Doris J. Kniffen, age 89, of 8758 EE2.5 Road; Rapid River (Nahma Twp.) passed away on Tuesday, March 24th, 2009, at the Bishop Noa Home in Escanaba where she was a patient since the previous November.

Doris was born April 29th, 1919 in Ovid, Michigan, the daughter of Harry and Bertha (Easlick) Huntoon and was raised in Ovid. She was united in marriage to Richard H. Kniffen on March 22nd, 1947 and they lived in Lower Michigan for many years. In 1986, Doris and Richard permanently moved to Delta County from Lansing. Richard passed away in 1996.

In her early working life, Doris was employed at the Willow Run Defense Plant in the Detroit area and she later became a long-time employee of Michigan State University in East Lansing having been engaged as a cook.

Cooking, baking, sewing, berry-picking, and doing word search puzzles, were some of her favorite hobbies and past-times. Doris had a special love of animals, especially dogs, and she professionally raised a number of them for many years. Doris was of the Methodist faith.

Doris Kniffen’s survivors include:

2 Sons- Keith (Dawn) Kniffen of Rapid River; Richard (Betty) Kniffen of Rapid River

a daughter-in-law, “Robbe” Kniffen of Lansing

10 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, 4 great-great-greandchildren, and nieces and nephews.

In addition to her parents and her husband, Richard, Doris was preceded in death by a son, Ron Kniffen, and by two brothers; George and Ted Huntoon, and by a sister, Arlene Fluelling.

The family of Doris J. Kniffen will receive friends on Thursday at the Skradski Funeral Home in Gladstone from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Service celebrating Doris’s life will follow on Thursday at 5:00 p.m. at the Skradski Funeral Home with Deacon Rod Groleau officiating. Luncheon will follow services and burial will be in the Cooks Cemetery.