Marjie Sawyer

Marjie K. Sawyer, age 59 years of Buchanan, Michigan, mother, sister, niece, bead jewelry artist, bargain shopper, and dog lover died unexpectedly at 5:29 a.m. on Friday, September 23, 2022 at Memorial Hospital in South Bend, Indiana following a brief illness.  Marjie chose to aid the education of future nurses and physicians through the gift of anatomical donation.

She was born on November 19, 1962 in Niles, Michigan to Robert F. and Donna J. (Barlett) Sawyer and was graduated from Buchanan High School.  She continued her education at Southwestern Michigan College where she earned an associates degree, and was certified as a Licensed Practical Nurse.  She was employed for many years at Healthwin in South Bend, and also at Regency Place of South Bend, and Interim home healthcare services.  When not serving in medical care, she was a retail clerk at Goodwill Thrift Stores.  She has lived in Buchanan and Niles all of her life, recently returning to the family home just northwest of Buchanan.

Marjie was a longtime member of the Buchanan Church of the Nazarene.  She enjoyed crochet, was quite prolific in creating bead jewelry, and was an artist on the sewing machine, creating craft pieces and repairing clothing.  She was a regular shopper at area garage sales and thrift stores.  She always had pet dogs and cats - currently Nero, Brutus, and Rascal, and Cammie the cat - but her greatest love was her family.

She was sadly preceded in death just six-weeks ago by her mother, Donna Sawyer, and was also preceded in death by her father, Robert Sawyer in 2004; a brother, Robert “Greg” Sawyer in 2003; and an uncle, David Barlett.

Surviving family includes her sons, Brian F. Sawyer-Walker and Dustin F. Sawyer, both of Buchanan; Marjie’s brothers, Jerry E. Sawyer of Buchanan and Daryl Sawyer of Texas; and several aunts and uncles including Dorothy (& Dick) Miller of Niles, Ronald (& Darlene) Barlett of Angola, Indiana, and Mary Jones of Ohio.

Services for Marjie Sawyer will be at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, October 7, 2022 at the Halbritter-Wickens Funeral Home, 615 East Main Street in Niles with the Rev. Louis W. Staubs of Niles officiating.  Visitation will begin at 6:00 p.m. on Friday at the funeral home.

Contributions in memory of Marjie may be made to Life Plan (formerly Pregnancy Care Center), 527 East Main Street, Niles, Michigan, 49120, https://www.lifeplan.org/ .   Online condolences may be left at:

www.halbritterwickens.com

Marjie clearly loved life, earning her LPN and using it to care for patients, making decorative crafts to share with family and friends, shopping carefully for the best bargains, and – above all – loving her pets and her family; all evidence of fulfilling our mission to Love God and Love People.