Arwilda B. Cushman

Arwilda Bernice Cushman, age 98, passed away on Wednesday, June 11 at her current home in Legacy Lane at Waterford Crossing in Goshen, Indiana.  She had previously lived in Somerset Center, Michigan.

She was the daughter of Arthur and Adella (Gatz) Kranich.  Born February 8, 1927, she is survived by her stepson, Donald (Patsy) Cushman and his daughters, Anna Marie Baez and Christine Campbell, and their children and grandchildren.  She is also survived by nieces Sue Neeb (Galen Miller) and Janell Hounshell (Sid) and nephews Lee Neeb (Abby) and Lew Neeb (JoAnn) and Roger Farris (Phyllis) and their children and grandchildren. Arwilda was preceded in death by her devoted husband of 34 years, Donald W. Cushman, her loving sisters Grace (Leon) and Evelyn (Richard), her nephew Len (Denise), and her parents. She loved and cared well and deeply for her family.

Arwilda graduated from Huntington College with a B.S. in Elementary Education in 1952, and from Western Michigan University with a M.Ed.  in 1959.  She taught fourth through sixth grades for 30 years.  Three of those years were in overseas dependent schools, one year in Okinawa and two years in Bonn, Germany.  While teaching in those schools, she had opportunity to travel widely and did so.  Arwilda continued to love to travel; she took all her nieces and nephews on trips across the US.  She was married in 1973 and she and her husband, Donald travelled across the US and overseas.  One of her favorite trips was to the Holy Land with Donald.   She collected dolls when she travelled and gave programs describing the cultures of the countries she visited through her dolls. Arwilda also loved her pets, dogs Penny and Brandy, and Lucky the cat.

Arwilda was a very faithful member of her church congregations.  She and Donald were hospitable, gracious and kind, living out their active Christian faith daily in tangible ways. Even in her last years, when she was failing, she was known for her loving spirit and smile.  She will be missed.

Services will be held at Abundant Life Missionary Church, 2612 Dierdorff Road, Goshen, Indiana on Friday, June 27 at 4:30 pm.  A light meal will follow.  Visitation and graveside services will be held in the chapel and graveside in Roseland Memorial Gardens, 3744 Brooklyn Road, Jackson, Michigan at 10:30 Saturday morning, June 28.  A light lunch will be served after at the Jackson Free Methodist Church, 2829 Park Drive, Jackson, Michigan.

Memorial gifts can be directed to Abundant Life Missionary Church; https://www.abundantlifemc.org/ , the Jackson Free Methodist Church; https://jfmchurch.org/ , or to Huntington College; https://www.huntington.edu/ .