Ginger Mae Tansil

Ginger Mae Tansil, age 69, passed away Wednesday, April 15, 2026. She was born to Harrison and Ollie (Solomon) Ashford on April19, 1956. The youngest and the last survivor of 7 children: Horace Ashford, William Ashford, Rev. Stan Ashford, Ralph Ashford, Ellen Ashford, and Nancy Ashford. As the youngest Ginger was the most precocious.

Surviving her is her daughter Nancy DeAngela Ashford, and granddaughter DeAsia Breeyona Victoria Ashford (Kanaya). Ginger joined in holy matrimony with Mr. Marshall Tansil on October 23, 2009 and embraced 4 bonus children Tilliaum (Lysette) Tansil, Mechelle Tansil, Aaron Tansil and Marquis Lee.

Earlier in life Ginger was employed at Every Woman's Place as a career counselor but felt the women's lives could be impacted so much more if beauty, health, human behavior, and emotional wellness had been incorporated. She attended Bishop College in Dallas Texas to study psychology and that path included cosmetology and cosmetology education. She attended Peggy White's International College of Hair Design earning her cosmetology credentials and subsequently received cosmetology teaching licenses because of attending Daniels Hairstyling Academy. After a year of working under another professional she opened her own conscious beauty center that included an apprenticeship program but she often hurt her business by writing warnings to women in the Midwest Business Alliance Journal (MBA Journal, Charles Fair editor) that the formulation of chemicals used on their hair was harming their health (she was criticized for saying that and was accused of not knowing how to apply them, but she still would still write. Fast-forward. There are many Class A lawsuits on the subject of chemical hair straighteners causing uterine cancer, brain cancer, and much more. In Ginger's writings she often encouraged Black women to embrace their own unique beauty and not assimilate to the so-called "dominant culture". However, the indoctrination and brainwashing runs deep but she didn't let the criticism of others deter her, in fact led her to even more healthy practices. Omni Fitness Center wasn't too far from her salon, and she'd take an hour or two to exercise there where she was encouraged by Lana Hornik to pursue fitness also. Ginger was licensed through ISSA in sports nutrition, senior fitness, personal training and of course CPR. Her salon was practically by appointment only because she also taught at Kimberly's Cosmetology in Grand Rapids and later at Excel Cosmetology in Grand Rapids along with apprenticeships mentioned earlier. Upon marrying Marshall Tansil of Detroit, she taught in the Hazel Park school district which all the schools were an education unto itself. Chemicals made for other people's hair were not as strong as the ones made for our hair, and they are unnecessarily harsh.

In Detroit she was a writer for Detroit Smart Pages along with the MBA Journal. She authored a book called "Ciggzree, the Lady Behind the Name", and was working on a book about the Ashford Family. Ginger was assigned an EIN number to operate a business in Wholistic living. And thanks Dr. Wafer for allowing her holistic ministry to exist inside the church walls.

Ginger drew wisdom and inspiration and questioned everything she'd ever been taught and became unafraid of death from reading the writings of Baba Dr. John Henrik Clarke, Dr. Ray Hagins, Dr. Thomas C. Oden, Dr. Naim Akbar, Dr. James G. Jackson, Dr. Frances Cress Welsing, Dr. Amos Wilson and too many more to name at this time.

Special thanks go to DeAngela Ashford, and Marshall Tansil and the Muskegon Harbor Hospice especially Arlette. Also Promising Love Care LLC.

FUNERAL SERVICE

Thursday, April 23, 2026, 12:00 PM at Clock Funeral Home with Rev. Jean Murphy officiating. Interment in Mona View Cemetery. VISITATION - One hour prior to the service at the funeral home. Please visit www.clockfuneralhome.com to leave a memory or sign the online guestbook.