Barbara A. Ferris

Barbara A. Ferris, 87, of Manitou Beach, passed away peacefully on Saturday, January 6, 2018. She was born on September 14, 1930, in Hillsdale, Mich., to Robert H. and Doris M. (Kelley) Walkup. She married Clarence Ferris, Jr. on August 6, 1955, in Addison, Mich., and he preceded her in death on December 11, 2012.

Barbara was raised in Waldron and graduated from Waldron High School in 1948. She lived the remainder of her life in the Addison area. Barbara attended Adrian College for one year and later went on to earn an Associate Degree from Jackson Community College in 1990, graduating with honors. For several years, she served as Woodstock Township Treasurer, and prior to her retirement, she was the office manager for the MSU Cooperative Extension Service in Adrian.

Barbara loved music and used her gift with music to serve in churches and in the community. She served in various musical capacities as a choir director, a piano and voice teacher, an accompanist, and a soloist/organist. Most recently, she was a pianist and member of the Waldron Church of Christ. She also enjoyed completing the daily crossword puzzles, spending time with friends and family, and traveling; she and her husband visited all 50 states and five foreign countries together. Barbara was a member of both the Addison Eastern Star and the Addison Women’s Club. She was also a member of the Democratic Party and served as secretary on the Lenawee County Democratic Party Executive Committee. She worked on several U.S., state, county, and local election campaigns.

Barbara loved her family and is survived by her two sons, Robert (Theresa) Ferris of Adrian, Mich., and William (Regina) Ferris of Sebastian, Fla.; two daughters, Sara (Blake) Glass of Portage, Mich., and Nancy (Glenn) Iveson of Caledonia, Mich.; eight grandchildren, Joshua Ferris, Alicia (Clay) Wetherell, Benjamin Ferris, Amanda (Curtis) Pedrick, Blake Glass, Laura Glass, Nathaniel Iveson, and Nicholas Iveson; three great-grandchildren, Sophie Wetherell, Saylor Wetherell, and Camden Wetherell; one sister, Ann Hersha of Pioneer, Ohio; along with several nieces, nephews, cousins, and close friends. In addition to her husband, Clarence, she was preceded in death by her parents; two sisters, Kay Diane Walkup and Jane Hanson; and one brother, James Hutchinson.

Visitation will be from 10 a.m. – noon on Saturday, January 20, 2018, at the Waldron Church of Christ, 107 West St., Waldron, Mich., followed by a brief service, with Pastor Don Crain officiating. A luncheon will follow the service, and then the burial will take place in Waldron Cemetery, Waldron, Mich. Arrangements are entrusted to the Brown-Van Hemert Funeral Home in Addison. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the Waldron Church of Christ.