Florence Estella Harvath-Lee

Florence E. Harvath Lee was born Florence Estella Bunker on May 10, 1923, in Alaiedon Township, Michigan, to Vernon H. and Edna (Van Blaricom) Bunker entered into heaven on September 17, 2017. After the age of two years, Florence was raised by her aunt, Ruby Galvin, and lived most of her life in the Mason area.

Florence met Joseph Lewis Horvath while she attended Pattengill High School and he attended Eastern High School, both in Lansing. Flo graduated from Mason High School with the class of 1941, and the couple was married on November 21, 1941. The family would later change their last name to Harvath. Florence and Joe were married until May of 1970.

During the years when Florence and Joe worked a farm with Flo’s dad in DeWitt, Michigan, they gave birth to three children, Sheryl Jo, Valerie Ann, and Allan Brant. Florence devoted her life to raising their kids and caring for her family. Sherri, Val, and Allan have been amazed and amused by their mom’s stories of life in the 1940s, including frozen diapers on the clothesline in winter. Flo scrubbed the family’s clothes on a wash board in a metal tub. Late in life, she still said, “I like to see clothes on the line. It’s a homey feeling – lets you know someone lives there.” She canned much of the food grown in their garden and enjoyed counting the rows of neatly shelved Mason jars that would feed her family until the next year’s harvest. Flo made nearly all of her children’s clothing, stitching carefully on her Singer treadle sewing machine, and continued to fashion dresses for Sherri and Val into their teen years.

When the farm was sold in 1950, the family moved to Mason. Flo worked for the Ingham County News as stenographer, secretary, and reporter from 1953 to 1960. Editor Nelson Brown described her as “a woman of high moral character – honest, loyal and punctual.” From 1960 to 1985, Flo worked for various departments at Michigan State University as stenographer, executive secretary, supervisor, and administrative assistant, retiring on June 1, 1985, from the Office of Academic Governance.

Flo often enjoyed writing poems about people and events in her life. A letter or a note card from her was a treat to be savored. She carefully selected every birthday and holiday card with loving thoughts of the recipient.

Flo married LeRoy H. Lee on June 30, 1984, and enjoyed 14 years of marriage before his death on November 23, 1998. They volunteered together at Dobie Road Medical Care Facility and at Michigan Capital Medical Center. Faith, family, friends, and service to others filled their lives.

Florence has unshakable faith in God and attended Mason Church of the Nazarene where she sang in the choir and served in many capacities during her approximate 60-year membership before moving from her Mason home in June 2011. While living in Charlotte for five years, she attended Kalamo United Methodist Church with Allan & Cindy and Charlotte Assembly of God with her caregivers at that time, Claudia & Rick Dickson. Flo lived the final year of her life with the residents and loving caregivers of The Flower House in Nashville, Michigan. Lisa and her staff truly treated her like family.

Florence was known by several names – Flo, Mom, Mommy, Gram, Grammy, and Grammy Grammar, (even Skeet or Skeeter in earlier years) – and she is precious to all who have known and loved her. Best of all, she is assured that her name is “written down in Glory!” and that today she is safe in the arms of her Lord and Savior. As promised in one of her favorite hymns, “When we all get to Heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be!”

Florence was preceded in death by her husband LeRoy Lee, her parents, aunt Ruby Galvin, sisters Eunice Sly and Beatrice Courser, brother Vernon Beech, Sr., first husband Joseph Harvath, daughter-in-law Marian Harvath, grandson Jeremiah Mills, step-son-in-law Jack Wade, and nephew Lawrence Sly. She is survived by her daughters Sherri Barmby and Valerie Harvath, son Allan (Cindy) Harvath, step-daughter Tonja Wade-Lee; grandchildren Bruce (Cindi) Balmer, Troy (Brenda Horton) Woudstra, Angela (Craig) Bullock, Darrell (April) Balmer, Cameron (Rochelle Napier) Harvath, Courtney (Mandy) Harvath, Jeff (Arica) Braden, Brent (Echo) Braden, and Shad Wade, step-granddaughters Belinda Buddrus and Amanda (Brian Straughan) Hawn; 19 great-grandchildren, Brooke (JR), Elizabeth, Ryan, Daniel, Alyssa, Aiden, Dylan, Chad, Brent, Ayreis, Audrey, Caden, Rachel, Bobby (Sarah), Preston, Ellis, Averie, Samuel, Xander; three great-great-grandchildren, Allan, Tucker, Karter; and several cousins, nieces, and nephews.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 21, 2017 at the Mason First Church of the Nazarene, 415 E. Maple St., Mason, MI 48854 with the Rev. Gerhard Weigelt officiating. The family will receive friends from 5-8 p.m. on Wednesday, September 20, 2017 at the Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes, 621 S. Jefferson St., Mason, MI 48854. Those desiring may make contributions to The Flower House, 9950 S. Clark Rd., Nashville, MI 49073 or Grace Hospice, 2725 Airview Blvd., #101, Portage, MI 49002 or Alzheimer’s Association, Michigan Great Lakes Chapter, 2111 University Park Dr., Ste 200, Okemos, MI 48864. Memories and online condolences may be shared with the family at www.grbdmason.com.