Connie Parish, 40

Connie Marie Parish, age 40, of Sturgis, passed away early Saturday morning, Nov. 13, 2010, at Fairview Nursing and Rehabilitation Community in Centreville.

She was born June 11, 1970, in LaGrange, Ind., to Elwood and Jean (Klopfenstein) Burger.

Connie had lived her entire life in the LaGrange and Sturgis area. She graduated from Lakeland High School with the class of 1989 and later graduated from Glen Oaks Community College in Centreville, where she received her associate degree in business.

On July 26, 1997, she married Eugene Parish in Howe, Ind.

Connie had been employed at the Indiana Toll Road Plaza for many years and had also worked at the Marriot Hotel in Fort Wayne, Ind.

She was a member of Sturgis Missionary Church and enjoyed playing bingo, watching her husband bowl and being outside.

She is survived by her loving husband, Eugene; a step-son, Jeremy Lampham of White Pigeon; her parents, Elwood and Jean Burger of Howe, Ind.; a brother, Michael (April) Burger of LaGrange; nephews Max Burger, Robert Parish II, Logan Parish, William Parish, Dillon Parish and Dante Parish.

She was preceded in death by her grandparents; and a stepson, Steven Whitley.

The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. Thursday at Sturgis Missionary Church, 67087 N. M-66, Sturgis, where funeral services celebrating the life of Connie Parish will begin at 10:30 a.m. Friday. The Rev. Robert Renner and the Rev Paul Woods will officiate. A graveside committal will follow the service at English Prairie Cemetery in Howe.

The Hackman Family Funeral Homes – Hackman Chapel, 114 S. Nottawa St., Sturgis, is entrusted with the arrangements.

Memorial donations would be appreciated to the National Kidney Foundation, 30 East 33rd St., New York, NY 10016 or the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 11454, Alexandria, VA 22312.

Her obituary is also at www.hackmanfamilyfuneralhome.com, where personal messages of support may be left for the family.