Under a topaz blue sky on Sunday morning, November 15, Marie Irene Livingston gently passed into her new life after a brief illness with the arms of her loved ones around her and her beloved cats curled by her side at her home in Topaz, Michigan.

Marie was born in 1925 in Topaz, Michigan to Laura and Steven McDonald. She grew up on their family farm in Topaz and later lived in Lansing and Marquette as her husband Albert "Bud" Livingston moved with his career changes with the DNR. Eventually, Marie and Bud retired and purchased the Osier farm in Topaz, her grandparents' farm, where she joyfully lived out the remainder of her life.
Marie graduated from Bergland high school in 1943. She and Bud married and had four children, Laurel, twins Kathleen and Cheri and son Mike. She was a loving and caring, humble, fun loving, generous amazing woman. If there were angels walking among us, Marie was one of them.

Marie enjoyed oil painting with her friends from Bergland and exhibited her beautiful work every year with her art group. She and her daughter, Laurel also spent hours creating lovely crafts each summer and selling them at craft fairs. Next to her artistic endeavors she loved her flower gardens. Anyone traveling along M28 through Topaz could not help but admire her gardens in the spring and summer. Even after her 90th birthday she could be seen on her hands and knees cultivating her flower beds as you passed her home. It was her passion.

Marie loved her church family, the Methodist church in Bergland and especially Pastor Ted whose kindness and love uplifted her in her final days. Marie was active with the Bergland senior center and the Bergland historical society. Her wonderful giving nature, her delightful sense of humor and her amazing energy endeared her to everyone she knew.

She is survived by her son, Mike Livingston of Ewen, daughters, Laurel Livingston of Vermontville Michigan, Cheri Livingston of Topaz, Michigan, Kathleen Livingston of Deposit, New York and Ceil Lindsey of Ewen, Michigan and many beloved grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Marie's door to her home in Topaz was always open and the coffee was always on even to strangers who would occasionally break down on the highway during the winter on that long stretch of road between Ewen and Bergland. Her home was always a beacon at night during the Christmas season with her nativity brightly lit on her front porch.
Marie loved music, especially a marching band and her cats were like family and she adopted many at the farm over the years. She was happiest with them wrapped around her ankles or curled into her lap. Those pearly gates were opened wide this past Sunday morning as she crossed over that rainbow bridge with her cats trailing behind her and she stepping high the leader of the band. Her family and friends who had gone before her their arms open wide to welcome her in a loving embrace.

At this time there will be no formal funeral per Marie's wishes.

A memorial gathering will be planned in the spring.

Memorial donations can be made to the Bergland Methodist Church.

Also a very heartfelt special thank you to Horizon Home Care and Carol Lukkari for her tender and loving care.

Jerald Rocco, owner-manager of Lakeside Memorial Chapel Inc., in Wakefield is assisting the family.