Reatha Avalon Seaman, age 92 of Lowell passed away peacefully Thursday, December 31, 2015. She was preceded in death by her husband of 52 years, Donald Seaman, their infant daughter Karen Sue; parents, Harry and Ethel Gerring; brothers, Elden and Russell Gerring; and sister, Donna Brown. She is survived by her children, Shirley (Pat) Murphy, Randy (Peggy) Seaman all of Lowell; grandchildren, Hayley Murphy, Lesley (Jack) Grochot, Kimberly (Chris) Foupht, Jacob Seaman and fiance Hailey DeGrote; great grandchildren, Patrick and Weston Grochot, Lee and Makenna Foupht. Reatha grew up in South Boardman, MI and graduated from Kalkaska High School in 1941. She moved to Pontiac, MI to work at General Motors assembling army trucks, then on to Omaha, NE to study communications. She worked at Hill Field Airbase in Ogden, UT during World War II performing several tasks from packing parachutes to sending Morse code and teletype messages. She was one of the very first computer operators. She met her future husband by writing letters to servicemen overseas. They were married in 1946 and purchased a home in Kansas City, KS. Reatha moved back to South Boardman as Don was called back into the service during the Korean War. They purchased a farm in the Lowell/Parnell area in 1951 where they raised their family and lived until 2011. As well as being instrumental in starting Seaman’s Air Conditioning, Inc., she worked for the City of Grand Rapids until she retired in 1985. In their later years, Reatha and Don enjoyed wintering in FL and making many new friends. She enjoyed her final years at Green Acres in Lowell, playing cards, putting puzzles together, and visiting with staff and friends. Visitation and funeral service will be at Vergennes United Methodist Church, 10411 Bailey Rd. N.E., Lowell. Visitation hours Tuesday 6-8:00 p.m. and Wednesday 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. with funeral service following. Rev. Matt Stoll officiating. Interment Bailey Cemetery. Memorial contributions in memory of Reatha can be made to Vergennes United Methodist Church, 10411 Bailey Rd. N.E., Lowell, MI 49331 or the Alzheimer’s Association, 25200 Telegraph Road, Suite 100, Southfield, MI 48033-7443.
