Margaret Coon

Margaret Louise "Mert" (Fenner) Coon, age 93, of St. Johns, MI passed away Monday, March 10, 2014 at Grace Haven, St. Johns, MI.

Funeral Services will be held at Smith Family Funeral Homes Elsie, MI on Friday, March 14, 2014 at 1:00 P.M., with Pastor Kathy Leydorf-Keck officiating. Burial will take place at North Star Cemetery North Star, Michigan. Visitation will be held on Thursday, March 13, 2014 from 2-8 P.M. with family present from 2-4 & 6-8 P.M. at the funeral home.

Mert was born on January 25, 1921 in St. Johns, MI. She chose Louis R. and Estelle M. (Beebe) Fenner to be her parents. Later, brother Dick, and sister Marjorie completed the Fenner family.

Mert was somewhat privileged in her early educational years. She could sleep in till nearly the last minute, dress, run across the back yard and up the steps to the Eureka school. Her last two years were spent as an Elsie Big Red, graduating with the class of 1938. School came easy to Mert; she was an avid reader who read Gone With the Wind, one thousand plus pages, over one weekend when sister, Marjorie was writing her class book report on the famous novel. She also assisted her own kids with their English, spelling, and writing needs, and math up through their college years.

Mert married Giles Coon on March 22, 1942. That day she gained five new sisters and three brothers. Some of the sisters in law became travel companions and great friends for nearly the next 70 years. Together Mert and Giles bought and built GilMar Dairy Farm. They faced many challenges together, four of them being Doug and Mary of Lakeview, OR, Kurt and Georgann of Bannister, MI, Ken and Peggy of Bannister, MI, and favorite daughter Pam and Rod King of Perrinton, MI. The spouses of her children felt an immediate affection for Mert, for she accepted them as she did her own.

Over the years Mert enjoyed many clubs and organizations including; the Gratiot Extension Club, the Elba Sunshine Club and the Bannister United Methodist Women, to mention a few. Mert and Betty Mitchell mentored many 4-H girls in sewing classes, and they will always hold a special place in her memory book.

Mert lived a long and active life. Some of her passions were her many vegetable and flower gardens, travels throughout the U.S., Europe, and Asia, six grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

She raised her children old school, by carrying a big stick, her grandchildren with a much smaller stick and great grandchildren with no stick. According to her, that was okay and just how it was supposed to be.

Mert believed, lived and taught the traditional style of living, lessons she learned from the depression: make your word good; if you don't have money, you don't need it, etc. She set the bar high for many of us to follow. Thanks, Mert, for setting a great example of how to live a long and meaningful life. Well done!

Mert is survived by her 3 sons; Doug and Mary Coon, Kurt and Georgann Coon, Ken and Peggy Coon, and daughter Pam and Rod King, grandchildren; Ace Araiz, Erika Coon, Natalie Shields, Melissa Seybert, James Coon, Andrea Gilbert, and 3 great granddaughters; Abby Seybert, Emily Seybert, and Olyvia Coon. She is also survived by numerous nieces & nephews on the Coon side and two nieces & two nephews and their spouses on the Fenner side. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, brother Dick and sister Marjorie.

The family owes a special thank you to Dr. Lars Anderson for his compassionate care.

Memorials may be made to; Bannister United Methodist Church, Gratiot County Commission on Aging or Elsie Public Library. Online condolences can be sent to www.smithfamilyfuneralhomes.com The family is being served by Smith Family Funeral Homes Elsie, Michigan.

Read Margaret "Mert" Coon's Obituary and Guestbook on smithfamilyfuneralhomes.com.