Ann Murray Bridgeland East Lansing Age 75, died on April 16, 2012. Ann was a loving wife, mother and grandmother who was born an only child to Jack and Betty Murray on December 8, 1936 in Asheville, N.C. She grew up in North Carolina and Tennessee, attended high school in Bristol and graduated from Maryville College in Tennessee with a B.A., and Michigan State University with an M.A. Ann worked at the First Presbyterian Church in Champaign, Illinois where she met and married the love of her life, Bill Bridgeland, in 1959. They had three sons and one daughter and moved to Mason, Michigan in 1972. Ann worked as a substitute teacher in elementary schools until she became Coordinator of Ingham County Senior Citizen Office. Almost nine years later she originated the Senior Companion Program in Lansing and was employed as Director until her retirement in 2001. Working with older people in a variety of ways, she continued as a volunteer in projects and on various boards. Her interests included children, grandchildren, reading, traveling, cooking, sewing (quilting in later years), and friends. She was a long time member of Edgewood United Church in East Lansing. Ann is survived by her husband, William M. Bridgeland; sons, David (Rose Ijaz) of Virginia, Steven (Anne) of Washington and William (Susan Tuller) in the U.S. State Department; and daughter, Elizabeth (Luis) Saldivia of Grand Rapids. She is also survived by 11 grandchildren, Julia, Gabriela, Marissa and William Saldivia, Miranda, Isabel, Alexandra, Trevor, Chloe, James and Christopher Bridgeland. A funeral service will be held at Noon on Saturday, April 21, 2012 at Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes, 1730 E. Grand River Ave., East Lansing with family receiving friends 1 hour prior to the service. Interment will follow at Glendale Cemetery, Okemos. Memorial contributions may be made to Tri-County Office on Aging, 5303 S. Cedar St., Lansing, MI 48911 or to the Alzheimer's Association, Michigan Great Lakes Chapter, 310 N. Main, Ste 100, Chelsea, MI 48118 in her mother's memory. On line condolences may be made at www.greastlansing.com

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Published in Lansing State Journal on April 19, 2012