Age 57, died Friday, October 19, 2018. She was born December 25, 1960 in Garden City, Michigan.   Tanja graduated from Grass Lake High School in 1979.  She worked for Sheridan Books for many years, doing proofreading, editing, customer service, and shipping. Tanja worked at 4 Seasons Windows, and later, she created her own successful business, cleaning houses.
 
   Tanja lived life to its fullest. She loved her dog, Annie. She loved her hummingbirds. She loved her garden, planting, weeding, then canning the harvest, which she usually gave to friends. What fed her soul was volunteering at the Grass Lake Elementary tutoring young students to develop their reading skills. She loved everyone and will be deeply missed by her family and friends...and she had a lot of friends. Be assured, wherever she is now, she is already making people laugh.

   Survivors include her father, Clark Shields of Monroe; her mother, Ruth Fatur (Warren Hodges) of Tampa, FL; two brothers, Randy Shields (Andi Mazzone) of Kalamazoo, and Ken Shields (Mollie Morgan) of Sarasota, FL; two nieces, Rachel and Erin Shields, two step sisters, Jessica Schaub and Erika Battem.
 
   A Celebration of Life service will be held November 17, 1:00 pm at Cole Funeral Chapel, Chelsea, Michigan with Rev. Ruth Fatur and family officiating.  Memorial contributions may be made in Tanja’s memory to the Jackson YMCA 127 West Wesley Jackson, MI 49201 or to the charity of your choice.


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