Joanne Gertrude (Fick) Veramay

Joanne Gertrude (Fick) Veramay (87) passed away Tuesday, December 28, 2021. She was born April 11, 1934 in Albion, Michigan to William “Bill” and Ielene (Bergstresser) Fick. Joanne graduated from Albion High School in 1952 where she was an outstanding student. Classmates voted Joanne and her future husband “cutest couple” and they lived up to the title.

She married her high school sweetheart, David D. Veramay, on June 27, 1954 in Albion at the now-named Salem United Church of Christ. After 65 years of marriage, he passed away May 22, 2020.

Joanne left a job at Union Steel to raise her four children on a beautiful farm at Prairie Lake. The family spent many happy years tending a huge garden, maintaining a beautiful orchard and raising cows. Joanne and Dave produced juice, jellies, wine, honey, and a bounty of fruits and vegetables which Joanne canned.

Joanne enjoyed fishing with her husband at Prairie Lake and they would also take trips to northern Michigan together. It was an annual holiday tradition for them to make dozens of loaves of German kuchen bread from her mother’s special recipe and deliver these to friends and family with bottles of homemade wine and jars of honey. She was a wonderful cook and seamstress. Joanne was very active in her church in Salem Daughters, numerous committees and “fill in” pianist. Joanne was very active with Albion’s ELT Club and organized many class reunions for the Class of ‘52 as class secretary.

Dave and Joanne were a great team. Her organizational skills and his personality combined to enable them to accomplish a tremendous amount of good in their community. Joanne will be fondly remembered for her amazing family meals, intelligence, quick wit and ability to forget where she hid Christmas gifts only to stumble upon them months later.

Survivors include her children; Sherie Veramay of Lansing, D. Scott (Nancy Radcliff) of Portage, Robert of Albion and Karen (Matthew) Hagerty of Winter Springs, Florida; grandchildren Drue Wagenschutz, Sophia and Myles Hagerty, Mark (Kim) Radcliff, Mary (Danny) Frost; great-grandchildren Matthew and Katelynn Radcliff and Noah Frost. She was an only child but was very close to many of her cousins from her mother and father’s many siblings. She was particularly close to her cousin, Dave Eddy, who was like a brother.

There will be no immediate memorial, but the family will gather at a later time to celebrate the lives of both their parents. Memorial contributions may be made to the Salem United Church of Christ, 113 W. Pine St., Albion, MI 49224, or the Marshall Civic Players, P.O. Box 102, Marshall, MI 49068.

Arrangements were entrusted to Kempf Family Funeral and Cremation Services 723 US Hwy 27 N Marshall, Michigan 49068. Please visit https://kempffuneralhome .com to view the online obituary, to sign the online guest book or to leave the family condolences.