Eldena May Perry, 91, of Stanwood, MI, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, December 28, 2011, at Spectrum Health Reed City Skilled Nursing Facility.
Eldena was born April 24, 1920, in Fife Lake, to Chris and Pearl (Spurgeon) Pitz, the eighth of ten children. Born and raised on the banks of the Manistee River, it remained a cherished part of her existence and provided many fond memories into her long and final years. Following her marriage to David Perry, the couple resided for many years on a farm on Creighton Road near South Boardman where they raised three children, Allen, Judy and Jean. Her retirement years were spent on a 100-acre farm near Stanwood where she resided with her husband, David, and son, Allen, for 33 years until a fall required a move to the skilled nursing facility where she spent her final three and one-half years. Her family is grateful to the kind and caring assistance she was provided there by three shifts of "helping hands" who understood the culture of the elders who had mostly grown up on farms, and whose families had carved out a presence in an emerging territory at the end of the logging era in Michigan. These were rugged individuals with life stories they were encouraged to share with each other at gatherings at the nursing facility. These gatherings helped them get acquainted with other residents and bring back memories to share and maintain their own identity. Eldena was very creative and enjoyed painting, quilting, knitting and crocheting in the winter, and gardening in the summer. Her garden produced many varieties of vegetables which she preserved for the winter. Her cellar housed several hundred jars of fruit, vegetables and meat (the method of preservation prior to freezers). Even her shelves were stacked artistically with all of the bright colors of the fall harvest.
Eldena was preceded in death by her husband, David Perry, along with her son, Allen Perry, her parents and all of her siblings. She is survived by daughters, Judith K. (Gordon) Van Amburg of Whitmore Lake and Jean A. (Wayne) Edwards of Stanwood; grandsons Gordon L. Van Amburg, Jr. of Brooklyn, N.Y., David Allen Van Amburg of Whitmore Lake, and Charles (Michelle) Edwards of Interlochen; and four great-grandchildren, Nick Van Amburg of Ypsilanti, Jessica Van Amburg of Whitmore Lake, and Judith Carol and Catherine Winter Edwards of Interlochen. Also surviving are two sisters-in-law, Viva (George) Perry of Manton, and Johanna Perry Whiteford of Williamsburg.
At her request, cremation has taken place and there will be no public services. Services provided by the Daggett-Gilbert Funeral Home in Big Rapids.
