Richard Reynnells

Richard Douglas "Dick" Reynnells, age 94, of Lawrence, MI died August 18, 2017 at his home. He was born November 16, 1922 in Lawrence, not far from his current residence. Dick was preceded in death by his wife, Helen (Sirks), also a graduate of Lawrence High School (1941) in 2003; his parents, S. Newton and Retha B. (Meabon) Reynnells and a great grandson, Alex Reynnells. He is survived by his sister, Betty J. (Joseph) Harrison of Ionia; sons: Richard D. (Louise) of Laurel, Md., Russell N. (Sue) of Lawrence, Robert D. (Paula) of South Saint Paul, Mn. and Thomas M. (Linda) of Lawrence. He leaves fourteen grandchildren: Kathy (Bill) Hutcheson, Mike (Grace), Steve (Johanna), James (Rebecca), Russ (Kayla), Sam, Amy (Rob) Bills, Chad (Sarah) Conolly, Christi (Todd) Craft, Ben (Jen), Becky, Lori (Jon) Hotra, Charlie (Karen) and Sarah (Josh) Avery; 25 great grandchildren, one great-great granddaughter and several nieces and nephews. He is also survived by close family members, Estela Reynnells of Statesboro, Ga. and Melanie Reynnells of Stevensville. Dick was a graduate of Lawrence High School (1940) and a veteran of the Army during WWII, serving in the 89th Artillery where he was provided the opportunity to "tour Europe". Dick and Helen were married November 4, 1944 in Durham, N.C. After the army, they began farming in Lawrence with the help of his parents and expanded the operation when possible. Dick used his G.I. Bill benefits to attend agriculture related courses through Michigan State College that were helpful in starting their farm, which became known as Reynnells Poultry. They began with a small dairy and various crops and based on the advice of his Uncle Irv Spillers began raising table egg layers which was a predominant source of income. Other primary enterprises were corn, asparagus and tart cherries. With help from their sons, the eggs were processed and sold at the farm and to stores and restaurants in Kalamazoo and elsewhere. Tom stayed on the farm until Dick's death. They were among the first participants in the Michigan State University TelFarm bookkeeping system and were members of the Michigan Allied Poultry Industry. Dick served his community in many capacities, such as membership on various committees of the township Board of Trustees for over 42 years and he was a member of the American Legion Hess-Eastman Post 174 for over 72 years. Dick and Helen were honored by the Lawrence Alumni Association as "Outstanding Alumni". Dick and Helen enjoyed many hours of visiting and playing cards with lifelong friends. Another favorite pastime was traveling around the country to visit family. They also participated in group excursions where they made new friends. Helen kept extensive records of their trips and results of casino visits and Dick continued that tradition. They enjoyed going to casinos and thought it matched their farming occupation, where every crop of flock of hens was a huge gamble. Using their slow-but-sure system, they were able to fund a college scholarship each year for a student from Lawrence High School interested in nursing as a career. In lieu of flowers, a contribution may be made to the Lawrence Alumni Association, P.O. Box 475, Lawrence, MI 49064 or American Legion Hess-Eastman Post 174, P.O. Box 174, Lawrence, MI 49064. A memorial service at the Lawrence United Methodist Church will be conducted on August 27, 2017, with visitation at 1:00 and a memorial service at 2:00. Interment following at Hill Cemetery with military honors provided by Hess-Eastman Post 174. Calvin Funeral Home, Hartford, is assisting the family.