DECKER Edith Decker passed peacefully on June 23 2011 under the caring hands of hospice and the staff at the Woods of Maple Creek in Grand Rapids. Born in Montague MI in 1920 into the Lohman family a farming family of six sisters and one brother with parents Paul and Alice she grew up working the farm and the many summer lodges around White Lake. Edith is survived by her only son Gary Decker and his wife Joanne of Grand Rapids and Boyne City MI. Two sisters remain Leota Munson and Laura Parker both in Montague. There are many nieces and nephews to which Aunt Edith was very close too. Edith was schooled in Kalamazoo at the Western Michigan Business School where she met Roy Decker and married in 1951 until his death in 1964. Edith was a long time resident in the Kalamazoo and Portage MI area working many years at the First National Bank in downtown Kalamazoo in the Trust Department until her retirement in 1986. Following her retirement she spent countless hours at the many bridge clubs around Kalamazoo most notably the club at the downtown Y. She traveled back and forth to Montague often helping her sisters in the seasonal canning and freezing of fruit and vegetables and of course making sure her son knew the basics of cooking baking ironing a shirt and how to properly make a bed and fold a sheet. Along with these life lessons she made sure that those around her appreciated our lives that our parents had worked so hard to give to us and that we never forget the values of honesty hard work and doing what is right. A memorial service for Edith will be held on June 26 at 3:00pm at the Portage United Methodist Church Portage MI where Edith was a member for over 50 years. The family has asked that memorials be directed to the Portage United Methodist Church 8740 S. Westnedge Ave., Portage MI 49002 Faith Hospice 2100 Raybrook SE Suite 100 Grand Rapids MI 49546 or The Woods at Maple Creek 1950 32nd Street SE Grand Rapids MI 49508.
