Gene Paul Easterday, 87, of Girard Township, passed away Monday, January 8, 2024 at Ascension Borgess Hospital in Kalamazoo.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 13, 2024, at 11:00 a.m., with a visitation prior to the service, beginning at 9:00 a.m.., at Coldwater United Methodist Church, 26 Marshall Street, Coldwater, MI. Pastor Scott Marsh will officiate.
Interment will take place in the spring at West Girard Cemetery on River Road.
The family is being served by Lighthouse Funeral & Cremation of Union City.
Gene was born on September 24, 1936, to Paul A. and Nina (Post) Easterday in Girard Township. He graduated from Coldwater High School with the Class of 1954. Gene served in the United States Army with the 62nd Engineers Battalion, stationed in Tulle, France, from 1959-1962. On June 15, 1968, Gene married Shirley Ann (Fuller) at the Coldwater United Methodist Church.
Gene was a lifelong resident of Girard Township and worked as a farmer and owned and operated the Easterday Sales & Service farming equipment business in Hodunk. Gene was a Trustee for 11 years at the Methodist church, where he worked on building maintenance, was part of the choir and bell choir, and active in the men’s group.
He was also the Girard Township Supervisor for 28 years and was proud of his Girard Township community.
Gene loved history and storytelling. If you stopped to talk to Gene, you couldn’t be in a hurry. He was a staple in the Branch County community and will be missed by many.
Surviving Gene is his wife of 55 years, Shirley; his children, Larisa (Travis) Vorce of Coldwater and Jason Easterday of Union City; his grandchildren, Anna-Marie Vorce, Sonya Vorce, and Payton Vorce; his brother Leslie (Lucy) Easterday of Modesto, CA; his nephews, Gene Lieb, Raymond Lieb, David Easterday and Gilbert Easterday.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister Valdene Lieb.
Memorial donations may be made to Coldwater United Methodist Church, the Branch County Fair, 262 South Sprague Street, Coldwater, MI, 49036, or BACC FFA Chapter, 366 Morse Street, Coldwater, MI, 49036.
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