Jacquelyn Mae Hauch, 91, of Watervliet, passed away Tuesday, March 19, 2024 at home surrounded by family.
Jackie was born July 16, 1932, in Benton Harbor, Michigan, to Chester and Virginia Weber. She grew up on the family farm and ultimately spent eight decades in the home her grandfather built. She was married to her high school sweetheart, Merlin Hauch, for 72 years.
Jackie worked at Coloma Community Schools as a secretary for many years, and alongside Merlin on the farm. She was an active member of St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, where she sang in the choir, and attended Bible Study Fellowship in St. Joseph. She was a member of the Monday Evening Club of Cultural Achievement (MECCA) — which met on Tuesday night and wasn’t particularly cultural, she said — and Women for Survival of Agriculture in Michigan.
She enjoyed reading and was a devoted letter writer. Family and friends regularly opened their mailboxes to see her distinctive cursive. Her kitchen was a gathering place where she filled pies with fruit from the orchards and braided coffee cakes made from a secret family recipe. She took pleasure in going for walks, spending time at the beach, and rooting for the Red Wings. She especially loved being with her grandchildren, who bestowed on her the titles of Grandma Sweetheart, Grandma Jackie, and Mimi.
Jackie said not long before she died, “I want to be remembered as a person that showed she was a Christian by the way she lived. As someone who was kind, loved those little ones and as a good cook and baker that shared her homemade goodies.”
She is preceded in death by a son and daughter-in-law, Timothy and Tina Hauch, and a granddaughter, Noel Hauch.
She is survived by her husband, Merlin; three children: Cheryl (Robert) Reinhardt, Kevin (Denise) Hauch, and Sandra (Robert) Herman; 14 grandchildren, and 23 great-grandchildren: Kara (Taylor) and Ada Henshaw; Matthew (Adrien), Weston, Tucker, and Everett Reinhardt; Ross (Ella) Reinhardt; Charity (Bill), Abbey, and Aubrey Collins; George (Monica), Connor, Madisyn, and Bailey Hauch; Jackie (Bobby), Caden, and Dawsyn Edelberg; Jarrod Hauch; Erin (Chris), Avery, KenahJo, and Jayden Charon; Chad (Jo), Cypress, Ellis, and Sophia Herman; Mary (Jordan), Payton, and Dominic Cluster; Christopher (Ashley), Maverick, and Remi Hauch; Allie (Cole), Reece, and Cam Andrews; and Eric Hauch.
Hutchins Funeral Home in Watervliet is assisting Jackie’s family with arrangements. A memorial service will be held Saturday, April 27, at 2 p.m. at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ.
In remembrance, donations may be made to St. Paul’s United Church of Christ or Corewell Health Hospice.