Obituary for Cleo Marie (Downing) Piercefield

Cleo Marie (Downing) Piercefield, born May 19, 1928 in Sebewa Township to Homer H. and Mamie L. (Williams) Downing, their youngest child. She was raised until she was 13 years old on Musgrove Highway, then the family moved to West Sebewa to farm on Clarksville Road. She attended one room rural schools and graduated from Lake Odessa High School, Western Michigan University, and Michigan State University. Her goal was to become a teacher. She was a lifetime member of the Michigan Education Association. She died quietly in her bed Saturday, January 11, 2025 at Portland Assisted Living Center.
She graduated from Western Michigan University on June 18, 1949, in the morning and married the love of her life, Gordon Lyle Piercefield that afternoon in the yard of her parent's home on Clarksville Road. Cleo and Gord loved to dance, play cards, garden, listen to the Detroit Tigers, and especially travel. She was active at West Sebewa Church of Christ from childhood through its evolution to Outreach Christian Church.
She always enjoyed making crafts, sewing, knitting, crocheting, writing poetry, and making cards. She had a card ministry for many years where she wrote a verse, made a card and mailed out 30 cards every month. She wrote a poem for every family's birthday and anniversary until her last year. Cleo was a member of Ionia County Genealogical Society and their First Families Society #108.
Gord and Cleo bought a farm at 3122 Knoll Road in 1951, Cleo still lived there until 2023, when she moved to Portland Assisted Living Center. After retirement in 1984, she and Gord spent winters traveling in the south or in Florida. She was active with the "Redhatters" for several years after her retirement, commenting "I do not know how I had time to work."
She taught at Portland High School and Sunfield High School, retiring after 30 years. She developed the "Office Block" class at Portland High School which was very innovative at the time.
She worked at TRW for over two years, in the office of East Side Lumber when Gord owned it, and worked for over 20 years on the Supervisory Committee of the Portland Federal Credit Union.
Surviving Cleo are her children, Lori (Bill) Fox and John (Cindi) Piercefield; 5 grandchildren: Jamie (Jenny) Fox, Lisa (James) Espinoza, Mark (Val) Fox, Tyler (Dana) Piercefield, and Caiti (Austin) Moore; 17 great-grandchildren: Brian Fox and Jared (Ellie) Fox, Wes Fox, Elijah Espinoza, Logan Greene, Landon Espinoza, Aiden Espinoza, Maria Garza, Chandler Freville, Sally Freville, Kara Fox, Anna Fox, Johanna Piercefield, Copeland Piercefield, Lennon Cleo Piercefield, Silas Moore, Ezra Moore, and baby girl Moore coming in May; and one great-great-grandson, Lincoln Cole.
Preceding Cleo in death are her parents; husband, Gord in 2014; sister, Maxine in 1920; brother, Bruce (Myrtle in 1995) Downing in 2001.
A visitation honoring Cleo will take place from 5-7 p.m. on Friday, January 31, 2025 and from 11-12 on Saturday, February 1, 2025 before the Memorial Service at noon, which will be followed by a luncheon all at Outreach Christian Church, 7831 N. Jordan Lake Rd, Lake Odessa, MI. There will be a private interment at East Sebewa Cemetery. Those wishing may make donations to Outreach Christian Church in memory of Cleo. Online condolences may be made at www.lehmanfuneralhomes.com.
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