Betty Pomeroy-Buysse-Mendenhall

Betty M. Pomeroy-Buysse-Mendenhall, age 83 years of Niles, Michigan died at 2:00 a.m. on Tuesday, December 16, 2014 at Lakeland Community Hospital in Niles following an extended illness.

She was born on December 20, 1930 in Watervliet, Michigan to Frederick and Faye (LaPorte) Wood. She graduated from Watervliet High School, and lived many years in Hartford, Michigan where she was employed at the Kietzer Farm Market, and the Hartford Shopping Center. In 1999 she moved to Niles.

Betty was a member of Saint Mark Catholic Church in Niles, and the ladies’ auxiliaries to the Niles Eagles, Moose, and American Legion. She was very active in the Red Hat Society of Niles, had been a member of the Mother’s Club in Hartford, and attended activities of the Council on Aging in Cassopolis. She enjoyed needlework, dancing, dining-out, and spending time with her family.

She was first married to Clarence Pomeroy, Jr. who died on November 22, 1991. She was later married to George C. Buysse who died on July 27, 2006. She was also preceded in death by a son, John Raymond Pomeroy on April 3, 2005; and by sisters, Patricia Newcombe and Mary Rutter.

On October 26, 2006 in Niles she married Leo Eugene “Gene” Mendenhall who survives. Also surviving are her children, Kenneth Michael “Mike” Pomeroy of Edwardsburg, Michigan, Clarence “Bud” Pomeroy III of Stevensville, Michigan, Randy (& Donna Rosati) Pomeroy of Kalamazoo, Michigan, step-son, Rawleigh Mendenhall of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, and step-daughter, Linda Goodfellow of Salem, Virginia; grandchildren Marshall (& Leslie Deloach) Pomeroy, Diana Pomeroy, Jennifer (& Matt Jones) Pomeroy Jones, Eric Pomeroy, Kristen (& Brad Wolf) Pomeroy Wolf, Dustin Pomeroy, Ryan (& Kiesha) Pomeroy, Jameson Putnick, Alicia (& Adam Kosier) Pomeroy Kosier, and Laurence “Larry” Pomeroy; great-grandchildren Taylor, Kelsey, Madelyn, Ethan, Avery, Macy, Zoe, Bram, Blake, Kaitlyn, Emilee, and Lauren; all of the members of Gene’s great family; Betty’s brother, George Frederick “Pete” Wood of Watervliet, and sister, Delores “Doody” (& Maurice “Mose”) Kietzer of Sister Lakes, Michigan; and more than 100 nieces and nephews of several generations.

The Catholic Liturgy for Betty Pomeroy-Buysse-Mendenhall will be read at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 21, 2014 at the Halbritter Funeral Home in Niles by the Rev. David Otto of Saint Mary Catholic Church in Niles. Committal at Fairview Cemetery in Watervliet will be private, on a later date.

The family will receive relatives and friends on Sunday at the funeral home beginning at 1:00 p.m. Contributions in memory of Betty may be made to the Cass County Council on Aging.

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