Luella Mae Gillingham

Luella Mae Gillingham, 79, of Caseville, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, June 21, 2011at Brian’s House in Bay City.

Luella was born February 24, 1932, in Sebewaing township to the late Leonard and Esther (Reklau) Heinitz, and was a 1950 graduate of Sebewaing High School. She was married to Robert F. Voss on November 23, 1950, at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Kilmanagh, and they raised their six children there.

She was united in marriage on February 14, 1981, to John E. Gillingham at Caseville United Methodist Church. She and John spent many winters RV-ing across the U.S. and visited 49 of the 50 states. Luella was involved in many social and community organizations throughout her life and, in recent years, was a member of the Caseville Library Club and the Caseville Eagles.

She is survived by her husband John and her six children, Kathryn Voss of Lapeer, Nancy (Don) Heck of Pigeon, Tom (Brenda) Voss of Kilmanagh, Tim (Linda) Voss of New York, NY, Shelly (Paul) Fisher, of Lapeer, and Robert (Lori) Voss of Romeo; three step-children, Laurie Gillingham of Fayetteville, NC, Ned Gillingham of Bay Port, and Eric (Tammy) Gillingham of Gregory; 14 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren; a sister, Dorothy Simpson of Cleveland, OH; and brothers Norman (Mary Ann) Heinitz of Racine, WI and Delbert Heinitz of Orlando, FL.

She was preceded in death by two brothers, Charles Heinitz and Howard Heinitz.

Funeral services to celebrate the life of Luella will be held at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Caseville, at 1:00pm Friday, June 24, with visitation from 10 am to the time of the service. Burial will be in New Bay Port Cemetery. Champagne Funeral Chapel of Caseville is handling the arrangements.

Memorials may be offered to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church or Brian’s House hospice in Bay City.