Lenda M. Ward

Lenda May Ward, 79, of Watervliet passed away Friday, Oct. 3, 2025, at her home following an extended illness.

Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9 at Duffield & Pastrick Funeral Home in Coloma with visitation beginning at noon. Pastor Austin Hopper will officiate. Burial will follow in Lakeshore-Hagar Cemetery. Memorials in Lenda's honor may be made to the Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan. Those wishing to share a memory or leave a message for the family may do so at www.duffield pastrick.com.

Lenda was born on Jan. 27, 1946, in Jonesboro, Ark., to Ira and Juanita Alvin and the family moved to Southwest Michigan the following year. She and Richard Ward were married on Feb. 8, 1980, and together raised their family of seven children. Prior to her retirement in 2000, Lenda had been employed as a supervisor at Clean America cleaning the Whirlpool Corp. offices. Lenda loved to shop, crochet, knit and watch the birds. During the summer, she and Richard enjoyed going to the flea market every weekend. Her greatest love however, was spending time with her large family.

Lenda is survived by her husband, Richard; her daughters: Teresa Rogalski of Watervliet, Tammy (Jim) Baney of Berrien Springs, Melinda (Ron) Galbreath of Dowagiac; her sons: Timothy Watson of Watervliet, Rocky (Teresa) Watson of Coloma, Richie (Robin) Ward and Dearll (Jen) Ward, both of Arizona; two sisters, Julia (Guy) Kiser of Benton Harbor and Vickie (Randy) Anderson of Orlando, Fla.; her brother, Alvin (Donna) Rutledge of Watervliet, 26 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents: Ira and Juanita; her granddaughter, Moneca Watson and her grandson, Shillo Marcoux.