Grace D. Dechert

Grace D. Dechert, 74, of Stevensville passed away Sunday May 24, 2009 at Royalton Manor in St. Joseph. Friends may call from 5:00 P.M. until 8:00 P.M. Tuesday at Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home, 2650 Niles Road. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 10:00 AM Wednesday, at Chapel Hill United Methodist Church, 4071 Naomi Rd., Sodus; officiated by Rev Jim Dibbet. Burial will follow at North Shore Memory Garden. Memorials may be made to Hospice at Home or American Cancer Society. Friends wishing to share a memory or sign the guest book online may do so www.starks-menchinger.com. Grace was born April 16, 1935 in Como, Missouri to Everett & Maudie (Crafton) Howard. On July 31, 1954 she married Earl J. Dechert in Benton Harbor. Grace was a graduate of Benton Harbor High School in 1953. She worked for Whirlpool for 30 years retiring in 1997. She enjoyed reading, jig-saw puzzles, word search and she was a member of North Berrien County Senior Center in Coloma. She is survived by two daughters Pamela Harrison of Coldwater, MI and Susan Dechert of Watervliet, MI; a son Randy Dechert of Baroda, MI; three grandchildren Jennifer (Greg) Williams, Kyle Easley, Stephanie Harrison; three great grandchildren Bailey, Tayler and Paige Williams; a brother Wilson (Patricia) Howard of Wellington FL; and a sister Darlene (Kevin) Fields of Coloma, MI. She was preceded in death by her husband Earl on March 22, 2005 and a daughter-in-law Nancy Klug Dechert on August 24, 2008.