Earline Baber Simmons

Earline “Dear” Baber-Simmons, 95, of Covert, passed away Monday, June 22, 2020 at Spectrum Health Lakeland in St. Joseph, Michigan. She was born January 22, 1925 to Willie Thomas and Elnora (Thompson) Flie in Cherokee, Alabama. Earline graduated from Cherokee High School with the class of 1943. She confessed Christ at an early age and was a Faithful, long time member of Gospel Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church until her health declined.

She went on to work at South Haven Rubber Company and Bohn Aluminum factories in South Haven, Michigan until her retirement in 1985. Earline loved to help others. She worked as a foster grandparent at Walnut Elementary School in Bangor and Lincoln Elementary School in South Haven. She loved her family and family gatherings.She loved talking on the phone. She enjoyed doing word search puzzles. She spent much of her time visiting shut-ins and people in nursing homes.

She is preceded in death by her parents, husbands (Clarence Baber and Stanford Simmons), sons (Harold, William, and Wilbert Baber), her brother (Carl Flie); and son-in-law, (John Stewart).

Earline is survived by her children – Doris (David) Aldridge of Magnolia, Delaware; Clarence (Harriett) Baber of Kalamazoo, Michigan; Yvonne (Herman) Hawkins of Kalamazoo, Michigan; Jacqueline (Phillip) Laws of Detroit, Michigan; Gwendolyn Stewart of Oak Park, Michigan; Arnold Baber (Lillie Watson) of Covert, Michigan; Michael (Veronica) Baber of Bellville, Michigan; Leonard (Isabelle) Simmons of Covert, Michigan; Daughters-In-Law, Pearl Baber of Detroit, Michigan and Carol Baber of Covert, Michigan, 34 grandchildren; 76 great-grandchildren; 37 great-great-grandchildren, a host of nieces, nephews and friends.

Wake will be held from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM on Tuesday, June 30, 2020 at the Gospel Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church in Covert. Funeral services will follow the wake at 12:00 PM with Pastor Henry Allen, Sr. officiating. Earline will be laid to rest at Covert Cemetery.