Jill Ellen Puckett

Jill Ellen Puckett, 63, of Benton Harbor, passed to her heavenly home, Wednesday, August 6, 2008 at Lakeland Regional Medical Center in St. Joseph. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 10:00 A.M. Monday at Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph with Rev. Robert Confer officiating. Burial will follow at North Shore Memory Gardens in Coloma. Friends may call from 2:00 until 5:00 P.M. Sunday at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital or Muscular Dystrophy Association. Those wishing to share a memory or sign the guest book online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com. Jill’s life began on August 27, 1944 in Benton Harbor, Michigan. She married her life partner Frank Puckett, Sr. on December 7, 1963 in Benton Heights where they raised their four sons until 1974, when they moved to Stevensville. In 1999 she and her family moved to their dream home on a hill in Bainbridge Township. Jill was once employed at Mercy Hospital and then at Shephard Casters until 1990 when she resigned to become a full-time real estate investor with her Husband. In her life she enjoyed spending time with her Grandchildren and Great-Grandchildren. Some of her hobbies included playing Solitaire, Skip-Bo, and doing puzzles with family and friends. Collecting Lighthouses, Precious Moments, and Dolls were also some of her favorite pass-times. For her birthday celebration she loved to take her Grandchildren to Merrillville, Indiana to shop for a weekend. Jill was a member of The First Church of God in St. Joseph, Michigan. Survivors include her Husband, Frank Puckett, Sr. of Bainbridge Township, four Sons and one Daughter, Jack (Debbie) Puckett of Bismarck, Illinois; Frank Puckett, Jr. of Champaign, Illinois; Jeff (Tammy) Puckett of Bridgman, Michigan; Brian (Kari) Puckett of Stevensville, Michigan; Tabetha (Jeremiah) Busboom of Gifford, Illinois; 13 Grandchildren, 10 Great-Grandchildren, and Brother Jack (Elaine) Blakeman of Berrien Springs, Michigan. Jill was preceded in death by her Parents Douglas and Wilma Blakeman, Step-Mother Kathy Blakeman, Sister Connie Womble, Brother Norm Blakeman, Sister Carole Todd, Mother-in-law Mildred Puckett, and grandson Jeffrey Puckett.