| Shelley (Libke) Farquhar's Mom and Dad |
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| At right is a picture of Shelley's Mother and Dad taken in January of 1985 at the Hathaway House Inn in Blissfield, Michigan during their 50th anniversary celebration. Arlene passed away on June 21st of 1991 at the age of 75. She was vital, active, and robust her entire life and never failed to have "just the right thing" to say that exemplified the fact that she spoke her mind. She loved her children and grandchildren immensely and took every opportunity to share her time with them as a wonderful mother and grandma. Mel passed away about five and a half years later, on December 12th, 1996, at the venerable age of 87. A towering figure all his life, Mel could be imposing, with just a firm glare from his brow that told his children to mind their manners, yet as tender and loving as any man of his generation. Shelley recalls many loving and tender memories as a young child at the knee of the man she adored. Mel and "Art", as he often referred to his bride, lived for many years out on the farm on Canandaigua Highway, a mile west of the hamlet of Canandaigua proper, in Lenawee County, Michigan. The old farmhouse bore a sign out front declaring the site "Mulberry Hill" in honor of the great, and "fruitful", mulberry trees standing guard just east of the gravel drive. One had to take care where one parked ones car, during the late summer, to avoid a peppering of mulberry stains. From these pictures, it's hard to tell exactly who Shelley most resembles, but Mel gets most votes from those inclined to opine. The rest of their family, in addition to their daughter Shelley (husband Jack Farquhar), includes: Shelley's children, Leslie, Holly, and Whitney: their son Gregg (wife Kathy) and his children Chris (passed away accidentally as a young man of fourteen years), Brad, and Lara: their daughter Kathy (husband Ron Pontious), and her children Ty and Beth. Gregg, the oldest of Mel and Arlene's offspring resides near Toledo, Ohio in blissful retirement as an avid 'empty nester', while Kathy the precocious "middle child", lives in central Florida, also in retirement, & Shelley is still working away near her home in the metro Detroit area. |
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| Arlene Marian Miller, born September 9th, 1915, was married to Melvin Lewis Henry (Jack) Libke, born September 26th, 1909, in Adrian, Michigan at a private residence on the brisk winter day of January 5th, 1935. Gregg, Kathy, and Shelley came along on December 15th, 1940, June 5th, 1946, and May 24th, 1958, respectively. Oddly synchronyous with Mike, Martha, and Julie Koppitsch, the cousins, and children of Genevieve (Miller) and Elmer (Hump) Koppitsch, who lived across the street in rural Canandaigua, Michigan, 7 miles north of Morenci, Michigan, in Lenawee County. |
| This is a picture of Little Shelley Beth Libke Farquhar, or 'Charlie' to her Dad, extracted from a B&W family portrait that was taken in the summer of 2003. |
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