Lansing State Journal from Lansing, Michigan • A4

4A SUNDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2021 LANSING STATE JOURNAL Public Hearing p.m. and p.m. Thursday, October 21 Lansing Center 333 Michigan Ave Lansing For more information, please visit www.Michigan.gov/MICRC or call 1-833-You-Draw, 1-833-968-3729. TAKE THE BUS TO FIREKEEPER AND ENJOY HOT SLOTS AND GREAT RESTAURANTS! For reservations, call: BLUE LAKES CHARTERS: 866.276.5536 THURSDAYS FROM LANSING, MASON JACKSON Visit FireKeepersCasino.com or call 877.FKC.8777 for complete line run schedules. FireKeepersCasino.com 877.FKC.8777 THE HOTTEST RIDE TO FUN $20 IN RED HOTCREDITSfor free slot play $5 IN POINTSfor meals, merchandiseor free slot play WASHINGTON Mr.

Lee Edmond Shunk, age 84, a resident of died Tuesday October 5, 2021 at Vidant Beaufort Hospital in Washington. A memorial mass will be held 5:00 p.m. Thurs- day October 7, 2021 at Mother of Mercy Catholic Church inWashington officiated by FatherMichael Scheutz. A funeral mass will be held 11:00 a.m. October 19, 2021 at the Church of the Resurrection in Lansing, MI officiated by Father Steve Mattson.

Burial will follow inMt.Hope Cemetery in Lansing. The family will receive friends at the home of his daughter, LeeAnn, located at 403 on Thursday October 7, 2021 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and also on Friday October 8, 2021 from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Mr. Shunk was born in Lansing, MI on August 2, 1937, son of the late Francis Tafel and the late Alice Belle Rodgers Tafel. He was a 1956 graduate of Lansing Eastern High School and continued his education earning his associates degree in Journeyman Dye Sinker. On September 23, 1961 he married the former Jo Ann Kolonich who preceded him in death on Octo- ber 23, 1997. He served his country in the U.S.

Navy having served on the USS Leyte and USS Franklin D. Roosevelt. His working career consisted of thirty plus years with Lindell Drop Forge in Lansing as a Journeyman Dye Sinker and retired from Federal Forge also in Lansing. He was a member of 4th Degree Knights of Columbus Msgr, John A. Council 11099 at the Church of the Resurrection, Catholic War Veterans, and was president of Leslie Jaycees.

He was registered with Boy Scouts of America as a youth and adult leader with the Chief Okemos Council and was an Arrowman with the Order of the Arrow. He served on the national com- mittee for handicapped scouting, laying the groundwork for BSA to become the all-inclusive organization that it is today. Locally he was a member of Mother of Mercy Catholic Church. Survivors include his daughter: Lee Ann Marie DelMonte (Michael) of Washington; sisters: Ruth Henderson (Robert) of Big and Lin- da McCoy of St. Johns, MI; grandchildren: Joshua Schlicker (Morgan) of JosephDavenport (Margaret) of ThomasMcKeel of Cullowhee, NC, and Gina Marie DelMonte of Washington; four great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

Mr. Shunk was prede- ceased by his parents, wife, son: Lee Edmond Shunk, brother: Fredrick Tafel; and a brother-in-law: Roger McCoy. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks that memorial contributions be made to BSA Troop 1847, at the First United Methodist Church, for the Scouting Assistance Fund, 304West 2nd NC 27889. Online condolences may be offered to the family by visiting www.paul- funeralhome.com. Paul Funeral Home Crematory of Washington is honored to serve Mr.

family. Lee Edmond Shunk, Sr. OKEMOS Passed away at home, with his wife by his side on October 9, 2021, at the age of 73. He died of Chondrosarcoma Cancer to the lungs that had metastasized from the femur. Al was born in Lansing, April 2, 1948, the son of Maynard and Cornelia (Steenbergen) Stauffer.He was a 1967 graduate of Everett High School.After high school, he was drafted into the Army during the Vietnam War as a radio operator.Al’s first job was owning his own carpet cleaning business called Quality Service.

Several years later, he started another busi- ness, Painting, doing interior and exterior house painting. He also did yard work for some clients and small mainte- nance jobs. Al had a keen mind and a steel trap mind that could remember every fine detail.His memory was phenomenal and he could tell you stories from back when he was 4 years Old.Al had a dry sense of humor and would always put a smile on your face with his many stories. He loved history and enjoyed all the PBS documentaries on our country. Al also enjoyed golfing with the league, reading and was intrigued with the housing market.

favorite vacation place was Mackinac Island. He and his wife, Julie, had their honeymoon there on July 24, 1976. They tried to visit the Island every year up until COVID hit in 2020.Al’s pride and joy was his yard. He loved keeping the grass cut, the trees trimmed and keeping it looking professionally done.He and Julie built their back patio together, a little shed for tools and Al built the arbor going into their backyard. Many autumn evenings, Al would build a fire in the fire pit so he and Julie could sit out and enjoy the beauty of it all.

Bike riding was a joy for Al. Crego Park was one of his favorite trails and he was always exploring new places to bike. Kayaking was also a favorite of and he taught Julie on how FUN this sport could be. They kayakedmore for taking in the beauty and relaxing.Al enjoyed Lake Lansing for kayaking and was intrigued to explore new lakes every year.Al is survived by his wife of 45 years, Julie Stauffer; Thornton, Linda (Robert) Jenkins, Tom Stauffer; niece, Laura Czaelada; nephew, Bob Thornton; sister-in-laws, Lee Anne Surdenik, Donna Fischer and Lori (Russ) Headley; many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Per request, cremation will take place and there will be no services. Those desiring may make memorial contributions to Care, 865 S. Cedar 48854. Arrangements were entrusted to the Mills Funeral Home, Shelly-Odell Chapel in Eaton Rapids. To leave online condolences for the family, please visit our website, www.millsfuneral.com.

Alan Stauffer LANSING Gov. Gretchen Whitmer may have to return or donate millions of dollars in campaign contributions at the end of this year, Secretary of State Joce- lyn Benson says in a court Whitmer has collected at least $3.4 million in what would normally be considered excess cam- paign contributions after her campaign invoked a recall exception to allow unlimited donations from individual donors. The normal limit is $7,150, but Whitmer has collected donations from several donors. Michigan Republican Party chairman Ron Weiser sued Benson, the top elections cer, over the donations in September. Weiser ar- gued in federal court in Grand Rapids that the re- call exception unconsti- tutionally disadvantages Republican donors such as himself, who are un- able to give similar amounts to their pre- ferred candidates for gov- ernor.

Others have ques- tioned whether it is ap- propriate for campaign to cite the re- call exception, saying that although language for several recall petitions have been against the governor, none ap- peared close to collecting the required number of signatures. In a Wednesday court in the suit by Weiser, Benson said through the Attorney that Whitmer gains no unfair advantage from the extra money her campaign has collected because any funds not spent recalls must be returned to donors or donated to a political party or charity. Therefore, there is no ba- sis for suit, she said. Also, under state law, no new recalls can be against Whitmer during the year of her cur- rent four-year term, meaning the end of this year is the date for such of this date, none of the recall petitions that have been approved have returned valid signatures within the required 180 days, and no new recall petitions have been ap- proved since September of Benson said in the there are no addi- tional recall petitions by Jan. 1, 2022, any possible recall will necessarily be consid- ered because no new petitions could be The governor would be required to disgorge any contributions re- ceived in excess of the MCFA (Michigan Cam- paign Finance Act) limits at that time months before even the April 19, 2022, deadline for Re- publican gubernatorial candidates to their nominating Whitmer and Benson are both Democrats.

The recall exception invoked by the Whitmer campaign originated with a 1984 administrative rul- ing issued by former Michigan Secretary of State Richard Austin, a Democrat. He set out of some of his reasoning in a 1983 letter to a state Senate majority leader. Austin said that when a candi- date is facing a recall, the donation limits do not apply because recall committees can accept unlimited donations from individuals. Whitmer reported in July she has more than $10 million in cash on hand for her expected re- election 2022 reelection campaign. That is a rec- ord amount, more than a year out from the elec- tion.

In response to the Ben- son court Michigan Republican Party spokes- man Gustavo Portela is- sued a statement that said: Whitmer has illegally raised funds in excess of contribution limit by claiming a recall excep- tion for a recall that That is false, said Maeve Coyle, a spokes- woman for the Whitmer campaign. The Michigan Republi- can Party to attack Gov. Whitmer in every way they can think of, including recall and frivolous Coyle said. campaign will continue to back at- tempts to attack the gov- ernor while following the guidelines set by preced- she said. Wednes- court the fundraising has been in accordance with the Benson has said previ- ously that when cam- paign donor limits are lifted because of the re- call exception, amounts donated above the nor- mal limits would have to be spent recalls or disgorged by the cam- paign.

was the time Benson publicly applied her un- derstanding of state law to the facts of the Whitmer campaign and recall directed at her. Simon Schuster, exec- utive director of the Michigan Campaign Fi- nance Network, said he will be watching to see what happens with the money, should no active recall against Whitmer materialize. If the money is donat- ed to the Michigan Demo- cratic Party, it could still reelec- tion through the pur- chase of issue advertis- ing, he said. Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pe- Fol- low him on Twitter Benson: Whitmer may have to return millions Paul Egan Detroit Free Press USA TODAY NETWORK Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, left, and Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson..