Our beloved mother, Dorothy Eleanor Papes, 95, of Free Soil peacefully left her earthly life for her eternal home on Friday, May 7, 2021.

Dorothy was born on February 27, 1926, in the farming community of Pontiac, Illinois, the seventh child of eight born to Louis and Chloe Heuer.  Just after her first birthday, her family moved north to Free Soil to a farm on a high hill two miles west of the village. Soon after her family arrived in Michigan, the Great Depression beset the country. Like most families, her family struggled.  Mom often recounted that she did not own a pair of summer shoes until she began kindergarten at Darr School just down the road. During these early years, she never owned more than two dresses. After her other siblings left home, mom became her parents' sole helper on the farm. Mom fondly recalled the days she would shepherd the cows in the pasture with the family collie. She loved watching the clouds roll along while imagining a better life for herself.  Those years on the farm cemented her love of the outdoors and her solid work ethic.  She graduated from Scottville High School in 1944. Introduced to Steve by her older brother, she and Steve dated in high school and corresponded while he was in the Navy during WWII.  After the war, they married on July 19, 1947, at St. John Cantius Catholic Church.

After living a short time in Muskegon and Manistee, they settled in Free Soil where they raised their five children.

She loved simple things:  statues of angels, a glass vase in a sunny window, yard sale treasures, needlepoint, picking wild berries, reading poetry, picnics with her family, music, and flowers all brought her great joy.

She enjoyed attending the activities her children and grandchildren were involved in.  She mastered the pregame rituals-preparing the "right" pregame meal, lucky socks, and clean uniforms.  She attended her children's games from T-ball through college!  When those years ended, she was a regular in the bleachers cheering on her grandchildren, or in the audience of dance recitals and plays.   She was even able to attend a few of her great grandchildren's sporting events!  She was a dedicated Detroit Tiger fan, Lion's fan, and spent many Sunday's watching professional golf-especially if Tiger Woods was playing!

Although she never believed it, she was a fabulous cook! Whether it was sharing a simple lunch with the priest next door or spending days preparing holiday feasts for thirty, she could do it all!

Her faith was very important to her. She was a communicant at St. John Cantius in Free Soil for over 70 years. She was an active member of the Altar Society, the Rosary Society, and the Chicken BBQ crew.  She was the housekeeper at the rectory and groundskeeper for the church and cemetery. She loved spending hours cutting grass and was often seen in her straw hat, hand clipping around each and every gravestone. She did this well into her late 80's! Because she always looked for something to do, she even enjoyed snow-blowing and shoveling!!

She was preceded in death by her husband Steve in 1989, her parents, Steve's parents, her sisters: Eileen (Sonny) Gschwendtner, LouElla (Robert) Staley, Laversa (Jack) Kinney, Anna Mae (Clarke) Benham, Viola (Neil) Anderson, her brothers: George (RoseMary) Heuer, and Warren (Leona) Heuer, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law: James (Marie) Papes, Joseph (Doris) Papes, John (Sophie) Papes, Charles Papes, Kay Papes, and niece Evelyn Malcolmnsen. Left to cherish her memory are her children: Steve (Mary) Papes of Newaygo, Ed (Kathy) Papes of Scottville, Ken (Cindy) Papes of Free Soil, Christy (Bob) Durham of Holland, and Shari (David) Sikkenga of Otsego, Minnesota.  Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren: Kyle Papes and Jennifer Pavlak ( Brodi and Hayden),  Paul and Anna Papes (Aaron, Elijah, Milan),  Annie  and Wilmer Barrera (Akyra, Livia, Josephine), Dana and Joe Beaudoin (Gineva, Chloe, Leona), Stacy and Matt Wallach (Dylan and Connor), Matt (Humayra) Papes, Sean Papes, Kenny Mack (Jessie) Papes (Josie, Teddy), Ben and Hailey Papes (William, Nash), Sally and Paul Mellema (Ingrid, Thor), Nick and Sarah Papes, Steve Durham, Katie (Sam) Hogan, Stephanie Sikkenga and Danny Sikkenga,  her brother-in-law Alex Papes, and many nieces and nephews.

In Dorothy's memory, donations may be made to "St. John Cantius Church". Any funds collected will be set aside for the maintenance of St. John Cantius Cemetery.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Monday, May 17, 2021 at 1:00 PM at St. John Cantius Catholic Church in Free Soil with Reverend Dennis O'Donnell celebrant. Family and friends will also pray the rosary at noon at the Church.  Burial will follow at St. John Cantius Catholic Cemetery also in Free Soil. The family will receive friends at the church on Monday morning two hours prior to the funeral Mass.

The Herbert Funeral Home of Manistee is in charge of funeral arrangements.