Wanetta Floy “Nita” Stabenow, loving wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, aunt and friend to everyone who knew her, peacefully entered her eternal rest at the age of 81 at dawn on Sept. 5, 2022.
Nita was born to Floyd and Meriel (Stutzman) Stauffer, the third of five children, on Oct. 12, 1940, and grew up on a farm near Milford. She attended country school as a child and graduated from Milford High School in 1958. Nita was united in marriage to Charles “Chuck” Stabenow, Sr., on Oct. 13, 1961, and to this marriage, three sons were born; Charles Dean, Jr., John Glenn and Steven Floyd.
Nita accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior at an early age and was baptized at East Fairview Mennonite Church. In 1973, she became a charter member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.
Nita worked as the Administrator of the Milford Rest Home (now Sunrise Country Manor) for 20 years and then started a home cleaning service, which she managed for the next 30 years before retiring. She also had a paper route and would hand deliver each paper to her client's door, often into the hands of the client with her warm infectious smile. She never met a stranger, considered all her employees and clients as dear friends and was loved by the many who knew her.
Nita is survived by Chuck, her husband of 60 years; sons and daughters-in-law, Chuck, Jr., and Lesli Stabenow (Mesa, Arizona), John and Tami Stabenow (Milford) and Steve and Merri Stabenow (East Alton, Illinois); grandchildren, Jon, Stephen and Michael, Danielle, Brody and Gunar, and Savanna, Bryce and Sara; and great-grandchildren, Sirius, Mikara, Damien, Finnegan and Scarlett. She is also survived by her sister, Shirley Utter; brother and sister-in-law, Tim and Connie Stauffer; sister-in-law and husband, Carolyn and Larry Townley; many nieces and nephews and extended family, Cindy Langmade, Cellest Langmade and daughters, Paisley and Ella. Nita is preceded in death by her parents, Floyd and Meriel Stauffer; brothers and sisters-in-law, Morris and Grace Stauffer and Thurlowe and Inez Stauffer; brother-in-law, Brian Utter; and grandson, Kyle Dean Stabenow.
A Celebration of Life will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Milford. Memorial contributions are suggested to the family for future designation. Condolences may be left for the family online at https://everloved.com/life-of/wanetta-stabenow.
