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Obituaries

These obituaries are listed in order from newest to oldest.  If you want to look for a specific obituary, just type the last name in the search bar (at the top of this article).  You can click here to sign up to receive obituaries by e-mail.

William David "Bill" Bell

William David “Bill” Bell, eldest son of Donald and Dorothy Bell passed March 10, 2024 at the age of 93. We are grateful that he passed peacefully with his family at his side and lovingly cared for by the staff at Evangelical Health in Saline MI. Our “Dad” to the end, he was most concerned that his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren are all well and happy; bills are paid, arrangements made. We know Dad was welcomed with open arms into Heaven by Mom (“Billie”), daughter Jane, his parents, and the many friends, family and faithful pets who preceded him in death.

A thoughtful, loyal, honest person who believed in service, Bill was always involved in his community whether as the Mayor, school board member, volunteer police officer, HOA President, club President, or Board Member of a charity.

William Carl Rosentreter

of Indianapolis, Indiana, formerly of Chelsea, Michigan, age 60, died Monday, February 26, 2024, at the Community Hospital East in Indianapolis, Indiana. He was born January 4, 1964, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the son of John and Irla M. (Scripter) Rosentreter.

Will was a maintenance worker at Hillside Terrace in Ann Arbor & Indiana.

Joan Marie Bingel

of Chelsea, Michigan, age 94, died Thursday, February 29, 2024, at the Chelsea Retirement Community. She was born April 19, 1929, in Grass Lake, Michigan, the daughter of Aura C. and Edna (Eschelbach) Munro.  From an early age, Joan and her sister were raised by Walt and Edna Schaible.

Joan grew up on her grandparents’ farm in Grass Lake, graduating from Grass Lake High School in 1947. She was involved in several school activities and sports and loved growing up on the farm and riding horses. Joan had a Morgan named Big Red and rode in the local parades.  Joan graduated from Detroit Mercy Nursing School in 1950 and worked as a Registered Nurse at Livonia St. Mary’s.  Joan married Dwight in May of 1951 and they were together for 54 years until his death.  Joan and Dwight lived in Waterford, Livonia, Wayne and ultimately Ann Arbor where they raised their four sons.  After starting a family, Joan became a loving stay-at-home mother and was heavily involved in the children’s activities and sports.    Raising four boys, she learned to love sports and even later in life you would often find her at her son’s and grandchildren’s sports activities.  In her spare time, Joan was a caregiver for several sick and elderly people in need. 

Bobbie Jeffers Ralph

Formerly of Norman, Oklahoma, died February 21, 2024, in her apartment at Chelsea Retirement Community in Chelsea, Michigan. She was 98.

Bobbie was born in Pineville, Missouri in 1925. She was the only daughter, with two older brothers, Edward (d.) and Joe (d.), and one younger brother in her family. The family lived in several southwest Missouri towns before she first attended Drury University in Springfield, Missouri, for one year. She then took a teaching appointment in a two-room school for a year, to help support her family. She resumed her studies at Drury for a second year before transferring to Oklahoma State University where she completed her bachelor’s degree in music. There she met Damon Ralph (d.) whom she married in 1949. The couple had three children, daughters Alice and Nancy, and son Gary.

Frederick C. “Fred” Petsch

of Chelsea, Michigan, age 86, died Sunday, March 3, 2024, at his home. He was born December 15, 1937, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the son of Adolph Ronald & Ruth Dolly (Leffler) Petsch.

Fred worked at Hilltop Plumbing when he was young as well as in landscaping. He worked 22 years as a Superintendent for Public Works in Chelsea, and retired from Johnson Control in 2001. Fred enjoyed crafts, woodworking, and masonry work. He built furniture and was a Master Clockmaker, repairing cuckoo clocks and grandfather clocks.