Doris I. Zech

Doris I. (Felgner) Zech St. Joseph – Doris I. Zech, 84, of St. Joseph passed away peacefully Friday, April 18, 2008 at Caretel Inns of Lakeland in St. Joseph. As in her life, she was gracious and brave when facing her own end of life due to pulmonary disease. Visitation will take place at Stark & Menchinger Family Funeral Home, St. Joseph, on Monday, April 21 from 5 to 8 p.m. The service will be held at Starks & Menchinger on Tuesday, April 22, at 1:30 p.m. A graveside service will be held at Riverview Cemetery immediately following the funeral. Memorials may be made to Lakeland Hospice, St. Joseph Lincoln Senior Center, or the Lincoln Township Library. Those wishing to share a memory or sign the guest book online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com Doris was born April 13, 1924 in Benton Harbor to Harry and Emma Felgner and worked in the home and on the family farm, raising six children while married to Lloyd Zech. She retired from the Berrien County Court House, after working for 18 years as a legal secretary for 6 judges during her career. Doris participated in the annual Labor Day Mackinac Bridge Walk. She played golf for many years with golf leagues in the area and even then scored a hole-in-one for which she proudly displayed a trophy in her home. She was a member of the Happiness Chapter of the M. I. Hummel Club and a philanthropic sorority in St. Joseph. Doris was an avid reader. Never one to sit idle, family gatherings usually included a call to start a euchre game or pinochle game. Doris would see that everyone was involved in participating in something that brought laughter and joy to the group. Doris loved to travel with her mother and visit her children when they lived in Alaska, Toronto, Florida, Germany and Edmonton, Canada. Annually she looked forward to two major events: Fourth of July family outing at the home of Phil and Betsy Zech and the yearly Benton Harbor HS class of ’42 and Johnson School class reunions. Doris is survived by her children, Randall (Karen) Zech of Cincinnati, Pat (Thomas) McBain of Buchanan, Allen (Gaila) Zech of Wellington, Florida, Connie (Fred) Rogers of St. Joseph, and David Zech of Bitely, Michigan, and daughter-in-law, Elizabeth (Betsy) Zech of Berrien Springs. She loved and enjoyed her 9 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren and attended as many of the children’s events as time and health would allow. Doris expressed great appreciation for the support and love of her close friends and family throughout her illness. She was preceded in death by her parents and one sister, Virginia (Frank) Heminger and a son, Phillip Zech.