Faith E. Gennick

Faith Evangeline Gennick, 87, passed away Monday morning May 13, 2019 at the home of her daughter in Madison, Alabama. Faith was born March 2, 1932 in Fife Lake, Grand Traverse County, Michigan—the daughter of Richard W. Ellis and Alice M. Booth and the fourth of twelve children.

On October 7, 1951 she married Fred Gennick and they resided in the Detroit area and had ten children-Rosemary, Eugene, Christopher, Randall, Ramona, Kendall, Theodore, Steven, Matthew and Charlotte.  She moved her family back to her childhood hometown of Mio, Michigan after the untimely death of her husband in 1970.  For the next 38 years her home was the house Fred had designed on the 80 acres of land they had purchased together.  It is here she raised and educated her children and also earned her Associates Degree in Secretarial Sciences as well as a degree as a Licensed Practical Nurse.  She worked as a nurse until her retirement in 1994, though she always said her favorite job was wife, mother and homemaker.

Faith was an active member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Mio, Michigan until she moved to Alabama in 2008.  There she attended the Grace Fellowship Seventh-day Adventist Church in Madison, Alabama.  Faith had a spirit of service and adventure and always wanted to travel. In 1996, she went to Beijing, China where she spent a year as a volunteer English Teacher.  She enjoyed the experience so much that she returned to Shanghai, China in 1999 for a second year.

Faith had a love of sewing, quilting, and cross-stitching and threw herself 110% into these favorite hobbies after retirement.  She did beautiful work that was recognized with awards and ribbons in numerous state fairs and local contests.  Her projects were always inspired by her family and made with great care and love for a particular child or grandchild.  She loved gardening, the fall colors of Northern Michigan, and collecting and polishing rocks.

Faith was preceded in death by her husband of 19 years, Fred Gennick; and a son Matthew. Her siblings Alice, Douglas, David, Frank and Beverly also preceded her in death.  She is survived by nine children Rosemary (Tom) Sheffer, Eugene (Donna), Christopher, Randall (Lois), Ramona (Wayne) Thompson, Kendall (Carla), Theodore, Steven, and Charlotte (David) Mercado; eleven grandchildren Sally (Bob) Reddy, Matthew (Angela) Sheffer, Kelly Gennick, Wesley (Jennifer) Gennick, Jeffrey (Amanda) Gennick, Nicolas Gennick, Susan and Ashley Gennick, Gregory Gennick, Rosemary and Jesse Thompson; and eight great-grandchildren: Katherine and Elizabeth Reddy, Camden and Harper Sheffer, Audrey, Julia, and Wesley Gennick and Mackenzie Gennick.  Siblings Sherman, Lyle, Daniel, Frances, Cyril Joe, and Rosemary also survive her, as well as dear aunt and beloved friend, Eva M. Booth.

Services for Faith Gennick will take place on Friday, August 2 in Mio, Michigan at 4:00 pm where she will be interred next to her husband at the Kittle Cemetery.  A Memorial Service will immediately follow in Kittle Hall.  In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be sent to Growing In Grace, PO Box 259, Madison, AL 35758.