Letta B. Shawboose

There is an old Beatles' song that describes the compassion of a mother and the peace and wisdom she can give to her child. For those who knew Letta Susan Shawboose the song "Let it Be" matched her sweet and kind-hearted nature and, therefore, it was the perfect song to give her as a nickname, "Letta B." Her children were the love of her life and she cherished every moment she was given with them. Letta's story begins on February 4, 1972 in Muskegon, Michigan where she was born to Pamela Sue Shawboose. Although she didn't arrive until centuries later, Letta's heritage could be traced back hundreds of years through the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe, who made their first documented settlement on the shores of Lake Huron in 1736. And while baby Letta may have been born into a different time and culture, her grandfather sought to encourage an appreciation of her Native American ancestry and their traditions, and she would grow to respect and honor that heritage. When she was still a baby, Pam left Letta to be raised by her maternal grandparents. Letta's grandparents still had three children under the age of ten at home, so young Letta fit right in. The older children, Anita, Lauran, and Vanyork, quickly took to having a new little sister in the house and Letta grew to enjoy her older siblings. Together they were deemed the "four musketeers" and they loved to run around in Roosevelt neighborhood, where they attended school at Campbell Park Elementary. They had life in the neighborhood all figured out and knew the delivery schedules for Gov's Market. They would race on their bikes down to the store to catch the bread truck and while the driver was busy stocking the shelves, they would hop on the back of the truck and take a loaf for themselves. At the age of 11, Letta announced to her family that she had decided to go and live with her Aunt Ruby and her daughter who was just a few years younger that Letta. From that point on, she looked at Ruby as her mother. Moving meant that she would have to adjust to a new school, but still Letta never regretted her decision. Besides, she never really cared for school anyway, except for art. class. She was a gifted artist and enjoyed developing her talent. Education was also prized in her extended family and Ruby made sure to instill the value of an education in Letta. In 1988, Letta gave birth to her first child, a daughter named Lamora or "Moe," for short. Just three years later, she welcomed her second child, a son named Pierre. That same year, Letta celebrated her graduation from Muskegon High School and got her first apartment. Although never married, she was a pretty girl and had plenty of admirers. One time at a convenience store where many city workers were taking their break, Letta told her mother, "Look at this." After spending a moment talking with the men, Letta and her mom were on there way with a full tank of gas, courtesy of the workers. Letta never even had to ask, that is just how charming she was. It is without doubt that there were a few broken hearts when Letta began a relationship with Robert Dawson, Sr. Their relationship may have had its moments, but things were really coming together for Letta. In her mid-twenties she began a career working as a Mental Health Aide in the Adult Life Skills Program at Community Mental Health. And somewhere between her romance and her job, she found quality time to spend with her children. She loved to sing and always had a moment to share a song with her daughter, who grew to love singing as well. Another big part of Letta's life was attending the PowWows that were held every summer. This was just one of many Native American traditions that her grandfather had imparted to her. As much as Letta valued the things that made her like her family, she also enjoyed being a unique individual. For starters, she was what some would consider "high maintenance" and could spend hours making sure everything was perfect from her hair to her clothes. When her health was failing, she still made sure that she looked beautiful, even at the expense of being late for a date to the movies. Letta also loved nice things, especially her purple Dodge Intrepid. Her family always enjoyed teasing her about her fancy car. The year 2004 was the start of some tough times for Letta. That year, Jonas Shawboose, who had been both a grandfather and father to her, passed away. She was devastated and took his death very hard. In a span of months, Letta's 15 year relationship with Robert came to an end, she lost her job of over ten years, and she was diagnosed with a serious illness. Just surviving proved to be a challenge for Letta and her children, but she had family, and as her Aunt Anita put it, "A circle of family encircled them and took care of them." When it came to caring for their mother, the kids did everything they could. Moe even took a part-time job so she could buy things that were needed at home. In the months that followed, Letta was in and out of the hospital, until just one month ago when she was told that she had two years to live, at most. The hospital staff was in tears when they told her. It just didn't seem fair, she was only 35 with such young kids. Unfortunately, things were worse than anyone could have imagined and Letta soon went into hospice. Although time may take away their grief, no amount of time can take away the joy of Letta's memory in the hearts and minds of her family and friends. She was a devoted, loving, and caring, mother, who left for Heaven much too soon. Miss Letta B. Shawboose died Saturday, April 21, 2007. Surviving her are one son, Pierre R. Dawson of Muskegon Heights; two stepsons, Alvin Thompson of Muskegon & Robert L. Dawson, Jr. of Muskegon; one daughter, Lamora "Moe" Shawboose of Muskegon Hts.; one stepdaughter, Fallon Thompson of Muskegon; two grandchildren, Ne'Asjah O'Leary & Calvin O'Leary; both of her mothers; grandmother, Barbara T.A. Shawboose of Muskegon; two sisters, Barbara M. Shawboose of Muskegon & Nicole M. Shawboose of Harrison; one brother, Justin E. Shawboose of Mt. Pleasant; two aunts, Laura M. Shawboose of Muskegon & Anita L. Shawboose of Muskegon; five uncles, Merton (Lorraine) Flory of Mt. Pleasant, Jovain Shawboose of Muskegon, Robert Shawboose of San Francisco, Westbrook Shawboose of Muskegon & VanYork C. (Amy) Shawboose of Mt. Pleasant. She was preceded in death by her grandfather, Jonas J. Shawboose of Mt. Pleasant. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, April 26, 2007, 2:00 PM at Clock Life Story Chapel with Debra L. Gutowski officiating. Interment will be on Friday, April 27th at Woodlawn Cemetery in Mt. Pleasant, MI. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, 2-4 & 6-8 PM at Clock Life Story Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial contribution to Harbor Hospice or the American Liver Foundation Michigan Chapter. Please visit Letta's personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com to leave a memory or sign the online guest book.