Sheila Davis

Funeral Information

Visitation will be held at MacAlpine Funeral Home, 302 North Hanselman Street, Bad Axe, MI,on Thursday, August 27,2026 from 11:00-12:00. A celebration of life will be held on Thursday, August 27,2026 at 12:00 pm at MacAlpine Funeral Home. Graveside service will follow at Riverside Cemetery on Eby Road in Elkton, MI. The family requests that attendees wear blue in honor of the deceased. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the family to cover funeral costs, or to the Thumb Animal Shelter, 2260 S. Elkton Rd., Elkton, MI, 48731. Condolences may be shared with the family at www.macalpinefuneralhome.com

Family of the Deceased

She is preceded in death by her husband, Clifford Davis, and her parents Arlin and Caryl (Barnhart) Dalton. She is survived by her daughter Laura Davis (Gary Ciarkowski) of Chelsea, MI; daughter Carol Davis of Bad Axe, MI, sister Sharon Dalton of Richland Center, WI; cousins Darel and Marvalene Pliner of Reedsburg, WI, and other cherished friends and family. Sheila’s family would like to thank the entire staff of Huron County Medical Care Facility, and the hospice nurses and staff of Compassus, for their excellent care of their mother.

Biography

Sheila Beth Davis, 79, of Bad Axe, MI went home to be with her Lord and Savior on August 21, 2026, while under the care of Huron County Medical Care Facility in Bad Axe and Compassus Hospice, and was surrounded by friends and family. Sheila was born on July 12, 1947, in Richland Center, Wisconsin, the eldest daughter of Arlin and Caryl Dalton. Sheila attended a one-room schoolhouse for elementary school, and later graduated from Richland Center High School in 1965. She then attended Richland County Teacher’s College, but ultimately decided to pursue other work. She moved to Bad Axe during her twenties through a connection with church friends, and worked first for General Cable in Cass City for nine years, and then for the Bad Axe Free Methodist Church as secretary. Through the church she served selflessly and enthusiastically, and was considered as part of the family of the pastors, Dan and Judy Shinabarger, as well as Jim and Jeannette Hewitt and their children, another family in the church. She also made many other friends during her time there, including her future husband, Cliff. After a Christmas Eve engagement, they were married on February 21, 1981 at the Bad Axe Free Methodist Church. The couple later moved to Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, and Sheila became a full-time mom when their first daughter, Laura, was born. Carol was then born in Battle Creek after another move, and Sheila watched carefully over her in the NICU as she recovered from complications from her premature birth. Over the years, the family moved often due to Cliff’s work, but remained mostly in different towns in Michigan and Indiana, with a brief stay in Iowa. Throughout her life, Sheila enjoyed serving at each church they joined. She especially loved working with the children's and women’s ministries at church, Bible studies, and whatever else needed to be done. She also spent many hours volunteering at her daughters’ schools. When Cliff’s health began to decline and he could no longer work, Sheila went back to work part time at odd jobs, including restocking Hallmark Cards, janitorial work, and as church secretary once again, this time at the Monroe Free Methodist Church. She lovingly took care of him and their home in Elkton, Michigan, until his passing in 2008. A few years later, she moved back to Bad Axe along with her daughter, Carol. Sheila faced many of her own health challenges after Cliff’s death, including treatments for colon cancer and heart disease. When her health began to further fail, Carol took on her day-to-day care for a number of years until she needed nursing care, with Laura supporting them both during visits and from afar. Although Sheila spent much of her time in the service of her family and church, she dabbled in crafts and art, and took a few oil painting classes over the years. She loved dogs, Highland cows, feeding birds, gardening, reading, eating ice cream, and watching Hallmark movies. She was especially happy to attend her daughter Laura’s wedding last October. She also enjoyed being silly and teasing people, and was beloved by the nursing home staff for her sense of humor and feistiness.

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