Ernest Lee Easterday, age 79 of Mendon, MI died Monday April 24, 2017 at his home. He was born in Shipshewana, IN on May 17, 1937 the son of Hugh and Orpha (Nelson) Easterday. He was married to Pat Tribble on Jan, 16, 1957 in Elkhart, IN. She survives along with three daughters, Debbie (Doug) Wright of Nottawa, MI, Darcie (Jeff) Face of Fremont, IN, and Dee (Joe Baker) Wolter of Mendon, MI; 7 grandchildren, Joshua and Jonathan Wright, Dillon and Melanie Foulk; Oliver Face; Ryan and Aaron Wolter; 4 great-grandchildren, Jalynn and Tiberius Wright, Allie and Elizabeth Harshbarger. He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers Paul, Lyle, and Maurice; and sisters, Margaret Simpson, Betty Hostetler, and Gladys Connor.

Ernie worked at Middlebury Molding (Abitibi Corporation) for20 years, and at Panel Processing of Coldwater for 26 years. He enjoyed family, gardening, and woodworking.

The family will receive friends from 2 to 4 and from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Eickhoff Funeral Home in Mendon. Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Thursday, April 27, 2017 at the Centreville United Methodist Church with Pastor Emily Slavicek officiating. Interment will be at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens in Oseola, IN at 2:30 p.m. Memorials may be directed to either the Centreville United Methodist Church, 305 E. Main, Centreville, MI 49032, or to Reverence Home Health & Hospice, 348 Burdick St., Kalamazoo, MI 49007. Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.eickhofffuneralhome.com