Geraldine Elizabeth Howell

     Geraldine Elizabeth was born on Wednesday, 9 March 1910 in Seattle, King County, Washington. After the death of her mother, she returned to Michigan with her father. Her father, feeling heloless in his ability to give her the care she needed, accepted the offer ofher maternal grandparents to raise her. In do so, he had to agree that he would not take her away from them. This was a very difficult decision for him to make but he wanted only the best for his little girl. She lived with them in Chelsea until they were no longer able to care for her. She then went to live with her father in Birmingham. Geraldine Elizabeth married Harlan Davenport Shelly on 3 September 1929 in Bowling Green, Wood County, Ohio. This marriage ended in divorce on 1/12/1952.¹ 1930, Geraldine and her husband, Harlan, were listed on the U.S. Federal Census in Grass Lake. Enumerated in this household were Harlan Shelly [23 Michigan] & his wife: Geraldine [20 Washington].² Geraldine Elizabeth married Alexander Kraft on 24 June 1957. She suffered from an eye disease called "retinitis pigmentosa" which eventually took her eyesight. She spent the remainder of her years in a nursing home in Chelsea not far from one of her daughters. Geraldine's husband, Alexander, died on 3 January 1987 in Morton Plant Hospital, Clearwater, Pinellas County, Florida, leaving her a widow.³ Geraldine departed this life on Sunday, 6 April 2003 in Chelsea, Washtenaw County, Michigan, at the Chelsea Community Hospital at age 93 years and 28 days.

Obituary: Geraldine E. KRAFT - Chelsea
Geraldine Elizabeth Kraft, 93. of Chelsea died April 6. 2003. at Chelsea Community Hospital. She was born March 9. 1910, in Seattle the daughter of Rice A. and Vera G. (Glazier) Howell.
Mrs. Kraft was raised by her maternal grandparents, Henrietta. and Frank P. Glazier, who were like parents to her.
Mrs. Kraft moved to Clearwater, Fla., from Jackson in 1967 and to Chelsea in 1988. She graduated from Birmingham High School in 1929. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Ann Arbor. She was a licensed practical nurse.
She married Harlan D. Shelly Sept. 3, 1929. and after he died. she married Alex Kraft June 24, 1957, who also preceded her in death.
She had two half-sisters. Joann Pollick of Birmingham and Wilhelmina McPhee of California.
Mrs. Kraft is survived by two daughters, Marjorie Johnson of Celebration, Fla.. and Carolyn Rudd of Chelsea: two step-daughters. Lillian Coleman and Evelyn Miller, both of Ontario. Canada; seven grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren. eight step-grandchildren and seven step-great-grandchildren.⁴