Obituaries

Ann Poley

Ann "Nee" Stephanie Poley passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones on December 1, 2024, at Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor at the age of 82. Ann was born in St. Louis, Missouri on February 19, 1942, and lived in Chelsea, Michigan. Ann was the daughter of Stephen Harvey and Lucille (McHenry) Nicholson.  There are no words that could capture the caliber of woman that Ann was, but here is the closest one could come to doing so:

Ann was a devout Catholic, having attended Catholic school as a young girl. She attended and became an active member of Zion Lutheran Church in Chelsea after marrying her husband Howard Poley, Jr., and returned to her Catholic roots, attending St. Mary Catholic Church in Chelsea. Ann would always tell her friends and family she was "rolling the beads" for them when prayers were needed. Her rosary went with her wherever she went and was worn thin from use.

In her years of working, Ann was a school bus driver for Manchester Public Schools for 27 years. She also had a long list of part time jobs. After she retired, she became an active member of the Manchester Senior Citizens where she enjoyed helping with meal preparations and striking up conversations with friends and strangers alike.

John Gagern Riske

Age 76, died Thursday, November 28, 2024 at Chelsea Hospital. He was born April 24, 1948 in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Edwin A. and Gertrude E. (Gagern) Riske.

John attended Lutheran East High School and graduated in 1966. He attended EMU, and then Concordia Seminary in Springfield, IL. John was a Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod Pastor who served churches in Hale, MI, Glennie, MI, Bach, MI, and finally at St. Thomas Lutheran in Ann Arbor before retiring from ministry. John’s passion was music. He enjoyed playing the piano, organ and singing, he also played the organ at various churches, most notably for Mt. Calvary Church in Detroit and Our Savior Lutheran Church in Chelsea. John was currently a member of Our Savior Lutheran Church. John liked telling jokes, goofing around with his family, and playing with his grandchildren.

Doris Ann (Downer) Taylor

of Ann Arbor, MI, formerly of Chelsea, age 93, died Wednesday, November 27, 2024 at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor. She was born December 28, 1930 in Chelsea, Michigan, the daughter of Darwin R. & Cora K. (Bollinger) Downer.  Doris was born and raised in Chelsea. She graduated from Chelsea High School, and went on to earn her bachelors and Masters in Education at Michigan State University. After college, Doris spent her life in Ann Arbor, becoming a Spartan and a Wolverine fan. Doris taught in the Ann Arbor Public Schools, ending at Tappan Junior High School. She left teaching to raise her children. After her divorce, Doris restarted her career in the late '80's as a sales representative in the publishing industry, serving school libraries of Michigan. She loved to travel, and her sales job allowed her to travel all over Michigan, where she knew all the school librarians by name.

Shirley Ann Luhouse

Shirley Ann Luhouse (nee Wright), aged 89, from Chelsea, Michigan, formerly of Dearborn Heights, passed away November 15th, 2024 at home, with her family lovingly by her side. A cherished individual known for their kind, loving, caring, and witty personality, lived a life filled with tremendous love for her family and faith. 

Shirley married Robert John Luhouse on July 25, 1954, in Dearborn. He preceded her in death on November 29, 2010. She is survived by her son, Robert John Luhouse, Jr. of Westland; her daughters, Linda Kaye (Darrell) Spruce of Chelsea, and Karen Marie Kehoe of Milford; 4 grandchildren, Sarah (Mike), Rachel (Devon), Bobby, and Eric (Kate); 11 great-grandchildren; 5 great-great grandchildren; and 5 nieces and nephews. In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents, step-father, and great-great-grandchild.