Mrs. Ellen June Middleton of Cedar Springs, age 87 passed away Tuesday, January 27, 2015.  She was born in Millbrook, Michigan to Herbert and Elsie (Oberlin) Decker. She enjoyed dancing, traveling, winters in Florida and the challenge of putting puzzles together.  However, her greatest joy was spending time with her family. Ellen is survived by her loving husband Harold “Buck”; sons, Alan (Betty) Palmer, Rob (Ethel) Palmer; step-children, Steve Middleton, Jerry (Laurie) Middleton, Mary Jo (Bill) Weidenfeller, Karen (Kevin) Grattan; 12 grandchildren; 7 great-grandchildren; and brother, Cecil Decker. She was preceded in death by her parents; 10 brothers and sisters; and step-son, Ronald Middleton. There will be a memorial visitation for Ellen from 1 – 4 p.m. Saturday, January 31, 2015 at the Pederson Funeral Home, 127 N. Monroe St., Rockford, MI 49341. In lieu of flowers please make memorial contributions to Heartland Hospice, 3230 Eagle Park Drive NE, Suite 200, Grand Rapids, MI 49525. There will be a graveside service for Ellen in the spring.

Pederson Funeral Home

www.pedersonfuneralhome.com

The original Ensley Baptist Church

On July 13 and 14, Ensley Baptist Church will be celebrating their 150th anniversary as an established Bible-believing and preaching church in Ensley Center, Michigan. The theme for the celebration is “150 Years of Serving God and Loving People.”

In May of 1863, Ensley Baptist Church was organized with a core of about 15 baptized members. Meetings were held in the local schoolhouse and baptisms took place in Baptist Lake. Among the early members was William Bruce, a former slave. At his death he left everything to the church, and the proceeds were used to purchase the land on which the original church was built in 1884. A bell, which is still used to call the people to worship today, was purchased for $92.24 after a cash payment discount.

In 1917 a basement was added to accommodate a furnace and Sunday School classes. But, as the membership grew, the need for more room was evident.

In 1949 the church was remodeled. Additions were added on the west side and east side. Before long, yet more room was needed, so the east side addition was removed and replaced with a sizable addition, which doubled the size of the auditorium. With this addition, there was also more space in the basement for Sunday School rooms. An upper floor provided for a balcony, office and nursery. In 1959 a new parsonage was built.

The Ensley Baptist Church today.

In 1971, a sanctuary with a seating capacity for 470 was erected across the road. Ten years later, on May 17, 1981 a ground-breaking ceremony was held for a new addition to that facility, which provided for Sunday School rooms and a library in the basement, and, for the main floor, offices, a nursery, a kitchen and an all-purpose room. In 2006, a new gymnasium was built on the east side of the all-purpose room, and its dedication was held on June 10, 2007.

Over the past 150 years, Ensley Baptist Church has been served by 40 senior and interim pastors. Over the years others have served as youth pastors.

The church, which is located at 7077 E 120th St  Sand Lake, welcomes the community to join in the celebration on July 13 and 14.  On Saturday, July 13, they will have a pig roast and potluck at noon. People are encouraged to bring a dish to pass and lawn chairs. Several former pastors will share about their time at Ensley Baptist Church, starting at around 1p.m. There will also be activities for children throughout the afternoon.

The current Sr. Pastor, Rev. Timothy R. Decker, will be sharing during the Sunday morning service, which starts at 10:45 am.

“The Lord has blessed us and we give Him all the glory for keeping us here all these years as a lighthouse in this community,” said a church spokesperson.

You can discover more about Ensley Baptist Church at www.EnsleyBaptist.com or on Facebook ® at https://www.facebook.com/EnsleyBaptistChurch.

If you want a great deal on a new or pre-owned car, you don’t have to look further than your own backyard. There’s a new dealer in town, and chances are he has just what you’re looking for.

Ed Koehn recently purchased John Decker Chevrolet on 14 Mile Road and has re-named it Ed Koehn Chevrolet. Customers can count on Koehn’s experience; he operates a Ford-Lincoln dealership and a Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge Ram Dealership in Greenville and a Ford Dealership in Wayland. Ed Koehn’s son, Aaron, will run the new Chevrolet store.

“John built a great name, and a great reputation in the community. As far as we are concerned, that is just as important as the emblem on the car,” Koehn said.

Koehn is community-minded, and said he would keep all of Decker’s 20 employees and plans to at least double employment within the year. “We expect volume in service and sales to increase dramatically. Doing so will have a very positive impact on the growth of employment at Ed Koehn Chevrolet,” he said.

Ed Koehn Chevrolet has already doubled their pre-owned vehicle selection and will be announcing huge savings in both their sales and service departments.  Koehn added, “We want to invite the whole community to come in and visit us at Ed Koehn Chevrolet.”

The dealership is located at 4650 14 Mile Road, just west of Northland Drive, in the Cedar Rock business district.
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