Agnes Moriarty

Agnes Moriarty was a woman with a strong sense of family, a love for her church and a deep faith in God. She devoted her life to passing these values along to her family. Agnes was caring, patient and sensitive, a good listener who uplifted those who came to her with words of encouragement. She was a loving, giving woman who touched the lives of everyone who knew and loved her. Her life was lived as a testament to her faith and serves as an inspiration to us all.

Although the Great Depression hit many families hard during the 1930s, Howard and Louise (Barcelow) May of Lansing, Michigan was blessed with many gifts. Among them was their daughter, Agnes, who was born on April 16, 1935. A bright and energetic little girl, Agnes grew up in the quiet suburbs of Lansing with her three brothers, Robert, Gary and Joseph, and sister, Dorothy. She received her education in the Lansing Public Schools, and graduated from Lansing Eastern High in 1953.

Agnes enjoyed the single life for a while, until she met the love of her life, Earl Moriarty, in the mid 1960s. After a traditional courtship, the two were happily married on May 8, 1965, in St. Johns. It wasn’t long before Agnes and Earl filled their hearts and home with the joy and laughter of two wonderful children: Mary and Joe. Soon after Joe arrived, They settled into family life in a home they bought from Earl’s parents in St. Johns. Agnes exemplified all things a mother should be. She was patient, caring and generous with her time; she never thought twice about going out of her way to help someone who needed her. Agnes worried over her children, prayed over her children and always made sure they knew they were loved. Besides being a devoted wife and mother, Agnes worked for many years at a couple of Chiropractor’s offices in the area. However, her first priority was always her family.

Church was also very important in Agnes’s life. She was truly a woman of faith and a devout member of the First Baptist Church of St. Johns. Along with her mother, mother-in-law and sister, Agnes always sat in the same pew every week for service. She was undoubtedly a welcoming and friendly face to the congregation, and always had an encouraging word for anyone who stopped to talk to her. Agnes worked hard to instill her Christian values upon her family, praying that they too would have a relationship with the Lord.

Agnes loved her family dearly, and together she and Earl enjoyed 44 great years of marriage. They traveled together many times to walk the Mackinaw Bridge, and vacation in St. Ignace. There were even times that Earl would take Agnes all the way to the Bridge for dinner and then drive right back home again. Agnes enjoyed many hobbies as well, including knitting mittens for those in need, doing puzzles, collecting owl and eagle figurines, and listening to the police scanner. She was a wonderful cook, and made everything in an electric skillet. Her pies and cookies were out of this world, though her granddaughter will especially miss Grandma Agnes’ homemade cinnamon hard candy. Frugal-minded, Agnes never threw anything away, and though she complained about Earl having his radio equipment on his desk in the dining room, she never moved it after he sadly passed away on January 19, 2009.

Agnes was always calling to check in on her children and grandchildren, something her daughter Mary will miss dearly. Agnes cherished her family with all her heart, caring for them in times of need, and celebrating with them in times of joy. Although she will be deeply missed, her legacy of love and dedication leaves her loved ones with wonderful memories and a strong foundation to look to for comfort.

Agnes L. Moriarty, 75, passed away on Tuesday, November 2, 2010, in St. Johns, Michigan. She is survived by her daughter, Mary (Tom) Kerby; her son, Joe (Shari) Moriarty; grandchildren: Kaitlyn and Kasey Kerby and Biancha and Brandon Moriarty. Agnes is also survived by her brothers, Robert (Arlene) May and Gary (Cherrie) May; sisters-in-law, Carol Skorna, Carol May; and many nephews and nieces. Along with her parents and her husband, Agnes was preceded in death by her sister, Dorothy May, and brother, Joseph May.

Funeral services will be at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, November 4, at the First Baptist Church in St. Johns, with Pastor Tim Knaus officiating and burial to follow at Ford Cemetery in Gratiot County. The family will receive friends at the Osgood Funeral Home, 104 E. Cass Street, St. Johns on Wednesday, November 3, from 5-8 p.m. Please visit Agnes’s personal webpage at www.lifestorynet.com/memories/63546, where you can share a memory or photo, and sign her online guest book.