Obituary of Helen Marie Highfield

  Helen Marie Highfield, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and devoted friend, who loved her life at Pretty Lake, went home to be with her Heavenly Savior on March 25, 2019, after a brief illness. She was 81. Helen passed away peacefully in her sleep at The Laurels in Carson City, Michigan. Helen had been surrounded by the love of her family and friends since first being hospitalized on January 23.

  A visitation will be held Wednesday, April 3 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Janowicz Funeral Home in Remus, Michigan. Funeral services will be Thursday, April 4 at 12 noon at New Hope Methodist Church in Mecosta, with an hour of visitation prior to the service at New Hope UMC.

   Helen was born January 18, 1938 and grew up in Laingsburg, the daughter of Ed and Arlene Beavers. She attended the Laingsburg Community Schools, graduating from there in 1956, with a love of music and a passion for family and friends. Helen was very active in the Laingsburg community, as an office manager in the local doctor's office, and as a member of the Laingsburg Business Association.

   She was a volunteer with the local ambulance service. She enjoyed the hours involved in countless activities with her school-age children and then grandchildren.  She was proud to carry on her father's legacy as a joint owner of Pine Hills Golf Course for many years. She was a faithful member of the Laingsburg United Methodist Church, serving the church in many roles, and loved singing in the church choir. 

   Helen married Ed Highfield on July 17, 1971. They were devoted to each other; the love of each other's lives, cherishing their 47 years of marriage together.

   Ed and Helen remained very active in the Laingsburg community until moving to Pretty Lake in 2002. There, they embraced "life at the lake"and opened their lakefront home for family and friends to enjoy. They were active in the Mecosta community, and particularly loved their church home at New Hope United Methodist.

   Helen loved cooking, gardening, music, dancing, playing cards, visiting with friends, and had a special passion for MSU Spartan athletics. She loved watching the college bowl games, college basketball tournament contests, and NFL football. Most of all, though, was her love of family, above all else.

   She was preceded in death by her parents, and her grandson, Travis.

   Survivors include her siblings, Edith (Dick) Watts of California; Virginia (Lynn) Cortright of Tennessee; Chuck (Christine) Beavers of E. Lansing, Michigan; and Donald (Ingrid) Beavers of Caro, Michigan; her children Mike (Connie) MacGuinness of Michigan Center, Sandy (Tom) Turek of Laingsburg, Sue (Jerry) Reed of Royal Oak and Cory (Gretchen) Highfield of Laingsburg; grandchildren Jason (Katie) MacGuinness, Sarah (Steve) Owens, Kelsey and Kaitlyn Turek, Elizabeth (Eric) Akers, Bill (Greg) Lewis, and Brenna, Aleigha and Isaac Highfield; great-grandchildren, Savannah, Samantha, Jayden, Sam, Harper, Jameson and Ivylynn; and several nieces and nephews.

   Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimers Association, and to New Hope United Methodist Church of Mecosta, Michigan.