Nancy Houghton Chapel's Obituary
Beloved Parma legend Nancy Houghton (Eldredge) Chapel passed away amongst family and friends at the Henry Ford Health Hospice Home in Jackson, Michigan on October 28, 2022 at the age of 94. Nancy's outgoing and sociable personality was well-known throughout not only Parma, but across greater Michigan through her involvement in many organizations.
Nancy was born July 7, 1928 in Brockton, Massachusetts to Wendell and Lucy Eldredge; she and her sisters were raised in Fairhaven, Massachusetts where she developed her characteristic New England accent known to everyone and that she proudly never lost.
In 1948, at the age of 19, she made the best decision of her life (she said as much MANY times) when she decided to become a farmer's wife and consented to take as her husband, the love of her life, Byron James Chapel of Parma. The young couple took up residence at a farm on North Parma Road to raise their family, a farm still in the family and now owned by their son and daughter-in-law.
With their three sons, Nancy and Byron moved to southern California in 1966 where they both worked for Jafra Cosmetics. Nancy had now lived coast-to-coast. In 1979, they had had enough of the southern California sun and decided to come back to spend the remainder of their days in peace and tranquility at Oak Lodge, their cherished Parma farm.
Nancy was a long-time active Life Member of the Order of the Eastern Star Parma-Springport Chapter #270 and of the Daughters of the American Revolution Sarah Treat Prudden Chapter. She was also an active member in the Michigan Centennial Farm Association. She was widely known and respected throughout these organizations. Nancy was a long-time member of the North Parma United Methodist Church where she was the organist/pianist for many years. She was also a member of Christ Episcopal Church in Pleasant Lake.
Nancy had a great passion for travel, especially by automobile - and she loved her country, proudly visiting all 50 states. She spent much of her life looking through the windshield (she nearly always did the driving) as she visited each of the lower 48 states by car. She acquiesced control, however, when she travelled to the 49 th and the 50 th states, allowing the ship's captain to pull in to port in Alaska and the airline pilot to land in Hawaii.
A great fan of games, particularly card games, she spent many enjoyable hours playing pedro, cribbage, euchre, pinochle, Uno, and Skip-Bo (among others) with family and friends. She was a very good and savvy card player; she always claimed to just be "lucky," but those who knew her knew better.
Above all else, Nancy loved the family that she and Byron made. She never hesitated to introduce her "boys" ... or her grandchildren and great-grandchildren to anyone who may chance to come near.
Nancy was preceded in death by: Byron J. Chapel, her husband of 58 years, daughter Cynthia E. Chapel, son Douglas P. Chapel, her sisters Barbara Eldredge, Jan Day, and Lucy "Sunny" Chapel, and her parents Wendell and Lucy Eldredge. She is survived by: her sons Eugene Chapel (Sue) of Jackson, Russell Chapel (Katherine) of Parma, and George Chapel (Gretchen) of Grosse Pointe Woods, her grandchildren Amy Kinder (Warren), Sarah Chapel, Emily Chapel (Laurent Guiot), Douglas Chapel (Kerri), Rita O'Farrell (Callin), Jonathan Chapel (Kylie), and David Chapel (Elle), and eleven great-grandchildren.
A Funeral Service to honor and remember Nancy's life will be held at the North Parma United Methodist Church, 11970 Devereaux Road, Parma, MI 49269 on Tuesday, November 1, 2022 at 11:00 am with Reverends Dr. Luis Collazo and Susan Vandercook officiating. Interment will follow at Chapel Cemetery. A luncheon will follow the interment services. Visitation will be held at Arthur-Day Funeral Home, 820 Fifth Street in Michigan Center on Monday from 2 to 4 pm and 6 to 8 pm and at the church on Tuesday beginning at 10 am. For those who wish, contributions in Nancy's memory may be given to either the North Parma United Methodist Church or Christ Episcopal Church.
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