Dawn Marie Barnhouse

Dawn Marie (Starke) Barnhouse

On January 16 at 1:10 AM Dawn Barnhouse went to be with the Lord after a long battle with
cancer.

She was born in Saginaw, MI, on May 3, 1967, to Larry and Sherry Starke. Dawn graduated
from Delta Community College and went on to Western Michigan University where she  
completed her bachelor’s degree in Business / Marketing in 1988. During her time at Western, she
began her career in the hospitality industry, working for the Radisson, Signature Inns, and
finally a Native American boat tour company in Seward, Alaska. Upon returning to MI in
2001, she purchased a home in Kalamazoo and began working for Sabic Plastics in sales. On
July 17, 2010, she married Tim Barnhouse. On July 19, 2012 she gave birth to her daughter,
Lauren,” the light of her life”, at which time she quit working to be a stay-at-home-mom.
Dawn loved being a mother, reading, researching, going to estate sales, making new friends,
and being a wife. She was a creative, brilliant, detailed chronologist, who loved doing
genealogy. Her quotes of her daughter, Lauren’s, speech from beginning to present are
engaging and a precious gift for her daughter and anyone who reads them. She loved being a
good neighbor. She was preceded in death by her father Larry Starke and is survived by her
mother, Sherry and stepfather Bob Macomber of Saginaw, MI, sister Lisa (Gary) Jaenicke, of
Roscommon, MI, brother David of Saginaw, MI, brother Matt (Kristin) Of Saginaw, MI, sister
Sarah (JJ) Reimer of Hemlock, MI, and numerous nieces and nephews. Services will be held at
Avink McCowen Secord Funeral Homes in Portage on Saturday January 21, 2023. A second
service will be held at The Well Community Church in Hemlock on Monday January 23, 2023,
with interment at the Owens Cemetery in Saginaw immediately after the service on Monday.

In Lieu of flowers, contributions in the memory of Dawn may be made to the family for the Lauren Barnhouse college fund.

Avink McCowen Secord Funeral Homes, 5975 Lover’s Lane, Portage, MI 49002
Messages of condolence may be posted at www.amsfuneralhomes.com
Portage Service Times: Saturday, Jan. 21 10:00 – 11:00 AM
Funeral 11:00-12:00 noon
Lunch 12 noon at the funeral home
Saginaw Service Times: Monday, Jan. 23 Viewing 9:00 – 11:00 Funeral 11:00 – 12:00 noon

Interment: Owens Cemetery 12:30 PM

The family is being assisted by Avink, McCowen & Secord Funeral Home; 5975 Lovers Lane in Portage, MI (269) 344-5600.