Anne Shaver

Anne was born on November 21, 1936, in Three Rivers, Michigan. Her parents were Paul Emerson Hough and Frances Elizabeth (Moyer) Hough. It was during the great depression and her father was unable to find work, so they moved to his parents’ home in Hartford. Anne’s favorite spot as a young child was sitting on the lap of her Grandpa Hough where he would tell her stories, teach her songs, and encourage her imagination and curiosity.

Anne’s mother found a job in Kalamazoo after her parents divorced. Anne was able to see her mother only on weekends because she had to live in Three Rivers with her widowed grandmother. However, throughout her childhood her mother Fran was diligent in pursuing corrections for Anne’s left foot because she had been born with equinovarus (club foot). She endured several surgeries, casts and braces on her leg. Anne remembers those years living with her grandmothers and cousins as happy times.

Eventually her mother married Stanley Randall and Anne was able to live with her mother full time in Kalamazoo. Fran and Stan gave her five siblings, Charles (Chuck), Barbara (Barbie), Stanley (Buzz), Sue Ellen (Susie), and Frank Randall. Her father also remarried; Paul and his wife, Pearl, had a son named Phillip G. Hough. Anne spent summers with her father’s family in Benton Harbor.

It was during the summer before her senior year when she met Ray Shaver. She was immediately attracted to his good looks and polite manner. By the time she graduated from Kalamazoo Central High School, he had given her a diamond engagement ring. The following summer they were married on July 30, 1955. They enjoyed life’s joys and struggles by each other’s side for 69 years until his passing on July 24, 2024.

Anne and Ray began raising their children Cathy, Tim, and Amy in a home surrounded by woods, apple orchards, and cornfields. Anne loved sharing God’s creation with her children, teaching them about plants and animals, allowing them to get their hands dirty, taking them to the Nature Center and parks. After her daughter Amy was born with lifelong health issues, Anne became a diligent caregiver. Her son Tim had given her a few years of prep with the multiple injuries he sustained as an active boy. Anne was also involved in their school activities, helping with field trips, parties, school plays and being a Girl Scout leader. She instilled the love of dance in the children, taking the girls to ballet lessons; Cathy still teaches dance to this day.

Anne was an adventurer. She and Ray would often take the family on a Sunday drive where she would direct him to go down backroads where they had never driven before. She was also great at throwing parties for family and friends! Birthdays always had a theme, holidays were elaborate buffets with appropriate décor, Christmas included a sing-along, and any occasion could become a costumed occasion.

Her love of God‘s creation inspired her to become a talented artist. Shape, design, and color had intrigued her ever since she was a child. She took many art classes in school, continuing into adulthood at the Kalamazoo Institute of Art. She exhibited her art throughout Southwest Michigan. Most recently a show titled “Like Mother, Like Daughter” with her daughter, Amy Lohrmann, who is also an accomplished artist and teacher. During the time she was a member of the Paw Paw Art Association she was commissioned to paint murals to display on Paw Paw and Lawton city buildings. Her creative gifts were evidenced by the beauty and peacefulness of her home and the pieces she painted.

Anne had a vibrant faith deeply rooted in God‘s word. She was brought up walking to church every Sunday with her grandmother or mother. From the time she asked Jesus into her heart as a teen, her faith was the anchor of her life. She taught Sunday School, helped in the church nursery, sang in the church choir, performed as a soloist or in ensembles. While she and Ray were raising their family they attended Milwood Methodist Church. After moving to Lawton, they became active members of the Lawton Evangelical Mennonite Church. She produced many church plays, cantatas, and musicals. Ray and Anne were Youth Group leaders. As a grandmother she began a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) program at her church. She led many Bible studies for women, participated in Bible Study Fellowship (BSF), Community Bible Study (CBS), as well as studies at local churches or in friends’ homes. She began every day with her Bible and praying for her family and friends.

As the children grew older, Anne joined the workforce again. She began in sales, started her own business, and had various office management jobs. She earned her real estate license and was a successful agent. Always wanting to educate herself, she took classes at Kalamazoo Valley Community College. This gave her access to the KVCC pool, as she was always an avid swimmer.

Anne loved to travel and explore new places. Every summer the family would rent a cottage on a lake or travel to another state to have a well-planned adventure. She saw the majority of the 50 states, including Hawaii. After her children were adults, she continued to journey outside of the U.S. with them, with Ray, or even on her own. Once they retired, Anne and Ray drove to Seaside, Florida each year to spend winter months. Anne was at the pool every morning, often leading water exercises for the other ladies.

During the rest of the year Anne and Ray enjoyed being at home landscaping their two-acre property into a beautifully designed lawn with individually themed gardens. In July 2007 they received the honor of “Garden of the Month” by the Carnegie Garden Club allowing the property to be enjoyed by the touring public. Not surprisingly their son Tim and grandson Austin were inspired to become professional landscapers and builders.

Anne was devoted to her family, comprised of 30 descendants as well as her siblings, nieces and nephews. This past Christmas she threw a party to gather them all together in the hope that they will not lose touch with one another.

Anne and Ray’s immediate family consists of their three children, Cathy (Rob) Krieg, Tim (Lori) Shaver, and Amy (Tom) Lohrmann. Cathy’s family consists of Carly (Jonathan) Rykse, their three sons; Renee (Ben) Belloli, their three children; and Natalie (Ross) Nave, with their two sons. Tim’s family includes Ashley (Jason) Tolbert, their two sons; Brianne Shaver and Cortez Lake, with their two daughters; and Austin (Katy) Shaver.

Anne genuinely cared for other people and always put the needs of others before her own. She made a difference in the world and the world is a better place because of her. Even when life became difficult for her, she continued to fight on with things she thought were important – seeing her children and their children and spending time with friends, old and new.

Most days she had music playing in the background, usually singing along. On her last day in her imperfect worldly body, she was blessed by a hospice music therapist playing her favorite hymns at her bedside. Safe in the arms of Jesus, she has left behind a legacy of love to all who knew her.

Please join us for a Live Story Visitation on Friday, March 7, from 5-7 PM at Betzler Life Story Funeral Homes, 6080 Stadium Drive, Kalamazoo (269) 375-2900. A Life Story Service will be held Saturday, March 8, at 11 AM at the funeral home. A reception will follow in the Life Story Center where food, drinks, and stories will be shared.

Celebrate Anne’s life online by sharing your favorite stories and photos on her dedicated web page at BetzlerLifeStory.com. Memorial donations may be directed to American Diabetes Association, Bronson Hospital Patients in Need Fund, or Heritage Community Foundation Legacy Fund.