Etta Elmira Ayling

Etta Elmira Ayling, 85, of Mt. Pleasant, passed away on September 15, 2026, at MyMichigan Medical Center Alma, surrounded by family. She was born on March 20, 1941, to the late Percy Snyder and Mary Davis. Etta lived a life marked by strength, love, and unmistakable spirit.

Etta graduated from Caro High School with the Class of 1959. She then attended Lansing Community College, where she earned her LPN and graduated in 1960. After college, she began her nursing career at St. Lawrence Hospital in Lansing and later worked at Ingham Medical Center in Lansing for 15 years. Her work reflected the same caring and determination that shaped every part of her life.

She was also a proud member of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Mt. Pleasant; she loved her culture and her tribe.

On August 7, 1964, in Lansing, she married Robert “Bob” Ayling. Together they built a life full of love and happiness only if Bob complied with the "war department," which was Etta. They shared many years and raised their five children: Krissinda, Jonathan, Daniel, Nicole, and Angela. Her family remained her proudest accomplishment, and she took deep joy in her children and grandchildren.

She was sassy, full of life, loving, caring, giving, tough as nails, and wonderfully headstrong. As those who knew her would say, she liked what she liked. That strong sense of self, along with her warmth and generosity, made her unforgettable to her family and friends.

Etta found happiness in the things she loved most. She enjoyed gardening, shopping, and giving to others, and she was known for her generous heart. She was an old-school letter writer who cherished staying in touch in a personal way. She loved Christmas, cooking, and making every home beautiful. She delighted in decorating each house she owned, remodeling it, selling it, and then beginning again with another home. She also loved researching and became the keeper of the book in her family genealogy, preserving family history with care and dedication.

She is survived by her husband of 62 years, Robert Ayling of Mt. Pleasant; children, Krissinda Ayling of Mt. Pleasant, Jonathan (Lisa) Ayling of Mt. Pleasant, Daniel Ayling of Canadian Lakes, Nicole Ayling of Mt. Pleasant, and Angela Ayling of Mt. Pleasant; grandchildren, Zane (Emma) Zakora, Zachary (fiancee, Alexis) Zakora, and Zavier Zakora; Jaydn Ayling and Myah Ayling; Alyssa (Nicholas) Bozzo; and Brian McNamara and Brandon McNamara; great-grandchildren, Mya, Alice, Selena, Joseph, and Jersey, and by her brother, Frank (Bonnie) Snyder, of Cass City.

She was preceded in death by her father, Percy Snyder; her mother, Mary Davis; her brother, Percy Snyder, known as “Chocolate”; and her sister, Ann Briggs.

Etta will be remembered for her fierce love, her sharp personality, her generosity, and the deep pride she took in her family. Her life was full, vibrant, and distinctly her own, and her memory will continue to live on in the many lives she touched.

A funeral for Etta will be celebrated at 11 a.m., Friday, September 18, at Charles R. Lux Family Funeral Home with Father Adam Maher presiding. A luncheon will immediately follow at Lincoln Reception Center (attached to the funeral home). She will be laid to rest in Deepdale Cemetery in Lansing. The family will receive friends from on Thursday from 4-7 p.m. and on Friday one hour before the service.

Memorial contributions may be made to Crazy Horse Memorial in South Dakota.