1920
Donna
2015
Donna M. Belson
December 30, 1920 — July 17, 2015
Donna M. Belson, 94, passed away Friday, July 17, 2015 at home with her family by her side. She was born in Rutland Township on December 30, 1920, the daughter of Jasper Valentine and Alma O. (Crawford) Beach.
She attended Edger & Yeckley Rural Schools in Rutland Township and Hastings High School. She married Forest R. Belson on December 24, 1938. Together they worked on several area farms and farms south of Battle Creek. After returning to Hastings, she went to work for Hastings Manufacturing Co., retiring after 33 years. Missing her work routine, she went to work for Felpausch Food Centers in the bakery department, retiring after 12 years at the age of 80.
Donna was well known for her baked goods, especially her big sugar cookies, strawberry pie, carrot cake, and hawaiian cake. To some she was known as "The Cookie Lady". She once baked 21 pies for the Hastings City Bank summer picnic. She loved her flower gardens and tending to them. She was very proud she could rake her lawn and shovel her driveway (so her daughter could go to work) and still did so this past winter at the age of 94! Donna loved to travel with her husband to wherever their daughter was living and after Forest passed away, she traveled with her daughter to her favorite place, Mackinaw City. She enjoyed being with her family especially her great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Forest, in 1971, her sister and brother-in-law, Bonnie and Wilson Travis, her parents, her mother and father-in-law, and several brothers and sisters-in-law.
Donna is survived by her son, William J. (Sherry) Belson, her daughter, Linda L. Belson, both of Hastings; one brother-in-law, Wilber B. Belson of Midland; one sister-in-law, Louise Belson of Battle Creek; four grandchildren, Daniel J. Belson and Kevin J. (Bonnie) Belson, both of Hastings; Curtess L. (Lora) Belson of Daphne, AL and Cindy (Gabe) Bates of Greenvile, MI; 7 great-grandchildren, Lora Elizabeth (Dan) Moore of Virginia Beach, VA, Ashley (Caleb) Crux, of Hastings, Forrest Belson of Daphne, AL, Carter & Nathan Belson of Hastings, and Brianna and Bradley Bates of Greenville, MI; several nieces and nephews, and great nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held at Girrbach Funeral Home on Wednesday, July 22 at 11:00 am. Visitation will be one hour before the service. Burial to be in Rutland Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to Hope United Methodist Church or Spectrum Health Pennock Hospice.
She attended Edger & Yeckley Rural Schools in Rutland Township and Hastings High School. She married Forest R. Belson on December 24, 1938. Together they worked on several area farms and farms south of Battle Creek. After returning to Hastings, she went to work for Hastings Manufacturing Co., retiring after 33 years. Missing her work routine, she went to work for Felpausch Food Centers in the bakery department, retiring after 12 years at the age of 80.
Donna was well known for her baked goods, especially her big sugar cookies, strawberry pie, carrot cake, and hawaiian cake. To some she was known as "The Cookie Lady". She once baked 21 pies for the Hastings City Bank summer picnic. She loved her flower gardens and tending to them. She was very proud she could rake her lawn and shovel her driveway (so her daughter could go to work) and still did so this past winter at the age of 94! Donna loved to travel with her husband to wherever their daughter was living and after Forest passed away, she traveled with her daughter to her favorite place, Mackinaw City. She enjoyed being with her family especially her great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Forest, in 1971, her sister and brother-in-law, Bonnie and Wilson Travis, her parents, her mother and father-in-law, and several brothers and sisters-in-law.
Donna is survived by her son, William J. (Sherry) Belson, her daughter, Linda L. Belson, both of Hastings; one brother-in-law, Wilber B. Belson of Midland; one sister-in-law, Louise Belson of Battle Creek; four grandchildren, Daniel J. Belson and Kevin J. (Bonnie) Belson, both of Hastings; Curtess L. (Lora) Belson of Daphne, AL and Cindy (Gabe) Bates of Greenvile, MI; 7 great-grandchildren, Lora Elizabeth (Dan) Moore of Virginia Beach, VA, Ashley (Caleb) Crux, of Hastings, Forrest Belson of Daphne, AL, Carter & Nathan Belson of Hastings, and Brianna and Bradley Bates of Greenville, MI; several nieces and nephews, and great nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held at Girrbach Funeral Home on Wednesday, July 22 at 11:00 am. Visitation will be one hour before the service. Burial to be in Rutland Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to Hope United Methodist Church or Spectrum Health Pennock Hospice.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Donna M. Belson, please visit our flower store.
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