Danette Birch, 79

Danette DeLove (Lind) Birch, age 79, of Leonidas, died on Friday, July 26th at Bronson Hospital in Battle Creek after a brief illness.

Danette was born July 22, 1940 to Harold Gust and Wilma DeLove (Rizor) Lind.
She graduated from Battle Creek Central High School in 1958, married Elwood Martin “Woody” Bowers on July 6, 1958 and started a life as a Navy wife.

Together Danette and Woody had eight children. Danette dedicated her life to her family and her friends. She was motivated by her great love of people to serve in many capacities throughout her life. She was especially active in her children’s lives as they grew up. In 1969, she began as a Blue Bird leader, then Camp Fire leader followed by serving as the District Chair. She was President, Treasurer, and Secretary of the LaMora Park PTA, and was likely the longest serving classroom mom throughout the 1970s there. As a regular field trip driver, she learned to check for small snakes under the seats on return trips from the Bedford mill pond or Kellogg Forest.

The Bowers family home and property served as the neighborhood playground and revolving dinner door. Many epic snowball battles and some great rotten tomato wars were fought, followed by games of tag and general adventures in the family woodlot often cut short by the universal neighborhood rule of being home when the streetlights came on. As mom to eight, she attended or was driving children to sports events, basketball, football and softball games, swim meets, band and choir concerts, and theatre plays. As her children grew up, grand children began arriving, followed by great grandchildren, strangers from the street, and family she dug up (not literally) from the family tree in her love of genealogy. She was co-owner of Brookside Gardens until 2004 and continued to work in the greenhouse under the ownership of her daughters until this year. In 1984 she married Karl Wayne “Wink” Birch who preceded her in death in 2007.

Many family reunions “The Gathering” and a few weddings have been held at the home they shared in Leonidas. Danette received as much love as she gave in life, beloved by her children and grandchildren, her sister DeAnn Lind Stouffer, her nieces and nephews, and her many friends, including her best friend in crime and mischief, Sandy Haywood. Many lives were touched by the kindness of this sweet woman, and she will be missed by many. Her children, Martin (Joanie), Gerald (Diane), Elaine (Christopher) Poost, Sonya (Roger) Jones, Amanda (Randy) Budreau, Barbara (Stan) Russell, James, and Susannah (Frank) Cope were the luckiest in the mom lottery. Her daughter Amanda predeceased her in 2011. She will be missed by 36 grandchildren, and 49 great grandchildren and one great-great grandchild. Danette was a member of the Leonidas Missionary Baptist Church.

Family will receive friends in Battle Creek at The Potter’s House Church, 226 Capital Ave NE on Saturday, August 3rd from 12-noon to 2:00 p.m. with her service immediately following at 2:00 p.m. with Pastor Dave Stevens, Pastor of Leonidas Missionary Baptist Church, officiating. Burial will be in Leonidas Cemetery on Sunday following church services at her church. Memorial donations are suggested to her church, Leonidas Missionary Baptist Church 31209 M-60, Leonidas, MI 49066 or to an organization close to one’s heart.

Arrangements by Farley Estes Dowdle Funeral Home & Cremation Care.