Obituaries

October 15, 1934 to February 5, 2024

CARSON CITY, MI - Alice Louise (Crist) McCrackin, 89, of Carson City, Mich., passed away Monday, Feb. 5, at Country Friends Assisted Living in Sumner, Mich., surrounded by love.

She was born Oct. 15, 1934, in Monterey, the daughter of the late Isadore and Helen (Perry) Crist. The family later moved to Kewanna. She graduated from Winamac High School with the class of 1952 and then received additional training as a medical technologist. She began working for the Belding Hospital, in Belding, Mich. where she was later introduced to her future husband by Ella and Jerry Keiffer. Alice and John “Jack” McCrackin were married May 25, 1963, and made their home in Carson City where they raised their children on the family farm. He survives.

Alice McCrackin

She is also survived by four children Tim (Patricia) McCrackin of Ionia, Mich., Perry McCrackin (Jeanne Strickland) of Carson City, Jenny (Ben) Upham of Big Rapids, Mich., and Paul McCrackin of Lansing, Mich.; grandchildren Justine (Ryan) Bouman, Kaitlynn (Brann) Schmitt, Megan (Ryan) Willis, Ellen (Erik) Piper, Elizabeth McCrackin, Michael McCrackin, Andy Upham, Lauren McCrackin, Sarah McCrackin, and John McCrackin; and three great-grandchildren Rhett, Warren and Jansen, and baby Piper on the way; siblings Barbara (Francis) Hendrickson, Joe (Dorothy) Crist, Jim (Carol) Crist, Patricia (Jerry) Girton, and Marsha Gearhart. Also brothers- and sisters-in-law Kate (Ron) Brown, Florence Kavanagh, Jean Richardson, Larry (Becky) McCrackin, Margie Hyde, Connie (Barry) Sacks, Sue (Alan) Goldstein, and Judy McCrackin.

She was preceded in death by her daughter-in-law Michelle McCrackin; sister Delores Miller; brother John Crist; brothers-in-law Larry Richardson, Larry Kavanagh, Gib Hyde, and Michael McCrackin; and sister-in-law, Beverly McCrackin.

Mrs. McCrackin was a devoted mother, always putting her love in all she did for her family. She was a wonderful cook and loved to bake cookies, pies and cakes, and she enjoyed testing out new recipes. Her role was to make sure her family sat down together and to eat three “square” meals a day. One never left the table hungry as she knew everyone's favorite foods and stayed away from the ones they disliked. She worked around the farming schedule of planting and harvesting and everything else in between; she was a committed farmer's wife. Her proudest moments were enjoying her 10 grandchildren and their visits. She was dedicated to her Catholic faith and early on in her life had considered entering the religious life. She continued to be loyal and faithful to God and lived a life of prayer, mass and encouraged the family to offer their problems to God. She was a member of the St. Mary’s Church and St. Mary’s Altar Society in Carson City. She enjoyed socializing, giggling with her sisters and having good conversations. Each of these conversations she would later reflect on and enjoy as a gift from others. She used her talent of easy conversation to volunteer for the Crisis Pregnancy Hotline Services where she advocated for the unborn but also assisted the women going through difficult times.

The family thanks Country Friends Assisted Living and the many caregivers Mrs. McCrackin had for the past six years for their care and love, and treatment as family. In addition, the family thanks The Care Team Home Health & Hospice of Gratiot County who gave her additional care and attention.

Visitation will be from 4 until 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 9, with a rosary service at 4 p.m., at the Lux and Schnepp Funeral Home, Carson City. A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 10, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Carson City with Fr. Lou Anderson celebrating. Interment will follow in Maryknoll Cemetery, Carson City.

Memorials may be made to Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan, or to the wishes of the family. To leave a condolence for the family please visit www.luxfuneralhomes.com.