Eva Kathleen (Bennett) Gregerson

Eva Kathleen (Bennett) Gregerson, age 85, passed away Sunday, April 7th, 2024, with her daughter, Laura by her by her side at St. Ann’s Home in Grand Rapids, MI. She bravely faced the challenges of vascular dementia over a difficult 13-year journey, leaving her love and light with the people she met all along the way.

Eva was born in Battle Creek, MI November 18, 1938, to Laura Louise (Rial) Bennett and Vance James Bennett. Vance left Laura and their five children when Eva was only 4-years old. Her stepfather, Samuel Raymond McCabe was the only father she knew and loved.

Eva Kathleen was preceded in death by her husband, Richard Wesley Gregerson, her mother, Laura Louise (Rial) Bennett-McCabe and her stepfather, Sam McCabe, her brothers, Floyd (Allie) Bennett and Leonard (Beulah) Bennett, her sisters, Norma (Bennett) Pfost, and Linda (Bennett) Jones, her dear mother-in-law, Eva Gregerson, and her granddaughter, Rachel Anne Hummel.

Some of her dearest friends who preceded her in death were Reta Turnbull, Shirley Ann Slinker, and Carol Boelkhe.

Eva is survived by her daughters Robin April (Gregerson) Hummel-Smith of Marshall, MI, Laura Beth (Gregerson) Fox and her wife Norma Fox of Grand Rapids, MI, Cindy Kathleen Gregerson of Manistee, MI, and her son, Jonathan Richard Gregerson of Manistee, MI, as well as grandchildren, great-grandchildren, cousins, nieces and nephews and her sister-in-law, Beulah Bennett of Barryton, MI.

Her “Other” Kids

Eva is also survived by her Texas family who lovingly called her “Michigan Mom”: Corina Martinez, Connie Lopez, Pita Martinez, Sylvia Herrera, and Brenda Cole; and her lifelong friend, Jonny Groth of Battle Creek, MI.

Her Early Life

Eva grew up in the Marshall, Athens, Burlington, Tekonsha, and Fredonia Township area and attended schools there, until she moved to Cincinnati, OH her junior year and graduated from God’s Bible School where she was known by her nickname, “Happy”.

She returned to Marshall where she met her husband, Richard Gregerson, at work at the S.H. Leggett Company. He actually proposed to her at work!

Hardworking, Fun-Loving, Friend to All

Eva was known to so many in Marshall, Coldwater, and Grand Rapids, MI as a loving, generous, happy, caring person who never met a stranger. She was generous almost to a fault, giving freely of her time and talents to her family, neighbors, church, and friends. She loved babies and children, puppies, kitties, and found the world around her amazing. Everyone who knew her before dementia probably received some jars of her “Black Gold” black raspberry jelly and/or an Amuguri crocheted animal. Black Gold was a labor of love and lots of thorns, as she climbed through the woods, picking gallons of those wild berries, then cooked up hundreds of jars of jelly to give as gifts every year to everyone she met. Giving filled her with joy. Her fudge? The only fudge her kids will eat.

Her crocheted creations, beautiful afghans, and doilies grace the homes of many people and charities across the globe. She never stopped crocheting until just about a year ago and could only make little squares in the end. But the brightly colored yarn made her happy and her stitches remained perfect! Her handmade things are gifts every one of us will cherish always.

For many years, Eva ran her own Adult Foster Care Home in Coldwater, MI, and was known as one of the very best in Branch County. It was a beautiful home filled with the aroma of her baking, cooking, cleaning, and building stuff. She built a Koi Pond with an arched little bridge in the backyard, she remodeled the home inside and out, made a life-size Nativity scene out of wood, and a train set for her grandson. She built, painted, put up drywall, fixed, repaired, sewed, quilted, and managed everything. She built a bunny hutch for her rabbits, and she loved (read spoiled) her two dogs and six kitties (yes, six).

She loved her family more than life itself and gave everything she had to help them. She was known to her grandkids as “Grandma Fishing Pole” as she loved to fish and took them fishing whenever she could.

She made mistakes in life, as have we all, but tried like hell to make things right.

Dementia: The Long Goodbye

Eva was the bravest soul I’ve ever known. She knew or sensed something was wrong in 2010 so she closed her AFC home and made the huge move from Coldwater to the big city of Grand Rapids, MI to be near her daughter, Laura and DIL Norma Fox. The official diagnosis came in 2013 and the disease changed everything—except that she was still Eva, still a loving, selfless, thoughtful, playful, hardworking, joyful light in this world.

Her primary caregivers, Laura & Norma Fox, would like to honor and thank her caregivers, friends, and neighbors for all their love, friendship, and care during Eva’s dementia journey: The Fox Family of Union City, MI who made sure Eva was always included; Georgia Snyder and Cathy Hoard who sent Eva so many thoughtful cards and letters across the years; Cherry (Freds) McCorriston of Shelby, MI, Brenda Bennett, and Christine (Bennett) Carley who visited their Aunt Eva whenever they could and opened up their homes to her as well; True Blue Caregivers, especially Barb McCafferty who made so many fabulous memories with Eva and continued to visit her as her friend right up until the end; Leaves Personal Care—especially Kathy Ippel; Jenna Arcidiacono of Amore Trattoria Italiana who always made time to give Eva hugs and extra attention; Kameel Chamelly of Martha’s Vineyard who personally delivered GF bread to Eva at Rest Haven; Edwin Cuenco of City Built Brewing for taking time to sit down with us at CBB and visit Eva;  Frannie Khopade of Rose’s Reed’s Lake who made Eva feel so special; Renee and Ken DeYoung who made Eva feel safe and loved in our neighborhood; Eva Whitcomb of Sparta who was a truly special friend to Eva here in the Grand Rapids area; the caring staff at Rest Haven Home, Grand Rapids; Re-Purposed Assisted Living, Grand Rapids; Fountain View, Coopersville; Mission Pointe, Lamont; the beautiful, loving people of St. Ann’s Home, Grand Rapids; and the sweetest, dedicated hospice nurses and caregivers of Emmanuel Hospice who made sure Eva was peaceful, comfortable, and loved up until the very last breath, especially Beth Urban.

Eva did not want a funeral service as she did not want people to see her when she was dead and preferred that they come visit while she was still living. We could not agree more.

Any donations you would like to make in Eva’s memory can be made to Emmanuel Hospice.

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