Jill Berry, 84

Jill Dian (Grossman) Berry was born in Sturgis to Dale and Dorothy Grossman. She graduated from Centreville High School. After spending time in Washington, DC as a teletype operator for Capitol Airlines, she returned to Centreville. She met Roger Berry from Constantine at a Halloween party and they were married August 6th, 1960. She and Roger raised their three daughters on Big Fish Lake, Sturgis. After retirement, she and Roger spent several years traveling the US in their RV, then settled in Idaho with their youngest daughter and her family.

Jill was extremely creative and artistic. She spent hours sewing doll and Barbie clothes, along with matching outfits for her daughters. Many prom and formal dresses were created from pictures brought to her from catalogs. There were always homemade ornaments for both Christmas and Easter egg trees. She built several dollhouses for daughters and granddaughters along with a miniature horse ranch, play kitchens, doll furniture, and campers. Much time was spent at Christmas with music blaring on the “record player” while cookies were being baked, taffy was being pulled, marshmallow square houses were being built, craft projects were being made, and a general mess of the house was going on. She always managed to laugh at the frosting or taffy that ended up on the kitchen ceiling from those sessions!

She was an avid sports buff and could always be counted on when you needed an answer for sports trivia. No matter what, she always looked forward to the start of football season and could remember coaches and players from all the Michigan teams. Jill started and coached her youngest daughter on the first all-girls Little League team in Centreville, designing and making uniform shirts. She never missed any of her daughters’ sporting events and could always be found in the stands supporting their teams.

Jill was known as “Mom Berry” to many of her daughters’ friends. All were made to feel welcome at the Lake, and enjoyed her homemade pizza, fried zucchini and onion rings, as well as doughnuts as fast as she could make them.

Jill was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Roger, her daughter Romaine, and her brother Jan Grossman. She is survived by her sister Sue Scott, daughters Johnna (Gary) Harlan, Rebecca (Jeff) Wasson, son Brian (Tami) Mayer; Granddaughters Anika (Jackson) Draime, Teah Mayer, Montana Wasson, Fallon Wasson; great-grandchildren Bentley and Navy Draime; and many beloved nieces and nephews.

Grandma Jilly, your girls are sending up lots of love, as well as an unlimited supply of Pizza Sandwiches, White Cheddar Cheezits and Diet Dr Pepper! And we know that Heaven will never run out of pens for you. XOXOXOXO

Per Jill’s wishes, she will be cremated and brought home to Michigan. A celebration of her life will be held at a later date.

Condolences and memories can be shared at www.flahifffuneralchapel.com