Bertha Deal

No woman was as full of love as Bertha Lucille Deal. She dedicated her entire life to taking care of others. Those who knew Bertha will remember her as an endless source of love and devotion, a woman who found happiness in the happiness and well-being of the people she loved most, her siblings, husband, daughter, and many grandkids.

In the year 1914, the entire world was changing as all-out war burgeoned throughout Europe. Amid the cheer "Remember the Lusitania!", a passenger ship sunk by German U-boats, Woodrow Wilson brought America into the war in Europe. With thousands of young American men joining the war effort overseas, this was an era of uncertainty. However, for Harry Sackett and his wife Nettie Holmes it was also a time of great blessing with the birth of their daughter Bertha on June 11, 1914 in Kendall, Michigan.

The youngest of three children, Bertha grew up with the company of her brother Noble and her sister Mabel. Shortly after her birth, the Sackett family relocated to Otsego, where Bertha would spend the majority of her childhood. Her father provided for the family through his job as a farmer, while her mother kept the house and looked after kids. Bertha loved her childhood years in Otsego. She belonged to the Methodist Church, and happily attended the town's public elementary school. Just as she approached high school age, her family chose to relocate to Battle Creek to accommodate her father's new job. He now worked at Post in Battle Creek, and the commute was simply too long from Otsego. In their new home, Bertha's mother found a job of her own by running a boarding house with the extra rooms.

In the year 1933, with the Great Depression clouding over Michigan and the rest of America, Bertha graduated from Battle Creek High School. The times were hard and rough, and the Sackett family's troubles grew when Nettie became ill. Bertha took one year off from her schooling to help out at the boarding house. When she returned to her education, she attended the Bronson School of Nursing.

Upon earning her degree as a nurse, Bertha again returned back home to help with the boarding house. It was a fateful decision, for this is how Bertha met the love of her life. Clinton Deal, Clint, as he liked to be called, rented a room at the Sackett's boarding house. He and Bertha got along very easily, and they quickly fell in love. At the age of 27 Bertha married Clint on Christmas Eve of 1941, but just as they were settling down the Second World War broke out in Europe. The bombing at Pearl Harbor beckoned the service of young American men everywhere, and Clint was among the many to go overseas in the South Pacific. Bertha also contributed to the war effort by working at Fort Custer.

With the end of the war, Bertha and Clint settled in the town of Greenville, just north of Grand Rapids. Bertha found a job as a nurse in the Emergency Room of the town hospital, while Clint worked for Kent Co. Road Commission. As the years passed and they grew older, Bertha realized that she was not able to have a child of her own. At the age of 40 she decided to adopt. Just nine days old, Kathy joined the Deal family. She was their only child, and the greatest source of happiness in their lives.

With this new addition to the family, Bertha and Clint decided to relocate to the nearby Bostwick Lake. They lived there for a short while before moving again, this time to Otsego. Bertha was happy to raise her daughter in the town that she had known and loved as a child. Just as Bertha grew up in the Methodist Church, she found it important to raise her daughter with a religious background. Every morning and evening she took time out of her workday to drive Kathy to and from SDA Junior Academy, a Christian school. Bertha knew how to play the piano, a skill which she passed down to her daughter by insisting that she take lessons.

During this time, Clint found a job at Public Works, which he kept for a few years before opening up his own grocery store called "Deal Grocery." He would later turn the store into an A&W Drive-In. Bertha was an active helper in both businesses, but she also spent a lot of her time practicing the skills she learned in nursing school. She took kind and loving care of her step-father, until his death in the 1960s.

Amidst all this hard work and busyness, Bertha and Clint finally had an opportunity to take a much needed vacation when their daughter was ten years old. Her sister Mabel joined them on the trip, and the foursome spent two weeks in the warm solace of Florida with nothing to do except enjoy each other's company.

The Deal family moved once again, this time to be closer to town. They settled in a big house, which they divided in half to open up an Adult Foster Care unit that could accommodate four people. One of the four, Bertha's mother lived there until her death.

In 1971, with Kathy grown up and retirement ahead of her, Bertha agreed to sell the big house and move out to a cottage on Gun Lake. However, as Clint reached his mid-fifties, he became very ill. Always a care-giver, Bertha lovingly took care of him for many years until his death in 1985. Crushed by the loss of her husband, Bertha moved into senior housing in Kalamazoo, so that she could recuperate her spirits in the company of her daughter. Just a short while later, Bertha's sister's husband also passed away. She and Mabel counted on each other for strength, and they moved into a mobile living unit together. They were two peas in a pod. But in 1996, Mabel passed away and once again, Bertha was devastated.

While Bertha endured many difficulties as she grew older, she also recognized the many blessings in her life. Though she was an older grandmother, she always had plenty of energy for her three grandkids and two step-grandkids. Despite her age, she kept busy by baking, cooking, and cleaning--and she certainly never ran out of energy for her grandkids. She would let them do anything, and spoiled them stinking rotten! And as her grandkids reached adulthood, her family continued to grow with the births of thirteen great-grandchildren.

Bertha was always a caregiver, devoted to the people around her. She loved to entertain, and amid the scents of her home cooking, her house always filled with company. It was common knowledge that nobody made a better pie than Bertha. Her fruits and desserts were also delicious, and Bertha certainly knew how much her family loved these treats. When Kathy would visit her in the nursing home, she would apologize for not having a home baked treat to offer her. She also would have liked a home baked treat for herself, as pie was her favorite food and something she'd even eat for breakfast.

Bertha was a devout Christian throughout her life, who genuinely enjoyed a Saturday morning at church. But as she grew older and her health declined, she became more of a home-body. For the last fifteen years she could not attend regularly, but she kept the Lord in her heart and her faith continued to be her guide in life.

On January 4, 2005 Bertha died peacefully. Learn more about Bertha, view her Life Story film, and visit with her family and friends on Friday from 6-8 p.m. at the BETZLER LIFE STORY FUNERAL HOME, Stadium Drive (West of US-131) where a Celebration of Life Service will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. with a luncheon following. Interment will take place at Bedford Cemetery. She was preceded in death by her husband Clint in 1985, a brother Noble Sackett and by a sister Mabel Taylor. Member’s of Bertha’s family include her daughter: Kathy (Mike) Sackett of Kalamazoo; 5 grandchildren: Troy (Annette) Sackett of Greeneville, TN; Tony Kurzinski of Kalamazoo; Jessica (Scott) Brady of Kalamazoo; Casey (Kailie) Kurzinski of Portage and Karen (Nate) Smallcombe of Denver, CO; 13 great-grandchildren: Sienna, Wesley and Penelope Sackett; David Crawford and Jazmin Kurzinki; Conner and Sydney Brady; Dylan, Melois, Mason and Tucker Kurzinski; Karmen and Natalie Smallcombe and by a niece Barbara (Jim) Rutledge of Hastings. Please visit Bertha's personal web page at www.lifestorynet.com, where you can archive a favorite memory, order flowers or make a memorial contribution to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund in Asia.

Bertha was a kind and loving woman, who will be frequently remembered by the many, many people whose lives she touched.