Wakeman Funeral Home, Inc.

04/05/2026

04/03/2026

GULLIVER II, GERALD L.
SAGINAW, MICHIGAN

Gerald (Gerry) Leonard Gulliver II passed away on Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Saginaw Twp., at the age of 82. Gerry was born May 15, 1943, in Saginaw, Michigan, to the late Gerald and Lila (Miner) Gulliver. He was preceded in death by his wife...

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04/03/2026

Luke 23:34 “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”.

04/02/2026

DAVID ALLEN VANDERLIP
Saginaw Twp., Michigan

Passed away on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at home. Age 65 years. David was born on May 19, 1960, in Saginaw, Michigan to the late John and Norma (Maas) Vanderlip. David was married to Kimberly (Hasse) Vanderlip on May 25, 1985, at Bethlehem...

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04/02/2026

𝐌𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡 ⁣⁣
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Maundy Thursday is a solemn reflection on the themes of 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞, 𝐬𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞, and 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 that Jesus taught His followers.⁣⁣
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"𝐌𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐲" comes from the Latin word "𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐦," meaning "command" or "to give". The day is marked by various liturgical practices, including the washing of the disciples' feet and the celebration of Holy Communion.⁣⁣
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Maundy Thursday, also known as Holy Thursday, commemorates the Last Supper. The Last Supper is where Jesus shares His body and blood with His disciples, symbolizing His sacrifice for humanity.

03/27/2026

Hartwig, Fay E.
Saginaw, Michigan

Fay passed away Thursday, March 19, 2026, at Optalis Health & Rehab at St. Francis Home - in Thomas Township. Age 74 years. Fay Ellen Foster was born on March 20, 1951, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She married Ronald A. Hartwig on August 12, 1994, to whom she...

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03/23/2026

Weishuhn, Jann H.
Saginaw, Michigan

Jann passed away Monday, March 16, 2026, at her home. Age 74 years. Jann H. Hill was born on July 21, 1951, to Marion H. (nee Bravender) and Forest C. Hill of Mason, Michigan. She was a loving mother to Brandy Lee Weishuhn and was well-known as a talented...

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03/20/2026

Friday Fun Fact.

When your family business is the oldest continuously operating funeral home in the city at 115 years, a few notable things can happen in that time.

Did you know we were featured in two books?⁣
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The character Frank Sarrow, a mortician in the 2004 novel 𝘈𝘯 𝘈𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘈𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘮𝘯 by author 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐝 𝐀. 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥, was based on our father, Harold Wakeman – even down to references of "five children", "jovial" and more.⁣
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Then in 2014, the three of us were featured in the book 𝘓𝘦𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘓𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘸 by author 𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐲, documenting the history, the people, businesses, and more of Saginaw, Michigan.

03/18/2026

𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐚𝐰⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣by Rodney Wakeman
Co-owner, Wakeman Funeral Home, Inc.

For years, there has been a growing trend that the next-of-kin has had to wait longer for the official death certificate to be filed by the funeral home. There are multiple entities that are required to complete the death certificate and delays by any one of these can upset the timing considerably.⁣⁣⁣
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The funeral home is responsible for completing the certificate and filing it with the clerk in the county where death occurred.⁣⁣⁣
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Legislation that addresses the core reasons for delayed completion and filing has just been signed into law. The new law will work to expedite the process from current practices by requiring the certifying physician to also use the Michigan Electronic Death Registration System (EDRS), which has been in place and used by funeral homes for approximately 15 years.⁣⁣⁣
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Having physicians move to the EDRS system to enter the medical portion of the death certificate will allow the certification process to be more efficient and provide a timely outcome.⁣⁣⁣
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Certified death certificates are required to process various items that the decedent may own within their estate. For example, for a home to be sold in Michigan, names of deceased individuals cannot be included on the deed. To remove the name, the certified death certificate must be presented to the office of Register of Deeds and recorded to change the deed. Another common requirement for a certified death certificate is to process a death claim on an insurance policy. The insurance company will require the death certificate to begin the claims process. Only then can they provide the death benefit to the beneficiary.⁣⁣⁣
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Any delays in the completion of the official death certificate means all official matters must be put on hold.⁣⁣⁣
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Another delay has involved approvals for cremation. All requests for cremation by the next-of-kin must be approved by the county Medical Examiner in the county where death occurred. Delays in the completion of the medical portion of the death certificate means the county Medical Examiner must delay the approval of cremation. The Medical Examiner relies on the cause(s) of death information provided by the certifying physician. Every day the certificate is delayed, it will subsequently cause a delay in the cremation and any service where the family wants the cremated remains present.⁣⁣⁣
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Anyone who has received certified copies of their loved one's death certificate in a timely manner has been the exception, not the rule. An important task that is required to be completed within hours has turned into days, and in some cases, turned into weeks.⁣⁣⁣
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The new law is set to become effective one year from now. This will allow the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics to bring physicians on board. When implemented and physicians fully participate, it will help provide a timelier filing, which, in turn, helps the family.⁣⁣⁣

03/13/2026

Sanchez, Candido
Saginaw, Michigan

Passed away on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at Covenant Medical Center-Cooper, Saginaw, Michigan. Age 96 years. Candido was born on October 3, 1929, in Mercedes, Texas to the late Francisco and Catarina (Barcenas) Sanchez. He entered the United States Army in...

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03/11/2026

We are proud of the work we do to help our fellow residents in their time of grief; to care for their loved ones and celebrate a beautiful life lived.

03/09/2026

Hetzner, Mr. James E.
Saginaw, Michigan

Passed away on Sunday, March 8, 2026, at Barton Woods Assisted Living, Freeland, Michigan. Age 76 years. Jim was born on December 6, 1949, in Saginaw, Michigan to the late Elmer G. and Mildred M.M. (Pacholke) Hetzner. He was married to Carol Bartels on...