Dolores J. Sheeley-Dashel / June 30, 1930 —July 23, 2010

Published 10:13 pm Monday, July 26, 2010

Dolores J. Sheeley-Dashel

Dolores J. Sheeley-Dashel

Dolores June (Bennitt) Sheeley-Dashel, 80, of Galien passed away on Friday, July 23, 2010 after a motor vehicle accident.

She was born June 30, 1930 in Buchanan to the late Francis and Bessie (Gray) Bennitt.

She married Burton Sheeley Sr. in 1948.  In the 31 years they were married they raised a family and remained friends through the years; he passed in 2008. In 1981, she married Robert Dashe, Sr. Together they shared nearly 20 years of marriage before he passed away in 2000.

Dolores has always been very involved with her church. She has served in many different offices and other capacities but music was definitely a passion. She was involved with the junior choir and was a member of the choir herself. Dolores played the organ and the piano. She loved to work in the kitchen baking goodies of all sorts and has canned for many, many years. Dolores took pleasure in tending to the birds that visited her home and also the flowers that surrounded it. It can never be said that Dolores had idle hands because even when she wasn’t busy baking, tending to the flowers or feeding the birds she was inside crocheting or other handcrafts.

Of all things that were important to Dolores was her family. Dolores had a passion for her family. Anyone within earshot of the home could always hear laughter pouring out of the doors or windows.

Preceding Dolores in death is one of her twin sons, Bernard Sheeley; three sisters; Mabel Beard, Vivian Sheeley and Betty Swank; and one brother, Paul Bennitt.

Surviving her are two daughters; Bonnie (David) Dodd, of Three Oaks, Mich., and Sharon Fernwalt (Greg Prez Sr.), of Niles; her two sons, Burton Sheeley Jr., of Niles and Bruce (Cheryl) Sheeley, of Brookings, S.D.; one step-daughter, Susie (Tom) Schroff, of Edwardsburg and Robert Dashel Jr., of South Bend; 16 grandchildren; six step-grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by two brothers, Robert Bennitt, of New Troy, Mich. and Garold Bennitt, of West Palm Bay, Fla.; two sisters, Shirley (Donald) Peterson, of Buchanan and Ruth (Roger) Brockway, of Galien; and a host of nieces and nephews.

A time of visitation will be held Wednesday, July 28 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Brown Funeral Home. Services will be at Brown Funeral Home on Thursday at noon with visitation one hour prior and Pastor Robert Jackson officiating.

Memorial contributions may be sent in Dolores’ memory to the American Cancer Society.

Condolences, photos and memories may be left for the family at www.brownfuneralhomeniles.com.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Brown Funeral Home, Niles.