Date of Death: February 10, 2025

Service Details

There will be a celebration of Ed’s life on Thursday, February 13, 2025, at Wakelee Bible Church, 15921 Dutch Settlement Road, Marcellus, Michigan. Visitation will be from Noon to 2 p.m. with the service beginning at 2 p.m. Pastor Andy Abrams will be officiating.

Ed will be laid to rest at Little Fish Lake Cemetery.

Obituary Notice

Ed Adolph Thornburgh was born December 22, 1930, Upland, Indiana, to Thurl and Ona Thornburgh. Ed went to be with Jesus on February 10, 2025, in Three Rivers, Michigan surrounded by family. He was 94 years old.

Ed was in the army where he served in Germany in the Motor Pool. Ed enjoyed his adventures with his army buddies and continued to get together with them over the years. They called it the Army Buddy Reunion.

On June 25, 1955, at Edwards Corners Bible Church in Marcellus, Michigan, Ed married his lovely bride, Annetta Fay Cripps. Ed and Annetta were married 69 years. They would have celebrated 70 years this coming June. Together they raised their three children, David, Douglas, and Deborah Jill.

Ed worked several years in his brother Morgan Thornburgh’s Tool and Die business in Edwardsburg, MI. He also worked for Swiss Valley and Corey Lake Orchards doing maintenance and mowing lawns. He enjoyed tinkering with engines and creating unique tools. Many farmers and other people would ask him to help repair items and Ed was always willing to help them out.

He enjoyed engines and actually had a large Reed Gasoline engine in his yard for many years. He would fire up that engine at different times and the entire area around Wakelee could hear it. He would take his kids to the old engine shows when they were young which was always a highlight for all of them.

Ed reconditioned an old delivery truck into a camper that he named “The Hippy Van.” He enjoyed many camping trips to Ludington and the Baldwin area. He was known by some in the area as the unofficial “Mayor of Wakelee.”

Ed and Annetta attended Wakelee Methodist Church over the years. He was a member of the “Wakelee Wood Cutters.” He enjoyed cutting wood and getting together with the guys. It was a good time of fellowship and they were happy to be able to help many people out with their winter supply of firewood.

Ed is survived by his wife, Annetta; their children, David (Tina) Thornburgh and Douglas (Shellie) Thornburgh both of Marcellus, and Deborah (Don) Decker of Bluffton, South Carolina. Five Grandchildren and Twelve Great-Grandchildren. Many nieces, nephews and dear friends. Toni Schiedel and Julie Bouma both nieces, as well as his Caregiver for the last two years, Rachel Temple, meant the world to Ed.

Ed was preceded in death by his parents Thurl and Ona Thornburgh; his brothers, Wayne Thornburgh and Morgan Thornburgh; two sisters, Dorothy Cole and Annabell Poulsen.

Additional Information
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5 Comments

    • We are so sorry to hear this news.. our family thought the world of Ed.. Mother surely helped him enter heaven…prayers to the family from ours…Seem family

  1. So sorry to hear this..Went to school with Deb,was in Girl Scouts or maybe it was Brownies with her and her Mom was the leader…In later years when I attended a funeral and dinner at Wakelee,Mr.Thornburg could be seen carrying crock pots and dishes back across the street after the function was over…”Do you need some help Mr.Thornburg,No thanks ,I’ve got it,as he trudged through snow banks and ice!” Wonderful man with a sweet,kind family that was a part of my younger years…Hugs and prayers to the family❤

  2. You will be so missed Mr. Ed. We love you dearly. Whenever we wanted to know something about the little town of Wakelee we knew you would know. Loved visiting with you and Annette. Enjoyed our conversation’s together. You was like my other parents growing up.♥️🤗 So very sorry for your loss of this wonderful man.

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