Orpha Verhelle

VERHELLE, Orpha Coleen - Age 76, of Fenton, died Thursday, April 20, 2017 surrounded by family peacefully at her residence after a brave battle with cancer. Visitation will be held 2-4 and 6-8 PM Monday and Tuesday at Sharp Funeral Homes, Fenton Chapel, 1000 Silver Lake Rd., Fenton. A rosary will be prayed 7 PM Monday at the funeral home. Funeral mass will be celebrated 11:30 AM Wednesday, April 26 , with Visitation beginning at at 10:30 AM located at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, 600 N Adelaide St., Fenton. Those desiring may make contributions to Mid-Michigan Cat Rescue (midmichigancatrescue.org). She was born January 10, 1941 in Houghton, SD, the daughter of Earl Laverne and Mary Ethel (Hoiting) Smith. She was a graduate of Fenton High School and a lifelong resident of Fenton. She was a member of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, the treasurer for the Fenton High School Alumni Association, and a past president of the Fenton Optimist Club. Orpha was always a mother first to her 5 children. Orpha was first employed by Namkcor, Inc. in May of 1978 as a newspaper typesetter. She worked for Namkcor until September of 1988 when Tri-County News and Namkcor were sold to John Carlo Enterprises. She continued to work for the new owners as a Tri-county News employee until January 1991 when she was hired by Rockman & Sons Publishing as a talented graphic designer and publications typesetter. She retired from Rockman & Sons in December of 2015, after more than 38 years of excelling in the media communications industry.​ Surviving are: five children, Valerie (Daniel) Wood , Gregory (Michelle) Verhelle, Christopher (Leigh Ann) Verhelle, Stacy Verhelle, Teresa (Lee) Land; and their father Timothy L. (Donna) Verhelle; two grandchildren, Olivia and Alaina; She was preceded in death by her parents; and siblings, Richard Smith, Darlene VanAuken, and Neil Smith. Tributes may be shared at www.sharpfuneralhomes.com.​

Visitation

Monday, April 24, 2017 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Sharp Funeral Homes - Fenton Chapel
1000 Silver Lake Road Fenton 48430, United States

Visitation

Monday, April 24, 2017 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Sharp Funeral Homes - Fenton Chapel
1000 Silver Lake Road Fenton 48430, United States