Obituary for Josephine Champagne (Drewyor)
Mrs. Josephine Marie Champagne, age 88, of Nashville MI passed away Monday, May 18th at her home surrounded by her children and grandchildren.
Josephine was born in Martin Township in Allegan county on April 9th, 1932 to her late parents Elmer and Esther (Roberts) Drewyor. As a child, her family moved to a homestead near Diamondale MI where she attended school.
Josephine often spoke fondly of her childhood playing at the Mill Pond near Fish Lake in Orangeville and working in the onion fields.
As a young girl, Josephine enjoyed traveling to Monroe MI to visit her cousins. In the early 50s she met and married her late husband and father to two of her daughters, Bert Collum of Monroe MI.
On April 11th, 1973 Josephine married the love of her life, Richard E Champagne. They moved their family to Kalamo MI for a short time before moving to their forever home in Nasville, MI. Josephine enjoyed a happy and full 45 years of marriage to Richard before his passing on January 21st, 2018.
Josephine worked several jobs in the manufacturing industry and retired from Hoover Group in Charlotte MI after nearly 20 years.
After retirement, Josephine enjoyed several hobbies and always loved learning new crafts. She was a master at crocheting and would always surprise loved ones with the most beautiful handmade gifts.
In the early 80s she graduated from clown school alongside her daughter Christy and together, with their fellow clown school graduates, performed for a packed audience at the Vermontville Opera House in Vermontville MI.
In 1986, she earned a certificate of Proficiency in Doll Technology from Lifetime Career Schools and was very skilled at making and repairing ceramics. She also worked for a time at Creative Concrete in Kalamo MI, which is owned by her niece, where she created and painted beautiful concrete statues and figurines. She also tried her hand at chocolate candy creations and winemaking which she perfected over time and even earned a blue ribbon for one of her custom homemade wines. She also had a love of nature and animals... especially birds. Through the years, Josephine raised several unique pets but her favorites were her birds... parrots, parakeets, cockatiels... she loved them all. In her golden years she enjoyed feeding and watching the birds outside her windows.
Josephine was a creative and multitalented person with too many interest to even try to list them all but her biggest love of all was her family and her door was always open.
Josephine is preceded in death by her parents; two brothers, Elmer and Alfred; two sisters, Esthma (Ron) Smith and Mary (Duane) Shaver; her husband Richard; two daughters, Susan Champagne and Karen (Tim) Small; a granddaughter, Katrina Stump; and two great-grandchildren, Noel Noble and Ayden Ely.
She is survived by three brothers, Robert Drewyor of Eaton Rapids and George (Marion) Drewyor of Plainwell, Michael (Marion) Robinson of Ann Arbor, and one sister Shar Black, five daughters, Diana (Jimmy) Haskins, Gloria (Randy) Rolfe, Rosanna (Richard) Rotterdam, Sharon (Jerry) Gysin, Christy (Greg) Wendorf; three sons, Daniel Norris, Kenneth Champagne, Richard Champagne II; and 187 grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. She will be greatly missed.
There will be celebration of life on June 27th at Josephine's home.
Josephine was born in Martin Township in Allegan county on April 9th, 1932 to her late parents Elmer and Esther (Roberts) Drewyor. As a child, her family moved to a homestead near Diamondale MI where she attended school.
Josephine often spoke fondly of her childhood playing at the Mill Pond near Fish Lake in Orangeville and working in the onion fields.
As a young girl, Josephine enjoyed traveling to Monroe MI to visit her cousins. In the early 50s she met and married her late husband and father to two of her daughters, Bert Collum of Monroe MI.
On April 11th, 1973 Josephine married the love of her life, Richard E Champagne. They moved their family to Kalamo MI for a short time before moving to their forever home in Nasville, MI. Josephine enjoyed a happy and full 45 years of marriage to Richard before his passing on January 21st, 2018.
Josephine worked several jobs in the manufacturing industry and retired from Hoover Group in Charlotte MI after nearly 20 years.
After retirement, Josephine enjoyed several hobbies and always loved learning new crafts. She was a master at crocheting and would always surprise loved ones with the most beautiful handmade gifts.
In the early 80s she graduated from clown school alongside her daughter Christy and together, with their fellow clown school graduates, performed for a packed audience at the Vermontville Opera House in Vermontville MI.
In 1986, she earned a certificate of Proficiency in Doll Technology from Lifetime Career Schools and was very skilled at making and repairing ceramics. She also worked for a time at Creative Concrete in Kalamo MI, which is owned by her niece, where she created and painted beautiful concrete statues and figurines. She also tried her hand at chocolate candy creations and winemaking which she perfected over time and even earned a blue ribbon for one of her custom homemade wines. She also had a love of nature and animals... especially birds. Through the years, Josephine raised several unique pets but her favorites were her birds... parrots, parakeets, cockatiels... she loved them all. In her golden years she enjoyed feeding and watching the birds outside her windows.
Josephine was a creative and multitalented person with too many interest to even try to list them all but her biggest love of all was her family and her door was always open.
Josephine is preceded in death by her parents; two brothers, Elmer and Alfred; two sisters, Esthma (Ron) Smith and Mary (Duane) Shaver; her husband Richard; two daughters, Susan Champagne and Karen (Tim) Small; a granddaughter, Katrina Stump; and two great-grandchildren, Noel Noble and Ayden Ely.
She is survived by three brothers, Robert Drewyor of Eaton Rapids and George (Marion) Drewyor of Plainwell, Michael (Marion) Robinson of Ann Arbor, and one sister Shar Black, five daughters, Diana (Jimmy) Haskins, Gloria (Randy) Rolfe, Rosanna (Richard) Rotterdam, Sharon (Jerry) Gysin, Christy (Greg) Wendorf; three sons, Daniel Norris, Kenneth Champagne, Richard Champagne II; and 187 grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. She will be greatly missed.
There will be celebration of life on June 27th at Josephine's home.