Myrtle C. Hanshaw

Myrtle C. Hanshaw, 87, formerly of Benton Harbor, passed into eternity, Tuesday, August 25, 2009 at Royalton Manor in St. Joseph. A Celebration of Life Eternal will be held 1:00 P.M. Friday at First Church of the Nazarene, 3351 Niles Rd., St. Joseph, with Rev. Dean Pickett officiating. Burial will follow at North Shore Memory Gardens in Coloma. Friends may call from 12:00 P.M. until 1:00 P.M. Friday at the church. Memorials may be made to the church or Lakeland Hospice. Those wishing to share a memory or sign the guest book online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com. Mrs. Hanshaw was born November 27, 1921 in Savannah, Tennessee to Henry & Mamie (Handley) Russell. On March 16, 1940, she married Oscar K. Hanshaw in Lepanto, Arkansas. After moving to Benton Harbor, Myrtle was employed at V-M Corp. for several years, then later at Schiman’s Bakery in Benton Harbor. She was a member of First Church of the Nazarene where she was involved with many activities when her health permitted. Myrtle and Oscar enjoyed traveling across the country with their travel trailer. They were members of the Holiday Rambler Travel Trailer Club. She cherished the time spent with her family, and in her spare time enjoyed reading. Myrtle is survived by her daughter Glenda (Michael) Krieger of St. Joseph; five grandchildren-April (Roland) Longacre, Kevin (Pam) Krieger, Beth Hoard, Brian (Jenny) Ertman & Randy Ertman; seven great-grandchildren-Aaron Krieger, Kara Longacre, Crystal Dickey, Alexa Hoard, Benjamin, Daniel and James Ertman; her sister Belle Diggs of West Plains, Missouri; and numerous nieces & nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband Oscar on April 26, 1996, by her daughter Debra Ertman on March 25, 2008, by her son-in-law Kenneth Ertman on December 25, 2006, her great-grandson Collin Longacre in 1991, her brother William Hinton and her sister Nell Barker.