Anna M. "Ann" Briggs' Obituary
Anna Mary Briggs, age 91, passed away on Saturday, May 30, 2026. She was born in Cadillac, Michigan (God’s Country) on July 21, 1934, to Daniel and Anna (Grehek) Pastotnik. Ann was the oldest of ten children and learned from an early age how to help others and enjoy life along the way.
In her senior year at Cadillac High School, her best friend, Bev, set her up on a blind date. Bev’s boyfriend Bill was best friends with Jim Briggs. The rest is history. Jim and Ann were married on June 26, 1954, and were married for 56 years until Jim’s death on January 20, 2010.
In the early years, Jim and Ann lived in Colorado Springs while Jim was in the Army. After being discharged, they moved to Muskegon for jobs. Ann worked at Airline Paint and Supply for a number of years, then moved to S. D. Warren where she worked in Human Resources and was best known as the “Insurance Lady.” She always felt S. D. Warren employees were a tight-knit group and they cared for each other. She retired in 1994.
Ann loved to dance, and Polka was her favorite. She and Jim danced as often as possible. They had a large group of friends who joined them in driving across Michigan so they could dance to their favorite bands. In their senior years, they wintered in Arizona and danced and enjoyed life even more.
Family was everything to Ann. She was happiest with her family gathered for holidays, birthdays, or a cookout. She also loved to hang out with her grandchildren. She would take the girls to lunch to celebrate their birthdays. On one memorable outing, she got pulled over for running a red light. She was mortified, and the girls were all in tears. She didn’t get a ticket, but it was a lunch no one forgot. She also loved to read. Any grandchild who enjoyed reading got to go with her to the used book store to stock up on new material. She was of the opinion, you could never have too many books. She once helped her granddaughters make a quilt. It was a big ordeal with the kids pinning and her at her sewing machine. She always had a project to keep her grandchildren engaged and involved, like making Christmas trees out of beads and clothespins, or creating steppingstones, or ceramics, or snow globes. You didn’t just sit around, you created fun things.
One of her all-time favorite pastimes was letting people know how much she thought of them. Her love showed in every card sent for every holiday, birthday, or just because. She kept the postal service in business purchasing stamps. She will be deeply missed by many.
Ann is survived by four children, Kurt (Chris) Briggs, Marjorie (Craig) Bates, Marthina Sturgeon, and Cheryl (Rick) Karel; ten grandchildren, Jenna (Matt) Blamer, Tina (Eric) Neissen, Dana (Ben) Slater, Lindsay (Don) Ketner, Jory (Andy) Cook, Dan (Erica) Sturgeon, Ella (Nate) Voss, Justine Mooney, Jax Mooney, and Bailey (Derek) Snyder; 14 great-grandchildren, Nina, Beau, Giddeon, Casey, Grady, Kiera, Henrik, Easton, Gwendolyn, Noah, Eli, Maybelle, Adalynn, and Keaton; sisters, Marcia McKenzie, Patricia Keller, Veronica Martin, and Kathy (Stan) Evans; brothers, Jim (Sue) Pastotnik, Greg (Cindy) Pastotnik, Ken (Deborah) Pastotnik, and Dick (Thu) Pastotnik; and many nieces and nephews. Ann was preceded in death by her parents; her grandsons, Bryan Gregory, James Bates, and Bradley Bates; and brother, Dan Pastotnik, Jr.
A memorial mass for Ann will be celebrated at 11:00 AM Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, the Rev. Fr. Steven W. Geerling presiding. Visitation with the family will be one hour prior to the mass at the church. Burial will take place in St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery.
MEMORIALS to St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, Muskegon Rescue Mission, or Boys Town will be appreciated. Envelopes will be available at the church. Share memories with the family at their online Guest Book at https://www.sytsemafh.com
Arrangements by The Lee Chapel of Sytsema Funeral and Cremation Services, 6291 S. Harvey St., Norton Shores, MI 49444 (231) 798-1100
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