Miriam Frances Hassan

Miriam Frances Hassan, 91 of Cassopolis died Monday, April 4, 2016 at the Cass County Medical Care Facility. In keeping with her wishes, cremation has taken place. A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, July 2, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. at Fernwood Botanical Garden and Nature Preserve, 13988 Range Line Rd, Niles, MI 49120 with Pastor Sandie Vanik officiating, of Unity Church of Peace in South Bend, IN.    In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Unity Church of Peace, 950 E. Colfax, South Bend, IN 46617 or to the Buchanan Area Fund, c/o Michigan Gateway Community Foundation, 111 Days Ave., Buchanan, MI 49107.  Those wishing to leave a memory or condolence of Miriam online may do so at www.clarkch.com. Miriam was born January 13, 1925 in Lancaster, PA to Roy and Elizabeth (Allwein) Forney. Miriam attended Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, PA and graduated with a Bachelor Degree in 1946. She also attended Manchester College in Manchester, IN, where she met her future husband, Dr. Kent Hassan and they were married on July 2, 1947 in Middlebury, IN. The Hassan family lived in Buchanan for over 40 years. During these years Miriam served as a volunteer for Meals on Wheels, Redbud Area Ministries/Love Inc., Berrien County Cancer Service, Buchanan School Board and the Buchanan City Commission on which she served as the first woman Mayor in 1986. She received the Buchanan Good Neighbor Award in 1980 and the Chamber of Commerce Redbud Award in 1991. She was a former member of the Buchanan College Club, the Buchanan 30 Club and the Berrien County Medical Auxiliary and performed at the Tin Shop community Theatre in Buchanan. She was also a founding member and past president of the Buchanan Area Foundation which later became the Michigan Gateway Community Foundation. After leaving Buchanan, she lived in South Bend, IN, where she became a member of the Unity Church of Peace, the South Bend Civic Theatre, the Literacy Council as a tutor and the University Club. She had also lived in Portage, Kalamazoo and Cassopolis. Miriam is survived by her four children, Rebecca (Mike) Frazier of Cassopolis, Nancy (Joe) Calme of Cassopolis, David (Kristine) Hassan of Greenville, MI and Thomas (Barbara) Hassan of Goshen, IN. She is also survived by six grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. She also leaves behind three siblings; Arlene Stauffer of Lancaster, PA, Allegra (Glenn) Sanner of Media, PA and Dr. Leroy Forney in Philadelphia, PA. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband in December of 1989 and by one sister, Anna Ruth Ebersole.