Esther I. Scully-Cotter

Esther Cotter, 95, passed away Wednesday, September 13, 2023, at Rosebush Manor. She was born July 2, 1928, to parents William and Olivia (Schumacher) Halfmann. Esther was the seventh of nine children which included her siblings, Eileen, Vada, William Leona, Rita, Ann, Betty, and Jerry. In 1944, Esther began working for Kroger. At the young age of 19, she married Robert J. Scully in a ceremony at St. Philomena Catholic Church in Beal City, on August 9, 1947. Their marriage was blessed with six children, Sue, Diane, Kay, Tom, Mike, and Dan. She remained at Kroger until 1984, and a year later, would lose her husband Bob in 1985. Esther found love again and married Bernard D. Cotter in September 1990, at St. Henry Catholic Church in Rosebush. They had a wonderful time on their visits to Branson, Missouri and were married until his passing in 2005. Esther enjoyed playing Euchre, Bingo, and bird watching. She was amused by television game shows and was an avid Detroit Tigers fan. Esther was happiest in the company of her beloved family, especially when having "Lunches at Marty's" with her daughters, often being seen donning her classic striped shirts. She was a true matriarch to her large family and will surely be missed. Esther is survived by her children, Sue Sandy of Shepherd, Diane (Mark) McConnell of Clare, and Kay (Rick) Pieratt, Tom (Sue) Scully, and Dan (Emily) Scully, all of Mt. Pleasant; stepchildren, Diane (Wayne) Schmid, Margaret (Frank) Dodd, Bob Cotter, Dennis (Barb) Cotter, and Jean (Mark) Rau; 19 grandchildren; many great and great-great grandchildren; sisters in-law, Roseann Fortin, Lucille Tilmann, and Eileen Scully; and numerous nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents and husbands, Esther was preceded in death by her son, Mike Scully; granddaughters, Michelle Hauck and Christine Hauck; eight siblings; son in-law, Dale Sandy; stepdaughter, Cheryl Cotter; and stepdaughter in-law, Janice Cotter. A Funeral Mass for Esther will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Saturday, September 16, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church with Father Loren Kalinowski as celebrant. Following the committal at Calvary Cemetery, all are invited to a luncheon at Sacred Heart Parish Hall. The family will receive friends at Charles R. Lux Family Funeral Home on Friday from 4-7 p.m. with the Vigil Service beginning at 7 p.m. Visitation continues at the church on Saturday one hour prior to Mass. Memorial contributions may be made to the Michael William Scully Memorial Fund within the SHA Foundation or to Rosebush Manor where Esther has lived since 2017, receiving wonderful care from its staff. Envelopes will be available at the church and funeral home. To sign the online guest book or leave a condolence for the family please visit www.CharlesRLux.com.