Vada M. Block

Vada M. Block, 91, of Mt. Pleasant and formerly of Beal City, passed away peacefully Friday, Nov. 28, 2008 at Woodland Hospice in Mt. Pleasant. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2 at St. Joseph The Worker Church in Beal City with Father Thomas J. McNamara presiding. Burial will be in St. Joseph Cemetery. Friends may call at the Charles R. Lux Family Funeral Home, 2300 S. Lincoln Rd., on Sunday from 6-8 p.m. and Monday from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. The Vigil will begin at 7 p.m. Monday. Visitation continues at the church on Tuesday one hour prior to Mass. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Joseph The Worker School, Sacred Heart Academy Foundation, Woodland Hospice, or the National Kidney Foundation. Envelopes are available at the funeral home. Vada was born Dec. 31, 1916, in Beal City, the daughter of William and Helena (Dole) Laubenthal. She married Harold Block on Jan. 8, 1937 at St. Henry Parish in Rosebush. She and Harold purchased a grocery store from her parents which came to be known as Blocks Grocery. They owned and operated it for 12 years. She later worked at the Regional Center for Developmental Disabilities as a nurses aide and remained there until her retirement. Some of her favorite pastimes were playing cards, crocheting and knitting, dancing, music, looking out her picture window in Beal City and, most of all, spending time with her grandchildren. She was a member of St. Joseph Parish and the Senior Citizens of Beal City. Vada is survived by her two children, James (Joyca) Block of Colorado Springs, CO and Marge (Harv) Schafer of Mt. Pleasant; nine grandchildren, Greg (Heidi) Block, Kevin Block, Leslie Paulson, Lorie (John) Beecher, Daniel (Jodi) Block, and Amanda, Harvey, Samuel, and Kyle Schafer; seven great-grandchildren, Steven Paulson, Carissa Block, Danielle, Shannon, and Addyson Block, and Jade and Jory Beecher; her daughter-in-law, Shirley Block of Beal City; several nieces and nephews; and her good and faithful friend, Trudy Smith of Beal City. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Harold Block; three sons, Samuel, Daniel,and Robert Block; two sisters, Geraldine Horan and Clara Breuer; brother, Howard Laubenthal; grandson, Brian Block; and great-granddaughter, Lindsey Paulson