Michelle Lee Drennan

It is extremely hard to write this but my mom and I have to deliver some very hard news. My sister Michelle passed away 6 a.m. Saturday September 25, 2021. She was only 46 years old. She put up an incredibly hard fight with cancer - beyond incredible - and we are very proud of her strength through it all. You couldn’t knock her down; she was such a strong fighter.

This girl - my sister, my mom’s oldest baby - was the strongest person I know. I cannot believe the fight she fought. This girl put up with chemo for almost three years… with NO BREAKS! This girl only weighed about 90 pounds her whole life. This sweet, tenderhearted, kind, and oh so caring, feisty, stubborn, so lovable, wise, tell it like it is, funny, hilarious, and beyond generous woman put up the biggest fight for her life and she fought SO HARD; we are extremely proud of her. She kept saying, over and over, that she’s going to grow old with me. Michelle was the kind of sister who was also my best friend at the same time. I am so very thankful I had her to help raise me. Our mom is completely devastated with the loss of her baby girl. They lived together for all of Michelle’s life. They were definitely a team of kindred spirits; they took care of one another. My mom and Michelle enjoyed going out to dinner together and going to the casino together. Going to the mall with all their girls was one of the top things on their list of special things with our family. We have beautiful memories of Christmases and trips together, and laughing so hard together. We were always inseparable best friends. Watching my mom lose her daughter is not easy whatsoever. Their bond in life was extremely strong and they were truly best friends. You don’t get to choose who your family is but my mom and I and our family sure hit the lottery with Michelle. Jon and I are doing our best to get Mom through this, and to make our big sister proud. We all want her back so badly. One thing that’s bringing us peace is just like our Mom said, “hey, if anyone on this earth is going to heaven and getting their wings it would be Michelle because she was also an angel on earth.

Michelle would make me laugh so hard my stomach would hurt. No one made me laugh the way she did - sometimes by not even by saying a word. She would look at me in a way and I could feel what she was thinking and I would lose it and crack up so hard. She was also the sister who wasn’t afraid to put me in my place if I was ever making bad decisions in life. She was an overprotective sister who was always watching out for me. When she knew I was going in a bad direction in life, she was the sister who wasn’t afraid to tell me, “Rebecca, you are going to go in that bathroom right now and put some make-up on your face. “You are a pretty girl; start acting like one.” She helped my mom raise me. No one will ever compare to her and I can’t put into words how close we were. We were extremely lucky to have her belong to us… so, so lucky.

Although Michelle never gave birth to her own, Jon and my girls were very much her two daughters as well. They were “her girls,” as she would say. She was the most beautiful second mother to them. They were extremely close with her. She was their MIMI and they both had such a special bond with her. Their Mimi was never afraid to spoil her babies - beyond spoiled. Michelle loved to give gifts - especially to her two girls. Michelle did MANY special things with her girls. She and Jayden loved to walk up to Family Video to rent a movie (usually the same Princess Barbie movie that wasn’t Michelle’s favorite). I’m sure she got sick of it after the millionth time watching it, but that wasn’t what it was about it was about. It was about doing something special for her girl. Mimi also loved when she taught Jayden to do the Hokey Pokey she thought it was the best (and it was). Arianna and Michelle’s thing was a full day of shopping followed by a trip to the candy store. They also loved to plan their Halloween costumes together. Arianna was her Mimi’s “little chicken.” She would always say, “well hello, little chicken.” Jayden and Michelle reminded me of one another with the way they viewed things; that was a similarity for which I will always be thankful. Both girls sparkle like their Mimi. They would go EVERYWHERE together. She loved to take them to the mall to ride the carousel and after the ride was over they would pay and go just one more time. After their rides on the carousel, it was always time for ice cream. The mall was the place where we would spend hours ALL THE TIME. T.G.I. Friday’s was our place to eat; we would request our favorite table whenever possible, along with our favorite waitress. Michelle was always teasing her girls and making them laugh. She wasn’t afraid to play and be a kid with them; she would go on nature walks with them and they would find me flowers to bring home. She liked to jump on the trampoline with them and push them on the swings at the park. She liked taking them to Catch Air and go on all the big slides together. She loved her girls in a way that couldn’t be described. She was always there to take care of them when I was working. She was the Mimi that her girls knew they must always listen to because she was in their life so big and there was a bond of loving respect. She was the Mimi that loved to get them ice cream the second they all heard the ice cream man. The girls would argue over which room to sleep in at the countless sleepovers with Mimi. She was there every step of the way in raising them and her girls were definitely Michelle’s most prized possessions. She loved them and they loved her, beyond measure. They dearly loved each other and I’m so thankful to know that she will always be watching over them.

Jon is devastated because they had a strong bond as well. I remember when we were dating, we always brought her everywhere with us and she told my mom she wished he had a brother for her. She adored Jon always. I will never forget she randomly said to me out of the blue, “your husband is becoming such a good looking man.” I cracked up because it was just typical of her to say something so hilarious. Every year, she loved to ask him for a movie idea for a Christmas present; she loved to get him a great movie that he loved. She also loved to get him special things like United States Air Force military boots she found for him to hang on the Christmas tree. She would also get sports t-shirts and mugs of his favorite teams. She loved to randomly boss me around and order me to “make Jon tacos for dinner because he would love that!” Jon enjoyed the loving banter back and forth with him every now and then it was always very cute.

Michelle devoted 25 years of her life to a small D&W grocery store, “36th Street D&W,” to be exact, where everyone adored Michelle. She started out as a service clerk but quickly worked her way up to management. The D&W eventually closed and Michelle was devastated. The store had a unique family feel and the people there were very special to her. The company Spartan Nash bought out the D&W and they transferred Michelle to Family Fare in Grandville, MI. She worked a total of 25 years between the two stores. She had an incredible work ethic and devoted herself to the store because she cared so much. Michelle had many friends who loved her oh so much, but as her sister, I don’t know how anyone wouldn’t have loved the incredible person she was.

Michelle always adored the special relationship she had with her cousins. Family was everything to her. She always talked about how she and her cousins grew up together. She adored them all and they adored her. They loved her so, so much. Some of their best memories were going down the slide together at the campground in Au Gres and the many other camping trips and great big Christmases together.

One of my favorite things to do with my sister was to say a quote from a movie and the other had to guess what it was. Michelle stumped me so badly one time, I heard about it for years. Michelle got me good that day and said, “go piss on your red hat.” I looked at her puzzled because I had no idea what she was talking about. Turned out the quote was from Steel Magnolias. Michelle always let me know she beat me “top down.” I really thought it was hilarious when she would tell me that. The night Michelle passed, she was not saying too much but I kept talking to her. One of the things I said was one more quote from a movie, and guess what! This girl knew the answer right away. I will forever be thankful I had one last chance for that game. The girls and Jon got to come see her and tell her how much they loved her one last time the night before she passed. My mom, Michelle, and I all slept together that night, and we held her so close.

I really hope Elvis Presley is up there giving you the best concert ever, Michelle! She adored him so much and thought he was the best!

Michelle, you are the greatest person I’ve ever known and we are going to be lost without you. Fly so high, our beautiful Michelle, and say hi to all of our family. I’m sure your grandma and grandpa are taking such good care of their Michelle, as well as her sweet Uncle Big Billy whom we all adored. Michelle is preceded in death by her Uncle Bobby Michael, Grandma and Grandpa Drennan, and Uncle Billy. Her surviving relatives are her loving mother; sister, Rebecca Jansenvangalen; and brother-in-law, Jon Jansenvangalen; nieces Jayden and Arianna Jansenvangalen; aunts and uncles Janet Little, Karen and Gordon Drennan; cousins Tina and Bryan Mosher, Lisa and Bodie Compson, Billy Little, Chad and Brandi Drennan, Emily Drennan, Brandon and Maria Washburn, Blake Washburn, Breanna Washburn, Bryan Washburn, Macy May Compson and Kiera Little, Braxton and Alexa, Brynlee and Vivian Rae.

In memory of Michelle and in lieu of flowers, share and donate to a GoFundMe campaign; contributions will assist family with final expenses: https://gofund.me/717c5ee4. The family welcomes memories and messages in their guest book online at www.cookcaresgrandville.com.