Marianne Heaton

Marianne Ratliff Heaton was born on February 22, 1937 to Charles and Kathryn Ratliff. Her family lived many places before they finally settled in Northville, MI. She attended Northville High School, as did her future husband Gerald Heaton.

Marianne was first and foremost a mother, not just to her own seven children, but to many nieces and nephews as well. Since her childhood she said that all she ever wanted was a large family. She and Gerry raised their big family in Plymouth, Michigan, in a nice house with a great yard. She hosted many gatherings in that yard for family, friends and neighbors. Her yard celebrated birthdays, graduations, weddings, showers, or just a simple barbeque and game of volleyball. Marianne was a very involved mother, she was always a room mother for at least one of her children. She was a Girl Scout leader for years, she coached gymnastics, and was a booster mom for all the sports her kids played.

Marianne loved nature, being outside, and especially enjoyed the sun and water. Many summer days she would load up the station wagon with a passel full of kids and head to Murray’s Lake. In 1972 she got a cottage for keeps on Grand Lake in Presque Isle, MI. In 1989 Marianne got her dream come true, Juniper Lodge, which had been part of the same resort as the cottage. Now she had a place to hold all of her kids, their spouses and grandchildren. She spent five years restoring the lodge to its early 1900’s splendor. It was truly a labor of love for her. Her family continues to have reunions on Grand Lake to this day.

Marianne adored history, antiques and decorating. She found the perfect job to pursue these passions by becoming a guide at Greenfield Village. She was a guide for over 15 years and relished talking about the history of both the village and museum. She was also a member and office holder of the Northville chapter of The Questers Preservation – Restoration – Education.

She is survived by her brother Mike, and sister Jennifer; her daughters Gerilynn, Kelly and Katy, her sons and their spouses, Kyle and Dianne, Toby and Jonna, her son-in-law Earl, her daughter-in-law Marie, 17 grandchildren and 19 1/2 great grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her husband Gerry, her daughter Holly, her son Marty, and her great grandson Hudson.

Marianne wanted everyone to remember her as she was and did not want a traditional funeral. As such, there will be a Celebration of Life in the Lansing area in Summer 2021 (TBD).

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to:

Sparrow Hospital: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Makes check payable to:

The Sparrow Foundation

In memory of Marianne Heaton

1322 E. Michigan Ave Suite 204

Lansing, Michigan 48912

Or visit sparrowfoundation.org/give