Search

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.

Deanna Lynn Petsch

Deanna Lynn Petsch of Jackson, Michigan, formerly of Chelsea, age 58, died Wednesday, March 11, 2020, at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor. She was born March 5, 1962, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the daughter of Frederick C. & Georgette “Marie” Evelyn (Cavadas) Petsch.
 
Deanna was a homebody who enjoyed watching TV, tanning and music. She lived with her father and was very helpful after her mother's passing. She struggled with arthritis throughout her life. When she went out she enjoyed resale shops, Arby's and grocery shopping.

Roy George Sanderson

     Roy George Sanderson of Chelsea, Michigan, age 77, died Thursday, March 5, 2020 in Novi. He was born September 1, 1942 in Chelsea, Michigan, the son of George Edward & Lucille May (Hoover) Sanderson. Roy graduated from Chelsea High School in 1962. He married Roberta (Gerlach) in Aurora, IL in 1967. Roy retired from Ann Arbor Public School System in 2004. He is survived by his wife, Roberta; son, Joel (Allison) Sanderson of San Tan Valley, AZ; a daughter, Johanna Sanderson of Gold Canyon AZ; son-in-law Charles Vogt; 5 grandchildren, Jacob (Chelsea) Vogt, Joshua (Kylie) Vogt, Molly (Corey) Gorecki, Max and Meghan Sanderson; 2 great-grandchildren, Kasey and Ellie Vogt; his siblings, Lola (Troy) Lewis, Carol Sanderson, Gary (Gayl) Sanderson, Tom Sanderson; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and daughter, Amy Vogt. 
 

Frank A. Robards

of Brownsburg, Indiana died Saturday, February 8th, 2020, at the age of 85. He was born April 2, 1934, the son of James and Ella (Kleinschmidt) Robards.
 
Frank attended Chelsea schools and graduated in 1953. He spent 2 years in the Army. He then started working for Hoover NSK in Ann Arbor, transferring to Indiana, where he retired.
 
He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother Kenneth (Bill) and a sister Joyce. Survivors include his brothers Roland Robards and James Robards, and sisters Myrna Weir and Marjorie Plumb. He has many nieces and nephews as well as a special friend, David Adams.

Owen Felix Cavender

of Chelsea, Michigan, age 98, died Sunday, March 1, 2020 at his home. He was born August 6, 1921 in Lansing, MI, the son of Richard F. and Maude E. (Owens) Cavender.     Owen served in the US Navy from April of 1942 to October of 1943.  He worked for Dana in Chelsea for 37 years.
 
On October 16, 1948, he married Katherine Walters, and she preceded him in death on April 26, 1983. Survivors include his daughters Barbara Cavender and Alice Cavender, of Chelsea, and Katherine Cavender, of Ann Arbor; a sister, Theresa (Charles) Dinser of Whitmore Lake; a granddaughter, Michelle (Delmore) Brown of Saline; and 2 great-grandchildren, Owen and Kadence Brown. He was preceded in death by his parents; a son and daughter-in-law, Owen “Sparky” and Nina Cavender; and 3 brothers, Richard, Thomas, and Dale Cavender.
 

Sandra M. Shapiro

Sandra M. Shapiro, eldest daughter of Archimede and Alma “Pat” (Logan) Marni, sister of Andrea L. Marni (deceased), and dear wife of Stanley Shapiro, died February 21 at Towsley Village in the Chelsea Retirement Community. She was 84 years old; cause of death was complications of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. She was a devoted friend of all animals, especially dogs, cats and birds. And she was a lover of the natural world as well, flowers and trees in particular. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Cincinnati, she went on to collect M.A.s at Indiana University, the University of California, Berkeley, and Eastern Michigan. For some half dozen years she was a historic preservationist at the Ohio Historical Society.