Eleanor "El" June Farnum

Eleanor “El” June Farnum of Saginaw, Michigan

Beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother passed away peacefully with her family by her side on Wednesday, July 23, 2020, at Brian’s House in Essexville. She was 97 years old. Eleanor June Lynch was born on June 29, 1923, in Silverwood, Michigan, to the late Martin Daniel and Eleanor Violet (Kyes) Lynch. She graduated from Millington High School as valedictorian with the class of 1941. As a young girl, El’s family discovered she had the voice of an angel having the innate ability to sing in the upper notes of the soprano register. She began her solo journey as a singer at the age of four traveling throughout the region singing at local churches and even sang solo at her high school graduation. Coming from a farming community, hard work was nothing to El as she held many jobs prior to marriage. She married Robert G. Farnum on March 23, 1944, in Hastings, Nebraska; he preceded her in death on August 9, 2019. While Robert was off to war, El worked for a year as a Rosie the Riveter for Eaton Manufacturing building parts for airplanes. She was former member of Grace Presbyterian Church for 40 years and held many offices and supported her church in many different ministries, from cleaning pews in the nave, decorating for holiday’s, cooking and serving special dinners, and volunteering with the funeral ministry. For many years, when The Saginaw Fair was active in the City of Saginaw, Grace Presbyterian Church served dinners in a building on the fairgrounds where El volunteered many hours of charitable work. She was a current and faithful member of Countryside Trinity Church. El and Bob enjoyed square dancing with their friends and danced in many conventions throughout the country. She and her siblings enjoyed taking turns having annual New Year’s Eve parties. El was an avid reader and flower gardener, enjoyed making and tying comforters, and traveling. She was a talented seamstress, learning how to design her own clothes by her mother and teaching her daughter the same skill. El and her sister took the trip of a lifetime to Ireland to learn about her family’s heritage and discovered a town and castle that was named after the Lynch family. Above all, El loved and cherished the time she was able to spend with her family. She will forever be remembered for her advice to having a long and successful marriage “having their own TV’s in separate rooms.”

Surviving are their children: daughter, Ellen A. Shoaps of Charlotte; her children: Robin Shoaps, PhD. of Fairbanks, AK; son, Dr. Jay (Teresa Hill) Shoaps M.D. of Duluth, MN; their children: Ellyn (Casey) Roberts and their children, Zoey and Harrison Crane; twins, Carter and Finn Shoaps; Una Shoaps, Zelda Shoaps; son, Gerald J. (Michelle) Farnum of Flushing; their daughter, Amanda Farnum and her fiance, Stefan Russell. Also surviving are children of beloved deceased son, Dr. Gordon R. (Margery) Farnum, DDS; Christopher Farnum of Saline; his son, Sean Farnum; son, Michael Farnum, PhD. and his wife, Katherine of Exton, PA; their daughter, Zora; son Daniel Farnum and his special friend, Alison Scribilo of Tulsa, OK; sister-in-law, Alice Lynch of Caro; sister-in-law, Alice Lynch of Caro; many nieces, nephews, extended family members and friends.

She was preceded in death by her seven siblings: Irene Lynch, John (Helen) Lynch, Donald (Pauline) Lynch, Jeanette Holbrook, Virginia (Alex) Findley, Martin (Ruth) Lynch II, and Thomas “Tim” Lynch.

A funeral service will take place at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 28, 2020, at the W. L. Case & Company Funeral Chapel, 4480 Mackinaw Road. Rev. Brant Piper will officiate. Burial will follow at Roselawn Memorial Gardens. Family and friends are welcome to visit at the funeral chapel on Monday from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and on Tuesday from 12:30 p.m. until the time of the service. In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy may wish to consider memorials to Brian’s House of Bay City.

Funeral can be viewed at: here