Rena
Crane Thorsen,
89, of Kalamazoo formerly of Fennville, Michigan
died Friday, February
15,
2008 in Kalamazoo.
She was born
on October 19, 1918 in Fennville, Michigan to U.S. and Lena
(Miller) Crane. Rena married Fredrick Horace Thorsen Jr., (born Nov. 4,
1920) of Ganges, Michigan in Janurary of 1940. Fredrick died April 1,
1960.
Rena's dad was in the fruit growing business after he had graduated
from Michigan Agriculture College and took a job with the State of
Montana as a fruit inspector in the foothills of Montana. On returning
to Michigan he married Lena Miller. His father and mother, John H.
and Hattie (Blakeslee) Crane moved into Fennville about this time
and U S and his new wife stayed on
the farm. They had 6 children,
Aino Geraldine, Rena Dorothy, Richard Carlton, Norma
Louise, Dixianna,
and Jacquelyn Joyce.
Rena was a retired
secretary and lived in many areas of
the
country and most recently moved to the Kalmazoo area. She was a
member of the First United Methodist
Church
in Kalamazoo.
Surviving are her children, two daughters, Christie VanLooy of
Kalamazoo,
Michigan; Sally and Charles Hubbard of Kalamazoo, Michigan; two sons,
Jon
Thorsen of Pensacola, Florida; and Steven and Blanchie Thorsen of
Pineville,
Louisiana; 16 grandchildren; 29 great-grandchildren, and 2
great-great-grandchildren;, sisters, Norma Hungerford
of Kalamazoo, Michigan; Dixie Hungerford and Ken Twentey of Maryland;
and
Jacquie and Kreaton Cullimore
of Big
Rapids, Michigan. She was preceded in death by her husband, Fredrick
Thorsen in
1960. Funeral services were held Tuesday, February 19, 2008 at
11:00
a.m. at Chappell Funeral Home, 637 W. Main St., Fennville.
Burial was in Fennville
Cemetery.
Rena's sister Dixianna,
read the following.
THE
DASH Written by Linda Ellis
I read
of a man who stood to speak at the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone, from the beginning….to the
end.
He
noted that first came the date of her birth and spoke of the following
date with tears,
but he said what mattered most of all…was the dash between those
years.
For
that dash represents all the time that she spent alive on the
earth and now only those
who loved her know what the little line is worth.
For it
matters not, how much we own, the cars…the house…the cash…
What matters is how we live and love… and how we spend our dash.
So
think about this long and hard; are there things you’d like to
change?
For you never know how much time is left that can still rearranged.
If we
could just slow down enough to consider what’s the truth and real…
and always try to understand the way other people feel.
And be
less quick to anger and show appreciation more,
and love the people in our lives… like we’ve never loved before.
If we
treat each other with respect and more often wear a smile…
remembering that this special dash might only last a
little while.
So when
your eulogy is being read… with your life’s actions to rehash…
would you be proud of the things that they say… about how you spent
your dash?
