north of Michigan Avenue on Dearing Road on Friday, July 19, 2013 at 11:00 A.M.; Michael D. Mason from the Cornerstone Christian Church will officiate.
In lieu of flowers, Alberta wishes contributions to be made to a charity of your choice.
In 1933, she married William Eugene Atkinson of Ypsilanti. The couple had one son, David Eugene Atkinson, born in 1937. After the couple divorced in 1942, she and her son returned to live with her widowed mother in the Dearing home.
Alberta's hobbies during her working years were related to gardening, canning and freezing produce, and maintaining and modernizing the one hundred year old farmhouse. She also enjoyed seeing the country in her Airstream trailer. Retiring in 1976 after teaching for 39 1/2 years in the Michigan Public Schools (the majority of those in Jackson), she began spending winters in Mesa, Arizona. There she enjoyed painting with oils and watercolors and china painting. She also did lapidary and silver craft and spent time playing a variety of card games with friends and neighbors. After the years in the homestead and 24 winters in Arizona, Alberta moved into Vista Grand Villa in Jackson in 2004.
Alberta was preceded in death by her parents; her brother Van Perrine Dearing; her sister Aba LaRue Dearing Holtgren; her sister Mildred McChesney Dearing Farrell; her brother LeRoy Matthew Dearing; her ex-husband; and by her nieces Lois Holtgren Groblicki, and Kathleen and Margaret Farrell.
She is survived by her son David (Joyce) Eugene Atkinson and their children Cheryl Baca and her son Andre; Karen (Jeremy) Amos and their daughters Katherine and Elizabeth; and John (Alison) Atkinson and their daughter Haleigh - all of California. Alberta is also survived by nieces Nancy Dearing and Vanita Dearing Bradley (Chuck) Wilcox of Parma, Ann Holtgren (Don) Pellegreno of Texas; and Mary Ellen Dearing (Scott Toro) of California, and by her nephew Matt Dearing of California.
Grand nieces and nephews include Brenton and Wendy SueBradley, Gale (Ed) Oosterhart and Linda Groblicki, and River (Katie) Blough and Meadow Blough (Dr. Courtney) Scott, and several great-great nephews and nieces (and cousins) of California, Michigan, and elsewhere.
Alberta wishes to thank her family for making her last years enjoyable by visiting and helping keep her independent as long as possible. Also, thanks go to the many people at Vista Grand Villa, Allegiance Health, and the J.L. Watson Funeral Chapel. Her wish is to be cremated. A memorial service will be held at the Dearing Cemetery, just north of Michigan Avenue on Dearing Road on Friday, July 19, 2013 at 11:00 A.M.; Michael D. Mason from the Cornerstone Christian Church will officiate.
In lieu of flowers, Alberta wishes contributions to be made to a charity of your choice.
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