Norma Marguerite Abel

MESICK — Norma Marguerite (Benson) Abel, age 97, of Antioch Township, Wexford County, died Feb. 7, 2007. She passed away in loving Hospice care following a stroke, and went peacefully to be with her maker.

Norma was born to Oscar and Ruth (Saur) Benson in Grand Rapids on Aug. 12 ,1909, two generations removed from Swedish immigrants, a family producing a number of successful people after coming to this great country of ours. She had one brother, Harry, now deceased.

She started school in Grand Rapids but shortly moved to Kent City, where her granddad owned a nice farm. They soon came to Antioch, 1918, purchasing the old Henry Mansfield farm, where she and Harry would grow up. She attended the Spencer one room country school in Antioch, was a good student from the start, and went on to graduate from Mesick High School. Because of travel problems with snow during the winter months, the country girls boarded in town - in the old Frank Saul house in Mesick. She enjoyed school and played varsity basketball. She spoke of travel to the "away games" being done by train, except the games at Manton, which were done by the Floyd Jewett "school bus." This was a horse drawn covered sleigh. Cold in the winter! The girls would spend the night at the homes of the other girls' families and return by train the next morning. She loved sports and was also very active on the track team.

She went on the Ferris Institute (now Ferris State University) studying bookkeeping and stenography. After graduation, she worked a short time for Brunswick Bowling Alley equipment company in Muskegon, losing her job when the stock market crashed in October of 1929. She came home to Antioch and married her childhood friend and neighbor, Erben Abel, at the height of the Depression in 1931. They commenced a farm and a family at what later became known to all as the "Abel farm on the curve" on M-115 in Antioch. Both the farm and the family flourished. The farm becoming one of the larger and more prosperous in the county, or the area, for that matter.

They raised six children, three boys and three girls; Eleanor LeVan of Rockford and later Muskegon, Russ of Horton Bay and later Mesick, Dick of Midland and later Sanford, Jeanne English (deceased) of Ada, Marilyn Cochrane of Grand Ledge and Mike of Mesick. She is survived by 14 grandchildren, many great- and great-great-grandchildren, and her beloved cat, Jenny.

She was always well organized and never took short cuts. She was the rock that lead to the success of the family and the farm.

She enjoyed her gardening and her flowers, and was a charter member of the still active Mesick Wayside Gardening Club. She attended meetings right up until the end.

She was a lifetime member of The Order of The Eastern Stars and a past Worthy Matron. She served in several other offices and capacities over the years.

She enjoyed her music, and she and Erben looked forward to the Saturday night dances at the local granges and community halls during the Depression years and through the 1940s. She was an avid reader and in good health until the end. She read many, many books and when she would run out of a book to read, she would re-read Jan Karon's Midford Series. She was in touch with the Lord. She will be sorely missed by all her family and friends, and she was a good friend to all of her neighbors and all others that knew her. She faced death with the same grace and dignity that she exhibited throughout her life. By every definition, she was a true "classy lady." God's will has been done.

The Peterson Funeral Home in Cadillac is taking care of the family's wishes. Cremation has taken place and a memorial will be held at the funeral home on Monday, Feb. 12, 2007, at 1 p.m. Visitation will be from noon to 1 p.m., prior to the funeral service. Burial of the remains will be in the spring, when weather permits, at the Antioch Cemetery. May she rest in peace.

If considering a memorial contribution, the family asks that you consider a Hospice organization in your area.

This obituary was originally published in the Record-Eagle.